Kumail Nanjiani reveals Robin Williams pushed him to move from comedy to drama

Kumail Nanjiani says the late Robin Williams was one of the heroes of his life.

The comedian, who takes on dramatic roles in “Welcome to Chippendales,” says the comedy legend inspired him to take a darker turn in his new work.

“When I look at the people who inspired me to do comedy in the first place, I often think of Robin Williams,” Nanjiani explained on Wednesday’s episode of “The View.” Considering those who have played dark dramatic roles in , it is very difficult to beat the level he has achieved in various fields. , should at least follow in their footsteps.”

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Williams was well known for his comedic roles such as the voice of Genie in “Aladdin” and the desperate father in “Mrs.” He produced “Doubtfire” and made audiences laugh with various of his 90’s comedies. Later in his career, he expanded his repertoire with more serious roles, including winning an award as Sean in ‘Good Will Hunting’.

Nanjiani revealed that he actually met Williams once before he died.

“Actually, my wife and I were doing a little show in the back of a comic store in Los Angeles. One day, I was the host and I came back onstage and Robin Williams was standing there,” the actor recalled. do.

Surprised by his sudden appearance, he invited the legend to the stage.

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“Would you like to come on stage?” He said, “No, I can’t.” ‘are you sure? ‘Before I finished, he was like, ‘We’re just going to do it for two minutes,'” Nanjiani said. “He got on stage and played for 20 minutes. It was amazing. He did well.”

Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales” premieres on November 22 with two episodes, with one new episode every week until January 3, 2023.