Pakistani-American actor, Kumail Nanjiani shed light on why he refuses to talk about his body transformation in a recent interview with GQ.
In 2019, for his role in Marvel film Eternals, the comedian underwent dramatic physical transformation and soon became fodder for tabloids and news outlets.
While talking about his changed physique, Nanjiani admitted that he wanted to be physically prepared for his role in the film, he said, “If I’m playing the first South Asian superhero, I want to look like someone who can take on Thor or Captain America, or any of those people.”
The 43-year-old went on, “I’ve found out over the last year and a half, since I did that picture, that I am very uncomfortable talking about my body — and it’s become less and less and less comfortable.”
While referring to the messages he received over the body transformation in which people shamed him, the actor stated, “It is aggression. It is anger. A lot of times, we are taught to be useful by using physical strength or our brain in an aggressive, competitive way. Not in an empathetic way. Not in an open, collaborative way."
He added, "It’s the same thing when you have all these guys, like, asking people to debate them on Twitter. That’s the same as arm wrestling. It’s about defeating. And that’s what the male ideal has been: Dominating. Defeating. Crushing. Killing. Destroying. That’s what being jacked is.”
