Nasim Pedrad: Will she follow Tina Fey’s path to the big screen?
During her five seasons on “Saturday Night Live,†comedic actress Nasim Pedrad made a name for herself skewering celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Arianna Huffington, Nicki Minaj and even Aziz Ansari (the latter, at least, in an unaired clip you can watch below).
Pedrad, 32, has since departed the show to co-star in the new Fox sitcom “Mulaney†opposite stand-up comic and former “SNL†writer John Mulaney. But she could be poised to follow the path of other “SNL†alums who have parlayed sitcom success into big-screen opportunities, such as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg and Ansari.
So far, Pedrad has had supporting movie roles in the 2011 rom-com “No Strings Attached†and the 2012 political satire “The Dictator.†She’ll next appear on the big screen in “Cooties,†an ensemble horror-comedy about a group of elementary-school teachers fighting for their lives after a mysterious virus turns their students into feral monsters. The film also stars sitcom-feature crossover Rainn Wilson.
Pedrad has attracted the interest of some established directors as both a star and writer, and done voice work for two movies from the animation house Illumination Entertainment: “The Lorax†and “Despicable Me 2.†Given that history, she could be a candidate to return for some of the company’s upcoming projects, which include the “Despicable Me†spinoff “Minions†and “Despicable Me 3.â€
It’s not easy for comedy vets to make the cinematic leap, and as many “SNL†and sitcom stars fail as succeed. But as Fey’s dramatic comedy “This Is Where I Leave You†and Steve Carell’s Oscar play “Foxcatcher†prepare to open, Perdad has not just a strong resume but also a pretty good road map.
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