Kumail Nanjiani

It's certainly true for Franklin and Bash.

With Portlandia, it isn't really because there's no script and it's all improv.

So there is truly no way

to be like, oh, I got to nail this line.

You just really have to show up, talk to Fred and Carrie and go.

Now, I would do a lot of research for that.

My first thing I did on that was I was doing a cell phone salesman.

So I, even that, a lot of homework.

I looked up the scripts that they, because, you know, you've called back in the day when you're calling to change your plan and you're like, I just want to talk to a person.

I know you're a person at some point, but you're not a person right now.

You're like reading like dialogue trees.

So I looked up those dialogue trees and I learned them, I memorized them.

I looked up a lot of cell phone models.

I thought they were as ridiculous as car models.

So I sort of was like, okay, this is the area.

So I went in with a lot of information there.

And I was nervous to start, but as soon as I started, you have to be so present that it takes away.

And that's also what I love about acting is that...

You're so present when the cameras are rolling.

I'm not thinking about what I just did or what I'm going to do.