The Eternals Actor Kumail Nanjiani Was Worried About Contributing to Hollywood's Unrealistic Beauty Standards With His Muscular Transformation Pics
When Kumail Nanjiani posted his shirtless pic, flaunting his muscular body, the internet had a collective meltdown. The reaction to his new bod was overwhelmingly positive. But Kumail has now said that he was worried about adding to the realistic beauty standards.
Kumail Nanjiani will soon be seen in the MCU film, The Eternals, alongside Angelina Jolie. The actor will be playing a superhero, whose alter-ego is that of a Bollywood actor. For the role, the American-Pakistani actor underwent a body transformation. When he posted his shirtless pic, flaunting his muscular body, the internet had a collective meltdown. The reaction to his new bod was overwhelmingly positive. But Kumail has now said that he was worried about adding to the realistic beauty standards. Did The Eternals Star Kumail Nanjiani Reject Audition for Deadpool for Not Playing up His Accent?
In an interview with Bustle, Kumail said that the reaction to the pic "was kind of a mindf*ck". He added, "I worked so hard to not be worried about my physical appearance, [and then for people] to have such a strong reaction to it."
The pictures surfaced on the internet in December 2019, and Kumail has said, "I still have a complicated relationship with the reaction,"
Kumail expressed that he is worried about contributing to Hollywood's "very unrealistic beauty standards," which had also affected his self-esteem when he was younger. "In my teen years, I thought I was very, very ugly," he said. "Having to be obsessed with how I look for this movie has raised all the issues again." The Lovebirds Movie Review: Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae’s Fun Chemistry Is Tops, the Film Not So Much!
But the actor agrees that it was essential to go through this transformation to play the role of superhero Kingo who had "to look like a guy who could hang with Thor and Captain America".
But he added that this might both have been the best decision for his mental health. "I don't pretend to have it all figured out," he concluded.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2020 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).