Kumail Nanjiani Finds The Funny Side Of Forgetting Lines On Broadway

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India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY — For Kumail Nanjiani, the leap from screen to stage has been both exhilarating and humbling. The Eternals star, best known for his sharp timing on film and television, is currently making his Broadway debut in Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. On September 2, he joined Seth Meyers on Late Night to reflect on the very different demands of live theater.

“On screen, if you get it right on the third take, they’re like, ‘You’re a genius,’” Nanjiani joked. “In a play, you have to get it right the first time — every time — eight shows a week.”

That pressure hit home recently when he blanked on two lines mid-scene, and on another night, missed an entrance altogether. Luckily, his co-stars — led by Jinkx Monsoon as Mary Todd Lincoln — kept the scenes moving seamlessly. “What I’m learning,” Nanjiani said with a laugh, “is I can really mess up — and it’s fine.”

Cole Escola’s Tony-winning comedy reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a cabaret-obsessed alcoholic, with Nanjiani playing her hapless husband, Abraham Lincoln. The play has been a box-office hit.