Kumail Nanjiani knows that his Welcome to Chippendales series sounds bonkers. The eight-episode Hulu miniseries is a twisty tale of wealth, power, and murder, following the rise and fall of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee (played by Nanjiani). The series charts how Bannerjee went from gas station manager and failed backgammon club owner to the founder of a male-stripping empire, kicking off a larger-than-life saga of sex, drugs, and hitmen.
"It's bananas," Nanjiani tells EW with a laugh. "There are like 10 things that happen in this story that all feel absolutely ridiculous, but they all really happened. If people are like, 'Hey, that feels like too much,' you're like, 'That's what really happened!'"
Nanjiani is no stranger to larger-than-life roles, whether he's starring in projects like Silicon Valley or The Big Sick or joining big-budget franchises like Marvel's Eternals or the Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi. But Chippendales is new territory for the actor: It's a darkly dramatic role, something the longtime comedian admits that he was "intimidated" to tackle. But ultimately, it was that same intimidation that swayed him to say yes. "I was like, the reason I'm scared to do it is exactly the reason I should do it," he explains.
Welcome to Chippendales — A sprawling true-crime saga, “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire—and let nothing stand in his way in the process. Steve (Kumail Nanjiani), shown. (Photo by: Erin Simkin/Hulu) Kumail Nanjiani in ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ | Credit: Erin Simkin/Hulu
Created by Pam & Tommy creator Robert Siegel, Welcome to Chippendales spans several years, following Banerjee as he becomes a Los Angeles power player in the 1970s and '80s, turning Chippendales into a nationwide sensation. Along the way, he crosses paths with figures like Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz), her nightclub promoter husband Paul Snider (Dan Stevens), and choreographer Nick De Noia (Murray Bartlett, who just won an Emmy for The White Lotus). The rest of the starry cast includes Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Plair, and Robin de Jesús, but much of the series centers on Banerjee, tracking his evolution from socially awkward immigrant to power-hungry big shot.
Siegel has said that he courted Nanjiani for the role for years, and when the actor finally signed on, he did extensive research into Banerjee. Nanjiani notes that although there was a wealth of material about people like Nick De Noia, the acclaimed choreographer who won two Emmys for children's programming, he was surprised by how much of a mystery Banerjee himself was. Instead, he pored over the scripts for insight, trying to unlock the motivation behind this cryptic entrepreneur and his quest to fulfill the American dream.
The key, Nanjiani says, was in Banerjee's emotional maturity — or lack thereof. "He's a guy who's not emotionally mature, and that can be a very dangerous thing," the actor explains. "That can be a very violent thing, but there is also an innocence to it. If you look at some real-life characters who we would look back and consider evil, there is actually a childlike quality to them. Part of it is not understanding the important of morality."
He also tried to treat every day on set as a masterclass, and he praises costars like Ashford, Lewis, and Bartlett for their insight — particularly when it came to the series' more dramatic scenes. "I really loved it, and I think it's going to change the way I approach acting going forward, no matter what the project is," Nanjiani adds. "Everything I learned in this I hope to use on whatever else I get to do."
And of course, you can't make a series about the early days of Chippendales without choreographing some dance scenes. Nanjiani remembers being on set as the dancers filmed elaborate sequences with hundreds of extras, many of whom were there to fill out the Chippendales audience. The background actors were instructed to stay quiet so that the crew could properly capture sound and dialogue — a task that proved easier said than done.
"Every time they yelled cut, [the crowd] would explode," Nanjiani remembers with a laugh. "It was people who were paid to be there in the audience, but they would go absolutely wild every single time. It was like this huge explosion. We'd do the same performance 40 times, and each time, there was that explosion. I was like, 'Oh, I see what it felt like when Chippendales first burst onto the scene.' It must have been really exciting back then to witness it — and it was certainly very exciting to see it happen day after day, take after take."
Welcome to Chippendales will premiere on Hulu Nov. 22.
Make sure to check out EW's Fall TV Preview cover story — as well as all of our 2022 Fall TV Preview content, releasing over 22 days through Sept. 29.