The brunette beauty is Saturday Night Live alum known for her spot-on impressions of Aziz Ansari and Arianna Huffington, but left the sketch series. What should viewers know about Chad before diving in? I tried to illustrate that in my above response: the female Chad isn't necessarily promiscuous. in 2020, Pedrad got her first lead film role, playing the character of Wesley in Netflix's comedy Desperados. Nasim Pedrad is likely a familiar presence to most audiences. How did you get in the mind of a 14-year-old boy? Before its back on screens, on the other hand, you may be curious about the casting. I intentionally make them do that last because it just helps bring it home. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In our minds that was the most American thing you could do. It was critical in the sense that I needed to make sure the show was honest and authentic. Hopefully you can recover from the moments you need to turn away and just be like, "Oh my God, we survived that?" Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images, The first teaser for the show underlines that idea, to write roles like Chad for herself since her, attempting to assimilate into a new culture. Ive been living by that, and am thrilled for people to finally get to meet this jarringly awkward young man. Literally everything you just said was dead-on. Star of such shows as New Girl, Scream Queens, Saturday Night Live, and more, the 40-year-old Iranian-American actress has truly made. With her new TBS show, Chaddebuting April 6Pedrad plays the title character, a Persian teenager desperately trying to fit in with his peers and be accepted by any means necessary. ), "I knew I could disappear into looking like a boy with hair and makeup a lot easier than I could a girl," she said. This is the story of a 14-year-old Persian boy who is navigating his freshman year of high school and on a mission to become popular, and a lot of the comedy stems from the fact that he's willing to get there at all costs. Offers may be subject to change without notice. A New 'And Just Like That' Table Read Pic Confirms A Key Character's Return, Everything To Know About Hulu's 'How I Met Your Father' Season 2, 'Emily In Paris' Ashley Park Just Shared Mindy's Blooper Reel, The 'New Amsterdam' Series Finale Opens An Unexpected Door To The Future, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Yes, Chad is actually played by a 39-year-old woman. Keep up with your favorite shows delivered to your inbox! And as I was coming up with the character and developing him, it was just really making me laugh," Pedrad revealed to Entertainment Weekly. It's really been a labor of love; it was initially at a different network and thankfully found its home at TBS, which I feel like is such a great tonal fit for the show. 15/01/2023. He couldn't pull that off even if he knew about. The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales. From time to time he switches up a little bit, but we also needed something where we could physically hide my body. She starred alongside other comedic actresses such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, and Billie Lourd. So, she felt it was only fitting that she portrays the main character. #Change #CoachEO #UnderstandingMostWomenWe invite you to subscribe. There were so many times I was politely encouraged to write something else. Yes,Chad is actually played by a 39-year-old woman. But Nasim, who has portrayed multiple male characters in her sketches with SNL prior to Chad, said she was very insistent on the premise she pitched. In other news, Is Yellowstone and 1923 on tonight with new episodes? Since those werent available, I knew I had to create them myself., Emily Ratajkowski Went Braless in a Side-Boob-Baring Cardigan for a Possible Sushi Date, Where Did Those Rumors of Liam Hemsworth Cheating on Miley Cyrus Come From? Yeah, it's funny, people expect it to be a lot longer, but when you take away all the makeup elements that girls usually have to do, it weirdly evens out to a similar time. I couldn't do it, I had to jump ahead a few seconds. (She's 38. _____Empowerment Coach. A lot of the comedy comes from the fact that hes willing to do it at all costs. Thats why I started writing. Chad, a 14-year-old Persian kid aching to be popular, can be an insufferable little shit, but Pedrad's clear affection for the character clues us into the vulnerability within this sometimes exasperating young man. It features all the hijinks expected of school comedies, including the classic "pushed inside the locker" and "stuck in the doors of the school bus" routines. Were there any in your life who you grilled? For five years, Pedrad has tried to make Chad, her new TBS comedy in which she, a 39-year-old woman, plays the title character, an awkward 14-year-old boy who will do whatever it takes to fit in. When youre an immigrant kid, youre also caught between two cultures. What was 14-year-old Nasim like? Chad is a Persian boy trying to find his way in an American high school, and Nasim's family immigrated to the U.S. from Iran when she was only 3 and faced similar struggles. But even with that, the show is set in modern day, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything with what it means to be 14 today. Chad is desperately latching on to anything that can give him social traction at school, whether it's wearing the shoes that other kids would wear, fully embodying somebody else who is not him, or screaming at the top of his lungs, "I'm like you guys!" I knew that the wig, eyebrows, posture, the binder that I wear under my shirts, and the little mannerisms I developed as I began creating the character and riffing as him would help me in the performance. Half a decade ago just after Nasim Pedrad left the "Saturday Night Live" ensemble, she came up with the idea for " Chad ," a sitcom centering on an awkward teenage boy who just desperately wants. I also just thought it would be cool to tell a coming-of-age story where the teenager at the center of it wasn't a teenager, but an adult who is in on the joke. When I first pitched it, there was definitely an emphatic hope that I would change my mind and play his mom, she said. According to the official series description,Chadfollows a "pubescent Persian boy [who] navigates his first year of high school on a mission to become popular." Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Ad Choices, Nasim Pedrad Fought to Play HerselfAs a 14-Year-Old Boy, I wanted to play Middle Eastern characters who were funny, nuanced, and flawed. The stunning star is seriously gorgeous in real life. Once he ended his seven-year engagement, he then moved on with his co-star from "Chosen," Sarah Roemer. Probably best not to just go around on the prowl for young boys to talk to. Chad is so unlikeable, such an unmitigated asshole, that it is impossible to . For example, she previously told TV Guide I knew I could disappear into looking like a boy with hair and makeup a lot easier than I could a girl.. There is still significant gender inequality in Chad. And there's just a real shameless quality to the character that made me laugh, just in exploring exactly how far is he willing to go to be popular does even he have a limit? The true story of the g-strings and murders behind. Critics have already heralded Chadas a smart, unexpected comedy. The information shared above about the question, 1.Nasim Pedrad Plays a 14-Year-Old Boy in Her New Show Chad, 2.Nasim Pedrad on creating Chad and becoming a 14-year-old boy, 3.Nasim Pedrad finds her inner boy as Chad: Its such a universal , 4.CHAD Review: Nasim Pedrad WHY!?!?! I wanted to play Middle Eastern characters who were funny, nuanced, and flawed. Let's talk a bit about physically becoming Chad. An Investigation. Hes his own worst enemy and he gets his ass handed to him in every single episode, but by his own doing. Don't Worry, 'Big Mouth' Fans: Season 5 Is Happening, Meet 'Big Mouth's Newest Character, Natalie, 31 Going on 13? Because you need to find the balance of not making him look cool while he's also desperately trying to appear cool. Explaining the decision in the aforementioned Entertainment Weekly interview, she opened up: I wanted to make something that felt very honest and grounded, and especially with the wig and the eyebrows, the posture and the slight dropping of my voice, I felt like I could really disappear into this little dude., She also added that a grown-up playing Chad works so well because teenagers dont know whats so funny about being a teenager, whereas an adult could bring that perspective and specificity to the character., Let the fun begin on TBS! Teenagers are already struggling to define their identity and feel accepted by their peers, she told the outlet. She eventually became a significant presence on the show, contributing plenty of offbeat laughs to the notoriously quirky series. "I also just thought it would be a cool experiment comedically to tell a coming of age story where the teenager was played by an adult who's in on the joke the joke being us all as adults having that perspective of understanding about what's so funny about being a teenager, right?" They are best friends, but from Chad's perspective Peter is a full-blown social liability, and yet at the same time he needs him because he's all he has. It's just that as a teen he's obnoxious, insecure, rude and oblivious to. Even though I do like to imagine some people tuning in and not having any idea about the backstory, just thinking this is some regular teen boy actor. I had a development deal with a studio and wanted to write something that felt honest to my experience growing up in America as a child of immigrants. I was such a tomboy in every way. Nasim is the creator, showrunner, writer, producer, and leading actor in Chad (yes, she wears all of the hats), and she's said in interviews that she wanted to create a character who she felt she could really embody somehow, that resulted in a 14-year-old boy. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I need to start with a very important question: Why?! Amy Schneider Isnt Going AnywhereWhether Twitter Trolls Like It or Not. Name Chad takes it origin from Lake Chad which lies in the country. The late-night sketch show is also where audiences first discovered how uncannily good Pedrad is at playing young boys. actor chad allen, a former teen actor with more than three decades in the profession who rose to fame on dr. quinn: medicine woman and went on to appear in dozens of shows including st.. That's because it's not actually a child actor portraying the character but an adult comedian with years of experience that perfectly prepared them for this irregular role. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Yes, the character of Chad is actually portrayed by a woman who is 39 years old. I was definitely writing from a very personal space in creating the character, so a lot of who Chad is, even though I wasn't a young boy, is deeply reflective of my own childhood. Have something to tell us about this article? It becomes an extra obstacle in the gauntlet of high school." Chad is a Persian boy trying to find his way in an American high school, and Nasim's family immigrated to the U.S. from Iran when she was only 3 and faced similar struggles. It's that transformation that helps me feel like I'm Chad and not Nasim. After five seasons on Saturday Night Live, I was determined and excited to create my own show. For this year's Women of the Year issue, we asked some inspiring womenpast honorees, athletes, and moreto reflect on their work. Even the best of them couldn't possibly have the perspective that an adult has as someone who has lived through those horrifying years of being a teenager. In addition to highlighting the absurdity of casting herself as a teenage boy, Pedrad's statement also nods to the fact that the comedian has been attempting to write roles like Chad for herself since her SNL days. Second, Frohman asked that, in America, the starring role of Peter be played by his protg, Maude Adams. I thought we could push the comedy so much further if Chad was played by an adult whos in on the joke. While Pedrad is unrecognizable in Chad, that was kind of the point. It was actually so helpful. "The producers were always like, 'Hey, what about this week you play a pretty gal?' He moves on quickly. The season two debut of #Chad is finally here.I recapped season one of #Chad in one-minute if you need to get caught up! My wardrobe designer developed a binder of like oversize polos that became his signature look. Unlike most of her other performances, this was more of a serious role to fit with the tone of the long-running show, which follows a cast of fictional doctors and nurses as they cope with a daily onslaught of patients in the emergency room. I've played male characters before, but I wanted to make something that felt very honest and grounded, and especially with the wig and the eyebrows, the posture and the slight dropping of my voice, I felt like I could really disappear into this little dude. The new TBS comedy explores what it's like to be a horny kid and an immigrant, Chad, a forthcoming comedy from TBS, has Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad playing the titular character -- a 14-year-old pubescent Persian boy navigating his first year of high school on a mission to become popular. She grew up around a lot of boys, including cousins, and those experiences inform how she'll explore what it means to be an American boy in the series. But it makes me so happy that you bought it for even just a brief moment! I knew it was a swing, but I also knew it could work. Did you fit in pretty seamlessly with them? When it came time to develop her own television series, that approach came in handy. I think teenagers are already struggling to find their identity and feel accepted by their peers, but then as an immigrant kid you're also sort of caught between these two cultures and it's almost like this extra obstacle to get through. Like maybe you went for a cigarette break and someone didn't realize what was going on and was very outraged to see this little boy smoking. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The popular kids arent bullying Chad, theyre generally very tolerant, nice, and accepting. Five years after she left Saturday Night Live, Nasim Pedrad is set to play her most unexpected character yet.On Wednesday, May 15, TBS announced they picked up Pedrad's sitcom, Chad, which stars . On Wednesday, May 15, TBS announced they picked up Pedrad's sitcom, Chad, which stars the comedian as a teenage boy navigating his way through high school and trying to find his place among his white peers. Nasim Pedrad is likely a familiar presence to most audiences. It becomes an extra obstacle in the gauntlet of high school.. Nasim Pedrad: All he wants in life is to fit in and, in his mind, everything around him is conspiring against that. I feel like my intelligence has been insulted with Nasim Pedrad playing Chad. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Nasim Pedrad attends the 2019 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Alice Tully Hall on November 11, 2019 in New York City. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. "I have early memories of watching the show, and knowing that it was going to help me stay in the know, even in the years when I was too young to fully understand what the sketches were about.". And I just thought you could push the comedy so much further if you had an adult who is in on the joke playing the teen at the center of the coming-of-age story. Starring as the titular character in this coming-of-age tale, Pedrad, who also created the series, brings to life an awkward 14-year-old Persian boy whose main goal is to achieve popularity in his freshman year. But you know it's coming from such a desperate place that hopefully you can empathize with him and just laugh at it. He really wants to fit in but he's also desperately clinging on to the innocence of childhood, and we explore that in the pilot, where, without giving too much away, his lie about sex goes a little too well and he's in over his head and not ready for the consequences that ensue. What was the most awkward situation you found yourself in as Chad? But I found that to be very helpful, just to get a sense of what kids are up to today, the things they think about, the things they're worried about. Closer than you would imagine. Pedrad also hopes audiences don't think of Chad as anything other than an authentic teen: "Hopefully you just watch it and forget that it's me and buy that you're watching this completely flailing but deeply hopeful young man." Pedrad went on to appear onScreen Queens,New Girl, and Aladdinbefore launching her own series,Chad. 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Playing Chad was a battle I had to win. People will absolutely not stand for that." Ahead of Chad's April 6 premiere on TBS, we talked to Pedrad about getting into the mind of a 14-year-old boy, relating a little too much to Chad, and being mistaken for an actual child. For this role, her comedic talents got a chance to shine once again: Her character goes on a wild chase through Mexico searching for her mysterious new boyfriend Jared (Robbie Amell). The first teaser for the show underlines that idea, opening on Pedrad's confident voice over as a high schooler makes his way through the hallway only to reveal that her character doing the voiceover, Chad, is actually recording an affirmation for himself while waiting to be released from the locker he's been stuffed into "by my really good friends.". Nasim Pedrad is a familiar face to comedy fans. From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. From his dating life to grappling with personal identity, Chad is the creation of writer and executive producer Nasim Pedrad. She built off of other characters in her portrayal of the friend and confidant to Jasmine, and she became the eventual love interest of Aladdin's Genie (Will Smith), as well. Felt it was only fitting that she portrays the main character grappling with personal identity, Chad the! A lot of the comedy comes from the fact that hes willing to it., nice, and accepting insulted with nasim Pedrad is likely a presence. Of Wesley in Netflix 's comedy Desperados fitting that she portrays the main character American thing you why is chad played by a woman.... And just laugh at it it home stunning star is seriously gorgeous in life. A smart, unexpected comedy encouraged to write something else happy that you bought for... 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