Being Jameela Jamil, even when no one is looking, is really quite close to the real deal. It’s 7:30 p.m. for the L.A.-based star of The Good Place and she is in between apartments, with boxes and empty bookshelves dressing up her Zoom screen as we settle into our cross-continental call. A sequined blazer, very Tahani from The Good Place, hangs on her shoulders as extra armor for the day, and a perfect liner cuts her high cheekbones just so. I, on the contrary, paint an abject picture with my third coffee in hand at 7:30 a.m. and “eye bags the size of testicles,” to borrow a Jamil phrase that’s equal parts wild and wit, shock and awe.
“I spent a lot of my youth trying to be invisible and not stand out. As I get older, I realize time is running out. We need to celebrate life as much as we can. So now, every day is a party,” she says, letting me in on her secret to wearing bold eyeliner, glitter makeup, and a bright red lip even if it’s just to walk down to the grocer’s. “That, and the fact that I get mistaken for Priyanka Chopra all the time—honestly the honor of my life—but I also have to always represent her well out there on the streets.”
The timing of Vogue India’s August digital cover shoot with the British actor, who has both Indian and Pakistani roots, is serendipitous, as she joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe in She-Hulk. The Disney+ show sees Jamil playing Titania, a universally hated villain in the series. For Jamil, who has often voiced her opinion on matters both political and personal, this is not a role too far from reality. “Women are so easily vilified,” she explains. “A lot of us feel as though we’re on a clock and that it’s only a matter of time before we are demonized or discarded by society. It was fun to play someone who never pretends to be good or tries to be good. She’s so annoying, so hateable…and I find those roles so delicious.” Tahani would agree.
For the interview, we reached out to Jamil’s friends, peers, and contemporaries in the industry to ask her a series of questions ranging from her thoughts on feminism, to trolls, to her career trajectory thus far. Here’s what the villain of the hour has to say:
Jameela Jamil: Firstly, Riz, thank you for being an incredible voice and a trailblazer for our community. And thank you for being one of my favorite actors, both in drama and comedy—Four Lions is the best movie of all time. So thanks for sending me a question. I have to give credit to the fact that I live with three boys who are very supportive and empowering to me and they love me regardless of whether I’m in trouble on the internet or not. But mostly, I don’t really care, you know? I’m not interested in being believed, or being understood, or being liked by anyone that I don't personally know and respect. If you’ve never met me, your opinion doesn’t mean anything to me. And that puts me in a very powerful position. I feel very detached from strangers. I also don’t think it’s valuable to spend our time worrying about being popular when there are so many important issues to fight for. I love you, Riz. I’m so proud of everything you’ve done and everything you stand for and all the conversations you have, all the difficult conversations you’ve had—like, where are you from? Such a legend.
Oh, that’s such a good question. If I’m being honest, I want to say Beyoncé, but it’s really just the Curb Your Enthusiasm TV show theme song. It’s the one that plays most in my head as I wish I was cooler, sexier, and smoother. But I think I might just be South Asian Larry David.
First of all, Lilly, I’ve only really met you once. It was at the very beginning of my career in America and we had to audition for something together. You were one of the only women with whom I’ve ever auditioned who didn’t make me feel like they were trying to compete with me. You were kind and open, even though you were so much more experienced than I was. I will never forget that. Also, your Vogue India cover was stunning. To your question, what did I learn about being demonized? In the last few weeks, women get demonized no matter what we do. Sometimes we get demonized for just not loving someone back. It’s so easy for us to make a mistake according to society’s absurd list of all the things that we are supposed to do that men are never expected to do. Playing the bad guy didn’t really feel any different, I imagine, from playing a misunderstood good guy. Plus, what I learned from playing the villain character on the show is that villains have more fun. Maybe I’m going to misbehave even more than I already have.
First of all, we need to diversify the stories that are being told. I think thanks to people like Mindy [Kaling] and Priyanka [Chopra] and even me, I think that is happening. People are starting to see value in our stories. However, I would love to see more Indian sex symbols in worldwide movies. Our representation conversation now needs to go beyond just race or gender. We also need to think about disability, as it’s a conversation that no one is ever having. In Hollywood, we have completely erased billions of people because we are still sticking to a type of exclusivity that I think is really problematic. So that is something that I really hope to also be able to speak up for and advocate because I think it’s really important. As a kid who was very sick, and often on crutches or even in a wheelchair, it was something that I was longing to see. Having also been South Asian and not seeing myself represented, I remember how bad that made me feel about myself and how much it made me resent my culture as a kid, which is so sad. It’s important that when we talk about including people, we talk about including everyone.
I haven’t had the chance, Poorna. But I’ve had so many conversations in my head alone in my room about what I would say and I’m sure it’s so much tougher and cooler than how I would actually be when I’m around these people. The closest I’ve come has been people trying to send me friend requests on Facebook, and I have blocked them and felt very proud of myself. I haven’t had the opportunity yet, but I constantly fantasize about it. I’ll let you know. I’ll get back to you.
Really, just my bum. Like no one’s ever seen my butt. I’ve given everything else away and anyone who hadn’t seen my boobs is now going to see them in this shoot. So I really think it’s my bum.
At this point, I expect everything. I am just trying to think of the last time I was surprised… It’s so fascinating that people truly feel like they hate someone they’ve never met. They’ve made up this whole fantasy character around you even though they don’t know you at all. They don’t know who you’ve loved, what you like, what you don’t like, who you are when the camera’s off…. The way I look at it now is that even when random strangers hate me, I’m an entertainer and I am here to entertain at any cost. Whether you love to watch me or you love to hate watching me, I’m still entertaining you. You’re still not thinking about something else that’s boring and shit. You’re thinking about me. That’s kind of why I love the Marvel character so much, because you’re supposed to hate me. I’m supposed to annoy you. There’s something kind of brilliant about not being liked by everyone, because then you’re free to just be yourself. As a South Asian woman, you’re expected to please everyone, look after everyone, nurture and feed, do everything for everyone and never look after yourself. God forbid you should be selfish. “Selfish” is such a rude word. It’s a word that family members would use against us to tell us we’ve done something wrong. I think it’s really important for us to be more selfish as women. It would be so liberating and dangerous at once.
Ha ha ha. Amer, one of my oldest friends who is now about to be the biggest star in the world. Everyone is going to see him as a strong South Asian lead in Willow on Disney+. I’m so excited. I knew as soon as this question started in a really dignified way that it was going to be something ridiculous! This is what happens when you are friends with someone for 17 years that even for Vogue India, they can’t just give you a f*****g break. To answer your question, I’ve said “anal” about 250 times in public. I’m very sorry to my publicist, who is on this call, and who has to hear me say it yet again!
My favorite up-and-coming writers are Harry Trevaldwyn, Quinta Brunson (who is about to be a world-class legend), and Megan Amram. They all deserve all the awards!
Firstly, I think “movie star” is a big stretch, but I’ll take some of the other ones. Which one’s been the most fulfilling? I think probably acting. I will always be proud of myself for not leaving the country, which was my instinct when I got The Good Place. I was sure that I was going to mess it up and ruin the show and headlines would read: “Random Asian woman destroys Ted Danson.” But it didn’t happen. I’m proud of myself for staying and doing my best and surviving it.
Such an amazing, amazing designer. Titania’s kryptonite will probably be Bibhu’s clothes. Firstly, you’re a wonderful designer and I’m a big fan. Secondly, I will say that Titania’s kryptonite is insecurity. She has this desperate need for attention, which, as an actor, I obviously can’t relate to at all. But she’s very, very jealous of anyone else having the limelight and it makes her do these far-fetched, ridiculous things. She almost loses her mind over it. So I think it is her insecurity and jealousy. Much like for everyone I am around in my business.
I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome. It makes me scarily flexible, but also very clumsy. I describe the side effect as “good in bed, bad at sports.”
Okay, firstly, Manish, thank you for allowing me to steal your suit straight off the cover shoot for Vogue India, I had never worn something so instantly elegant and comfortable that just made me feel so strong and happy in my own skin. You’re an incredible designer and it was a huge honor to be able to wear so many of your pieces. I think it’s really disingenuous when very powerful, privileged people accept all the credit for all of the work that they do. I have an incredible all-woman team who all help me manage everything and always support me. Whether that’s my publicist, my agent, or my manager, or the woman who helps me on I Weigh, or the woman who produces my podcast, I’m surrounded by other strong women and I cannot more highly recommend surrounding yourself with other strong women and sharing loads. You know, we are a culture that believes it takes a village. And I think that we should uphold that in every area of our lives.
Feminism hasn’t changed for me in 2022. I just can’t believe what I’m seeing around the world, with more and more rights being taken away from women. If there’s anything I hope for when it comes to feminism, it is that we understand, now more than ever, that we need each other, that women need each other. I really hope more men [become feminists], because everyone wins when we protect half of the population. We would have more cricketers, more male politicians, more Bollywood stars speaking out against the unthinkable crimes against women or speaking out around equality. We would thrive, and the world would be a happier and safer place.
So, Erin runs I Weigh with me. She took a chance on this fool and followed me in my dream and quest to try to offer people access to mental health, healing, wellness, and care. Erin, I love you and you’re the best. What I would say is that there really is a power in the words that you speak. By saying these things, urging people to take back their power and urging people to take other people’s opinions with a grain of salt, I hope we are able to make people feel more confident in their skin. A massive part of my eating disorder recovery is the work with I Weigh, and I feel the same way about de-stigmatizing my own conversations about my sexuality, or about my depression, or anxiety. Being able to reach out to other people and see that so many people feel the same way has been so remarkably healing to me. I almost feel like I haven’t given as much as I’ve gotten back. So I’m on a quest to try and deliver more.
“I’m such a big fan of everyone who has written in, and I’m flattered that they would ever say anything to me—or that they even know who I am. Do you think they know who I am? Or do they think I’m Priyanka?” she says, as she wraps up our interview in typical Jameela-speak: easy and relatable, yet utterly empathetic and poignant.