Emily V. Gordon is an American comedy-star writer and producer. Emily generally shares her fame with her husband, Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistani-American comedian, writer, actor, and podcast host. Emily Gordon burst into the limelight alongside her husband in 2017 following the stellar success of their comedy film. The Big Sick . In addition to the award-winning film, Gordon has credits for numerous other works including: Comedy Central TV series, Breakdown with Jonah and Kumail; Disney.com Teen Web Series, Power Up and ExploreD ; ABC The Carmichael Show: New Neighbors ; Nerdist Network Podcast, The Indoor Kids,and so forth. She also signed a deal with Amazon Film Studio to create an adaptation of Cynthia D’aprix Sweeney’s best-selling novel The Nest Written.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot more to know about Kumail Nanjiani’s wife, Emily V. Gordon. How she battled a life-threatening illness just before her wedding, how she thrives in a career she was never trained for, and much more, we bring you in this article.
Emily V Gordon Bio
Emily Vance Gordon was born on May 3, 1979 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Emily Gordon studied psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She continued her education at the same institution and earned a master’s degree in couples and family counseling. After completing her studies, Gordon began working as a couples and family therapist in North Carolina in 2004. She practiced there for about a year before moving to Chicago, Illinois in 2005. She continued the profession in Chicago until relocating to Brooklyn, New York in 2007.
That was in the same year Emily V. Gordon married Kumail Nanjiani. While living in Chicago, Emily met comedian Kumail at a comedy concert at Lincoln Lodge. She had previously mocked him when he performed, but ironically, they struck up a conversation after the show and began dating afterwards.
Sadly, Emily just became seriously ill after being diagnosed with Adult Onset Still Disease (AOSD) after eight months into their relationship. The disease was truly fatal and doctors had to put her in a coma for eight days to discover it. While Emily was in a coma, Kumail fell even more in love with her and decided that he would make her his wife. Thankfully, she recovered and the couple hastily tied the knot three months later, on July 14, 2007. The wedding was a secret court ceremony in Chicago, after which the couple moved to New York.
Comedy production and writing career
After two years in York practicing therapy in New York, Emily V. Gordon underwent a surprisingly drastic career shift. She gave up comedy advice! Emily got a job at the Comix comedy club in New York in 2009. Shortly after joining Comix, she co-produced a live show with comedian Pete Holmes. By this time, Gordon had already decided on a full-time career as an independent writer and comedy producer.
So she moved with her husband to Los Angeles, the city of bigger and better opportunities for a career in entertainment. That was in 2010. That same year, Emily created Breakdown with Jonah and Kumail , a weekly stand-up comedy starring her husband, Kumail Nanjiani, and comedian Jonah Ray. The live show was located behind the then-popular (but now-defunct) LA comic book store Meltdown Comics. Comedy Central later booked the show and ran as a TV series from July 24, 2014 to November 22, 2016, with Emily serving as executive producer.
In 2011, she became program director for Nerdist Showroom, a comedy house also founded by stand-up comedian Chris Hardwick at Meltdown Comics. In 2015, Emily V. Gordon published her first book titled Super You: Unleash Your Inner Superhero .
2017 was Emily Gordon’s big holiday year. She co-wrote The Big Sick , a romantic comedy film starring Kumail. The work proved to be a success that put the couple in the spotlight and garnered them numerous awards and nominations, including Best First Screenplay from the prestigious Independent Spirit Awards. The film also became one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2017, having raised more than five times its budget.
As a freelance writer, Emily V. Gordon has also written for popular magazines and news outlets such as GQ , AOL , The Daily Beast , Bust , The Atlantic , and The New York Times , among others.
your family
Emily V. Gordon rarely talks about her background. That is precisely why information about her family is very rare. Aside from the fact that she was born to Berth and Terry Gordon, no other information is available about Emily’s family. It also remains a mystery whether or not she has siblings.
Facts about Kumail Nanjiani’s wife
1. Emily V. Gordon’s serious illness inspired the making of The Great Invalid . The almost autobiographical film was primarily based on the turmoil of Emily and Kumail’s early days of relationship and love life.
2. Emily’s marriage to Kumail Nanjiani is her second. They married twelve months after they first met.
3. Only six friends witnessed Gordon and Nanjiani’s wedding. They kept their union a secret for a number of years, but later announced it at a bar reception in New York.
4. Emily’s husband Kumail is of conservative Muslim background and his family organized a three day religious/traditional wedding for the couple after their official marriage.
5. While Emily has received successful treatments for her illness, she has to follow some strict self-care routines to stay fit and keep the illness at bay. Nanjiani helps her anyway.
