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Jameela Jamil

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Jameela Jamil
Jamil at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Jameela Alia Burton-Jamil

(1986-02-25) 25 February 1986 (age 38)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Occupations
  • Presenter
  • actress
Years active2009–present
Height5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (1.79 m)[1]
Websitejameelajamil.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Jameela Alia Burton-Jamil (born 25 February 1986)[2] is a British actress, model, presenter and activist. Jamil began her career as an English teacher before becoming a presenter on T4 from 2009 until 2012 when the program ended. Jamil went on to present other shows. Jamil became the radio host of The Official Chart, and was co-host of The Official Chart Update alongside Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. Jamil made radio history becoming the first sole female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Chart show.[3]

Following a breast cancer scare in 2016, Jamil moved to America to become a screen writer. Whilst there Jamil auditioned for Michael Schur and appeared as Tahani Al-Jamil in the American television series The Good Place.[4] The show received critical acclaim, being nominated for a Golden Globe and was a commercial success.

Early life

Jamil was born in London to an Indian father and a Pakistani mother on 25 February 1986.[5] She follows no religion and wasn't raised to follow one.[6] Jamil was born with congenital hearing loss and labyrinthitis, which she had to have several operations to correct. She states that she has "70% audibility in [her] left ear and 50% in [her] right ear" as of 2015.[7] At school, Jamil says she was "bookish and shy".[8] Her interests include art and biology.[9] As a teenager, she suffered from anorexia nervosa, not eating a full meal between the ages of 14 and 17. She has stated that she believes her eating disorder developed due to societal pressure, explaining:

I was bombarded with a narrative that had no alternative. There were never any women who were celebrated for their intellect ... and all of my magazines were selling me weight loss products or telling me to be thin. Otherwise, I wasn't worth anything.[10]

At the age of 17, Jamil was struck by a car after being chased by a bee, breaking several bones and damaging her spine. She was told that she might never walk again, but after steroid treatment and physiotherapy she slowly recovered, using a Zimmer frame to start walking.[9][11] She cites the car accident as what pushed her towards recovery in that it "changed [her] relationship with [her] body" and "literally knocked some sense into [her]".[10] Jamil taught English to foreign students at the Callan School of English, Oxford Street, London;[11] she also worked as a model, photographer, and as a fashion scout for Premier Model Management Limited.[12][9][13]

Career

Jamil at London Fashion Week in 2009

She appeared on the E4 show Music Zone towards the end of 2008. She began presenting T4 in 2009.[14][15] In January 2009, Alexa Chung left the morning TV show Freshly Squeezed; Jamil succeeded Chung as co-host, alongside Nick Grimshaw.[12][14][16][17] Jamil presented "The Closet", an online fashion advice show on the social networking site Bebo.[15][16][18] Created and produced by Twenty Twenty Television, it formed part of the 'Bebo Originals' commission programme.[18] Jamil was photographed for a Vogue feature on "British Editorial Class of 2010" in January of that year, by David Bailey.

From 2011 to 2014 she wrote a column for Company, the women's monthly magazine.[15][19] In January 2012, Jamil replaced June Sarpong as the new host of Playing It Straight a reality show in which one woman spent time with a group of men in an attempt to discern which of them were gay and which of them were straight.[20] In 2012, it was announced that Reggie Yates would leave BBC Radio 1 and Jamil would replace him. At the end of 2012 Jamil became the radio host of The Official Chart, and was co-host of The Official Chart Update alongside Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. Jamil made radio history becoming the first sole female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Chart show.[21]

Following a breast cancer scare, in 2016, Jamil moved to Los Angeles with no plans of acting, but instead to DJ and work presenting radio shows. Jamil was contacted by her agent and told that Michael Schur, who co-created Parks and Recreation, was looking for a British actress for a new upcoming comedy series. Although Jamil had no prior acting experience at this point and was wary of auditioning she agreed to audition, she was later recalled for a second interview and was called to confirm she had landed the role.[22][23][24]

The show premiered in September 2016, with Jamil being a regular cast member of the NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place, where she plays Tahani Al-Jamil, along side Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.[25] Jamil's character became known for her tendency to name drop.[26] The show received rave reviews from critics, gaining a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, praising the acting and philosophical tones.[27] And in 2018 was nominated for the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards.[28] Commercially, the show became a hit, averaging 10 million weekly viewers when accounting streaming platforms, and became one of NBC's highest rated shows.[29]

She made her first American magazine cover on the February 2018 edition of The Cut.[30] In 2018, Jamil joined the cast of Disney's Indian-inspired cartoon set in fictional Jalpur. Mira, Royal Detective, is expected to air on Disney Junior channels in 2020, with Jameela playing Mira's Auntie Pushpa.[31]

Other ventures

In June 2012, Jamil collaborated with Very.co.uk to debut her first fashion collection.[32]

Activism

Late in 2015, Jamil launched Why Not People?, an events and membership company dedicated to hosting live entertainment events accessible to disabled people.[33] In March 2018, Jamil launched an Instagram account called I Weigh,[34] inspired by a photo that she came across online of Kourtney, Khloé and Kim Kardashian with their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, detailing each woman's weight.[35] Jamil describes I Weigh as "a movement... for us to feel valuable and see how amazing we are, and look past the flesh on our bones".[36] The account welcomes submissions of followers' non-edited or airbrushed selfies using the hashtag #iweigh, with text describing the things that they feel grateful for or proud of.[36][35] In part due to this work, Jamil was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women during 2018.[37]

Charity

Jamil appeared on C4 "Orange Rockcorps 2009", volunteering for four hours to help create a concert to fund local community projects.[38] She has supported the Cultural Learning Alliance, which promotes access to culture for children and young people,[39] and Vinspired National Awards for people aged 16–25 who have contributed to their communities through volunteering.[40][41] Jamil designed her own version of SpongeBob SquarePants, for a Childline charity auction.[42] Jamil also said that she would wear a chicken costume for the same number of days equal to the number of thousands of pounds she raises for Comic Relief. She was sponsored approximately £16,000 so vowed to wear the costume for 16 consecutive days.[43]

Personal life

Jamil has been in a relationship with musician James Blake since 2015.[44] She currently resides in London, England.

Work

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009–2012 Freshly Squeezed Herself Lead host
2012 Playing It Straight Herself Host
2016–present The Good Place Tahani Al-Jamil Main cast
2018 Hollywood Game Night Herself Episode: "Ho Ho Holiday Game Night"
2018 DuckTales N/A Guest voice[45]
2020 Mira, Royal Detective Auntie Pushpa Recurring role[46]

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
2013–2015 The Official Chart Host BBC Radio 1

References

  1. ^ "Biography". Jameela Jamil. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Jameela Jamil". Claimed date of birth on Facebook profile. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Clara Amfo to present BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show". Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (26 February 2016). "Good Place: English presenter Jameela Jamil cast in Mike Schur NBC series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  5. ^ Anna Silman (5 February 2018). "Jameela Jamil Has Found Her Good Place". The Cut. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Jameela Jamil slams 'hater' who accused her of being a 'bad Muslim'". Metro News. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  7. ^ McGrath, Nick (20 April 2015). "Jameela Jamil has faced cancer and spine damage but has never felt better". mirror. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Jameela Jamil of T4 is our chic look celeb". Metro.co.uk. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Katie Mulloy; Photographer – Bella Howard; Stylist – Steve Morriss (December 2009), Nylon, New York: Nylon Holding Inc. {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ a b Channel 4 News (29 August 2018), Jameela Jamil on banning airbrushing, the Kardashians and her traumatic teens, retrieved 31 August 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b "Interview: Jameela Jamil", Look magazine, London, UK: IPC Group Limited, 16 February 2010
  12. ^ a b "Jameela Jamil: Our Style Crush – Sky Showbiz". Showbiz.sky.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ [dead link]"Jameela Jamil". Premiermodelstyle.com. Retrieved 21 October 2010.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ a b "Jameela Jamil". Millndoll.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b c "Hackford Jones PR – Entertainment – Jameela Jamil". Hackford Jones PR. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b "Jameela | represented by Money Management". Moneymanagementuk.com. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Alex Fletcher (23 January 2009). "T4 unveils new host Jameela Jamil". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  18. ^ a b "Jameela Jamil undresses for Westfield London Flash Mob". Fashionandrunway.com. 9 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Levine, Daniel S. (20 September 2017). "Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  20. ^ "'Playing It Straight' to return to E4". Digital Spy. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Reggie Yates, Vernon Kay to leave Radio 1, Jameela Jamil for Chart Show". Digital Spy. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  22. ^ Turner, Lauren (14 October 2017). "Why Jameela Jamil is in a Good Place". Retrieved 9 November 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  23. ^ Fetters, Ashley (11 January 2018). "Jameela Jamil Had Never Acted Before 'The Good Place'". GQ. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  24. ^ Adams, Erik (4 January 2018). "Jameela Jamil suggests you take all your Good Place spoiler requests to Ted "Loose Lips" Danson". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  25. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (25 February 2016). "'Good Place': British Presenter Jameela Jamil Cast In Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  26. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (25 February 2016). "'Good Place': British Presenter Jameela Jamil Cast in Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  27. ^ "The Good Place: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  28. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (6 December 2018). "Golden Globe Nominations: Versace, Mrs. Maisel, Sharp Objects, Barry and The Americans Lead TV Pack". TVLine. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  29. ^ https://nypost.com/2018/12/17/how-streaming-has-saved-the-good-place-from-certain-death/
  30. ^ "Jameela Jamil on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  31. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46398137
  32. ^ "The exclusive first collection designed by Jameela Jamil for Very.co.uk". Blog.very.co.uk. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  33. ^ "Jameela Jamil: 'Britain deals with disability by pretending it's not happening'". The Independent. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  34. ^ "I Weigh (@i_weigh) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  35. ^ a b Jamil, Jameela. "I weigh". Jameela Jamil - Diary of a Goon. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  36. ^ a b "What is i_weigh - @i_weigh". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  37. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  38. ^ "Orange RockCorps – Series 1 – Episode 7 – Orange Rockcorps 2009". Channel 4. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  39. ^ "Stories". Cultural Learning Alliance. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  40. ^ "Millennium Volunteers, Youth Volunteers, Volunteering Opportunities". Bacyp.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ "national awards". Nationalawards.vinspired.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ "Photos from the Spongebob Squarepants Tenth Birthday Celebration and Charity Auction With The Saturdays, Sophie Ellis-Bextor". Popsugar.co.uk. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ Digital Spy. "Jameela Jamil offers to wear chicken suit for a month for Comic Relief". Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  44. ^ "Jameela Jamil on Instagram: "3 years with this untalented bastard ❤️"". Instagram. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  45. ^ "Jameela Jamil on Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  46. ^ "Disney Junior Orders Animated Mystery Series Inspired by Indian Cultures and Customs". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 December 2018.

Further reading

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