Gayety and LGBT editor Caitlynn McDaniel sits down with Poorna Jagannathan aka Nalini Vishwakumar and Richa Moorjani aka Kamala from 'Never Have I Ever' to discuss the ending of the show and the impact it has had on their careers and their lives. Their feelings on the wrap of 'Never Have I Ever' spans from feeling numb to feeling sad. The overall sentiment is that the show has given them a sense of belonging. All 4 seasons of 'Never Have I Ever' are now available to stream on Netflix.
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00:00 I'm so excited to chat with you.
00:02 Season four, how are you feeling?
00:04 - Oh my God.
00:05 - I don't know how I'm feeling.
00:06 I'm not feeling anything, I'm numb.
00:07 - It's a lot of emotions, but oh yeah.
00:09 - I'm numb, too many.
00:09 - Yeah, I'm really sad actually.
00:11 I was totally fine for the year.
00:13 We wrapped and we moved on, blah, blah,
00:15 and having to come back and really understand
00:18 the impact that the show's had on our careers, our lives,
00:22 just everyone around us, it's mind-boggling.
00:26 - I'm really not looking forward to the next junket
00:28 that I have to do without her.
00:29 (laughing)
00:30 Not looking forward.
00:32 - I understand, I mean, seeing each other
00:33 has to be so fun, and then even in the hallways,
00:36 seeing everyone else from the cast
00:37 is being reminded of all the time,
00:39 so I definitely understand.
00:41 And you said, I mean, about how much the show meant to you.
00:44 I really wanna go into that.
00:45 I mean, the show has so much representation
00:47 for cultures and LGBTQ identities,
00:49 but then also just showing amazing friendships
00:52 and just life lessons.
00:53 So what did you really take away
00:55 from this, working on this show?
00:58 - Wow, I took away, and I guess it's being asked a lot,
01:02 so it's really on my mind, which is,
01:04 what does it mean to be a good parent?
01:06 What does that essential relationship look like?
01:09 And it's really taught me to show up,
01:11 not completely, differently for my own 16-year-old.
01:16 And I think this show has given all of us
01:21 a sense of belonging, but it's given the viewers
01:23 a family to belong to as well, and it's been so cherished.
01:27 And I think that's what, I think parenting
01:30 is really about, giving your,
01:31 instilling in your child a sense of belonging.
01:35 - That's so true.
01:36 I just think that this show has really given
01:40 a diverse perspective to what a South Asian family
01:45 looks like, and obviously, this particular
01:47 South Asian family isn't what every family looks like,
01:50 but it's the first time we've seen these lead,
01:54 female South Asian multi-generational family characters,
01:57 and it's normalized that, and I think that
02:00 it has also opened the door for so many
02:03 other South Asian creatives, and I'm just so,
02:05 so proud to be a part of something that has been
02:07 such a cornerstone for South Asian people,
02:10 not just actors, but everybody across the industry.
02:13 - Absolutely, and I love the characters that you play,
02:15 and seeing their growth now into season four.
02:17 I mean, it's so great.
02:18 I was watching the show, and I'm just so excited
02:20 to have everyone to see where they're really going in life.
02:23 So what advice would you give to your season one character,
02:27 knowing what you know now?
02:28 - Season one character?
02:29 - Yes.
02:30 - Oh, wow.
02:32 That's a great question.
02:33 - Probably, I don't think Nolni realizes
02:37 she's in such grief, because she is,
02:40 how can you process your grief when you have
02:42 to take care of someone, you know?
02:43 And probably, take care of yourself as well.
02:48 You know, that's probably the advice,
02:51 and one day you'll wake up, and it'll feel different,
02:56 but take care of yourself in between.
02:58 - That's really great.
03:00 It's actually what I would tell myself in the past,
03:04 and even now, because it's still something
03:06 I'm struggling with, which is,
03:07 you're allowed to put yourself first.
03:10 - Absolutely, I mean, yeah, like you said,
03:12 the show really translates into real life, obviously.
03:14 So yes, your character, but then also,
03:16 it just has so many great lessons for everyone going forward.
03:19 And I do wanna ask, I know that your characters
03:22 aren't in high school like everyone else,
03:23 but what would you think your senior quote would be?
03:26 - Ooh.
03:27 What is a senior quote?
03:29 - So it's just in the yearbook.
03:31 You just have a little quote under your picture,
03:33 and it's-- - I don't know if I ever--
03:34 - Yeah, like you can do a lyric.
03:36 - What's an example of a senior quote?
03:37 - What did you have?
03:38 - I don't think I had a senior quote.
03:40 - I don't think I had one.
03:41 - But you could just do something funny,
03:43 or you can, yeah, people do inspirational quotes
03:46 from Martin Luther King.
03:49 - Well, that's my Instagram bio,
03:51 is a Martin Luther King quote.
03:53 - Wait, I thought it was Gandhi.
03:54 - No, it's a MLK.
03:56 Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
03:59 But I don't think I was that deep in high school,
04:01 so I don't think that would be my senior quote.
04:02 - I think you can just be like,
04:02 what is a senior quote, you know?
04:04 - I think it would be like, what am I supposed to say?
04:06 - Yeah, like what is the purpose of this?
04:08 - Yeah, why am I doing this?
04:10 Actually, my senior quote would have been,
04:11 get me out of here.
04:12 I hated high school. - I did it, goodbye.
04:13 Some people do that.
04:14 - Yeah.
04:15 - Thank you so much.
04:17 Congratulations on the show. - Thank you.
04:18 Congratulations.
04:19 Happy Pride Month.