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Nasim Pedrad: "SNL is my new UCLA"
Theater alumna relishes the camaraderie of TV gig
Interviewed by “The Daily Bruin” in January, TFT theater alumna Nasim Pedrad '03 was full of enthusiasm for her first half-year as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live,” network television's longest-running comedy showcase.
“SNL is my new UCLA,” she said.
Growing up, Pedrad looked up to the show's greats such as Tina Fey and Cheri Oteri. And it was Fey who recommended Pedrad audition after catching part of her one-woman show, "Me, Myself and Iran," which showcased her Iranian culture through smart, quippy humor.
Pedrad’s enthusiasm for the stage was evident throughout her time at UCLA. Born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in Irvine, where she nurtured her niche in theater, she spent her college years participating in UCLA’s talent show, Spring Sing, and performing in theater shows that vacillated from classics to contemporary dramas. It was in her second year at UCLA that Pedrad decided to focus on comedy.
Interviewed by “The Daily Bruin” in January, TFT theater alumna Nasim Pedrad '03 was full of enthusiasm for her first half-year as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live,” network television's longest-running comedy showcase. “SNL is my new UCLA,” she said.
Growing up, Pedrad looked up to the show's greats such as Tina Fey and Cheri Oteri. And it was Fey who recommended Pedrad audition after catching part of her one-woman show, "Me, Myself and Iran," which showcased her Iranian culture through smart, quippy humor.
Pedrad’s enthusiasm for the stage was evident throughout her time at UCLA. Born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in Irvine, where she nurtured her niche in theater, she spent her college years participating in UCLA’s talent show, Spring Sing, and performing in theater shows that vacillated from classics to contemporary dramas. It was in her second year at UCLA that Pedrad decided to focus on comedy.