Emily V. Gordon

Emily V. Gordon (born May 3, 1979) is an American writer, producer, and podcast host. She co-wrote the 2017 romantic comedy film The Big Sick, based on her relationship with her husband and frequent collaborator, comic Kumail Nanjiani. Gordon and Nanjiani won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for The Big Sick; they were also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, among many other nominations.

Gordon began her career as a family and couples therapist before becoming a writer and comedy producer. She co-created the live show The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail and its television counterpart for Comedy Central, and has written for television (The Carmichael Show), a book (Super You), and for several online and print publications.

Early life Gordon was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She received a BA in psychology from East Carolina University and an MS/EdS in couples and family counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. By the time she moved to Los Angeles in 2010, In 2011, she was asked by Chris Hardwick, who wanted to turn the space into a curated comedy venue, to act as program director.

From 2011 to 2015, Gordon and Nanjiani co-hosted a Nerdist network podcast called The Indoor Kids, which "isn't just about video games, but it isn't not about video games." In 2020, Gordon and Nanjiani co-hosted a podcast called Staying In with Emily and Kumail, about the quarantine due to COVID-19.

Gordon was signed to adapt Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney's 2016 novel The Nest for Amazon's film studio. Joey Soloway and Andrea Sperling will produce the feature film.

Super You Gordon's first book, Super You: Release Your Inner Superhero, a tongue-in-cheek self-improvement guide, was released in 2015.

The Big Sick

Gordon also co-wrote the screenplay of and co-executive produced the 2017 film The Big Sick, with her husband Kumail Nanjiani. The critically acclaimed film is based on the beginning of their relationship, with Nanjiani playing himself, and Gordon (renamed Emily Gardner) played by Zoe Kazan. The Big Sick was directed by Michael Showalter and produced by Judd Apatow.

Gordon and Nanjiani's script won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. It was also nominated for a 2018 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as screenwriting awards from the Writers Guild of America, She met Nanjiani at a comedy show in Chicago where he was performing and she lightly heckled him, an encounter depicted in The Big Sick. and a year after first meeting, they married. Before moving to Los Angeles, they lived in Chicago and New York. January 8, 2018 Austin Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay

December 12, 2017 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay

January 11, 2018 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Original Screenplay

December 7, 2017 Detroit Film Critics Society Best Screenplay

December 23, 2017 Florida Film Critics Circle Best Original Screenplay

January 12, 2018 Georgia Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay

November 27, 2017 Gotham Awards Best Screenplay

January 6, 2018 Houston Film Critics Society Best Screenplay

March 3, 2018 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay

December 10, 2017 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Original Screenplay

December 18, 2017 Seattle Film Critics Society Best Screenplay

December 17, 2017 St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay

December 8, 2017 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay

February 11, 2018 Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay