'Chad' Interviews Nasim Pedrad: "Are You Sexually Active?"

published 11 March 2021

What happens when your high school nightmares are manifested into sitcom fodder? Chad, a sidesplitting show about the brutal, cringeworthy, and lonely pangs of adolescence as seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy, played by Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad. Set during Chad's freshman year, Pedrad manages to expertly capture the anguish that comes with wanting to fit in when you're "different" (in Chad's case, Iranian American) but also have the unabashed, know-it-all attitude that often accompanies peak puberty; you'll be left wanting to give Chad both a hug and a swift kick in the groin.

In advance of the series premiere next month, Pedrad—who also serves as creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner—sat down with her socially awkward teen counterpart for a wildly inappropriate (yet hysterical) interview about how much money the actress makes and if she is or isn't sexually active.

chad nasim pedrad — 'Pedrad as Chad Amani in her new TV series. '

And to keep you busy till the show drops, the comedian shared with us her favorite things to watch, read, and listen to. We asked Chad too, but he's currently grounded.

The last show I binge-watched was Pretend It’s a City.

The next show I plan on binge-watching is The Wire; I’m only 18 years late to it.

The next book on my list is A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara.

The best podcast I’ve listened to recently is Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel.

A movie with a great ending is Promising Young Woman.

The show that can always make me laugh is Succession.

The book every woman should read once in her lifetime is Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love, by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller. Solid recommendation for guys too.

Watch Chad weekly on TBS, starting April 6 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

A version of this story appears in the April 2021 issue of Marie Claire.

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Neha Prakash is Marie Claire's Entertainment Director, where she edits, writes, and ideates culture and current event features with a focus on elevating diverse voices and stories in film and television. She steers and books the brand's print and digital covers as well as oversees the talent and production on MC's video franchises like "How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?" and flagship events, including the Power Play summit. Since joining the team in early 2020, she's produced entertainment packages about buzzy television shows and films, helped oversee culture SEO content, commissioned op-eds from notable writers, and penned widely-shared celebrity profiles and interviews. She also assists with social coverage around major red carpet events, having conducted celebrity interviews at the Met Gala, Oscars, and Golden Globes. Prior to Marie Claire, she held editor roles at Brides, Glamour, Mashable, and Condé Nast, where she launched the Social News Desk. Her pop culture, breaking news, and fashion coverage has appeared on Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Teen Vogue, and Architectural Digest. She earned a masters degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 2010. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and dog, Ghost; she loves matcha lattes, Bollywood movies, and has many hot takes about TV reboots. Follow her on Instagram @nehapk.