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What the fork? NBC’s deliriously clever sitcom The Good Place is finally returning with all new episodes! The sophomore season of the charming Kristen Bell and Ted Danson comedy premieres tonight (September 20) before eventually returning to the cozy confines of Thursday nights on September 28. We’re sure you’re well aware that you can binge the first season on Netflix and that this delightful NBC sitcom is the one series you need to go into spoiler-free before streaming, but today Decider is going to provide you with the 411 on The Good Place’s resident scene stealer Jameela Jamil!
Portraying deceased philanthropist Tahani Al-Jamil (which translates to “Congratulations Beautiful”), Jamil’s character is an exceptional event planner with a penchant for subtle boasting, friendship, and name dropping.
You’ve already been enchanted by the beguiling Tahani Al-Jamil, so now it’s time to discover everything you need to know about actress Jameela Jamil!
WHERE IS JAMEELA JAMIL FROM?
Born in Hampstead (an area of London, England), Jameela began her career presenting on the U.K.’s E4 Music Zone before joining the British breakfast TV program Freshly Squeezed. An experienced entrepreneur, model, and radio host, Jamil fronted E4’s cult series Playing it Straight in 2012 while also appearing in a number of fashion shoots for U.K. Vogue, InStyle, and Esquire.
A true Renaissance woman, Jamil is also an accomplished writer. The Good Place star was nominated for columnist of the year at both the PPA Awards and the BSME Awards for her monthly column in Company magazine.
Oh, and she’s also a DJ.
WAIT, WHAT?!
Yep! Much like her Good Place “soulmate” Jason Mendoza, Jamil loves to DJ at major events all across the world. Additionally, in January of 2015, Jamil launched “Why Not People,” a music company that hosts live events for people with disabilities (a car accident left Jameela bedridden for a year as a teenager).
THE GOOD PLACE IS JAMEELA’S FIRST ACTING ROLE
Despite a prolific career as a TV and radio presenter in England, The Good Place, shockingly, is the multi-hyphenate’s acting debut. Series creator Michael Schur explained how the marriage between character and actor came about during a 2016 interview with Esquire.
“The part of Tahani called for a tall, glamorous British woman of Indian or Pakistani descent,” Schur said. “And then suddenly Jameela Jamil walked in and we were like, ‘Oh you found her.’ Exactly the person I imagined. So a lot of what people perceive is chemistry is just good casting directors and good writing.”
Much like Tahani, Jameela Jamil seems to be fairly exceptional at, well, just about everything.
JAMEELA MAY HAVE BENT THE TRUTH A BIT DURING HER GOOD PLACE AUDITION
“Oh god, I honestly had no experience,” Jamil told iNews. “Although, at the audition they asked me that question and I panicked and lied. I told them I had ‘done some theatre in England.’ Which was technically true. I had one line in the stage play of Oliver at primary school; I played his dying mother. I was six years old.”
CAN I HAVE A SNEAK PEEK OF THE GOOD PLACE SEASON 2?
Sure! Here’s The Good Place Season 2 trailer!
WHEN DOES SEASON 2 OF THE GOOD PLACE RETURN TO ITS REGULAR TIME SLOT?
Per Decider’s own Brett White, The Good Place Season 2 will premiere with a special hourlong episode on Wednesday, September 20 at 10PM ET on NBC. Following that, the show will move to its regular time slot on Thursdays at 8:30PM ET, where it will begin airing new episodes on Thursday, September 28.
So that’s a big hourlong premiere on Wednesday 9/20, and then new episodes every Thursday beginning on 9/28.
