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a14 people & arts
Wednesday 8 June 2022
Proud Marvel super fan, Iman Vellani, stars in 'Ms. Marvel'

By ALICIA RANCILIO 'That's cool, but I need you
Associated Press to just act right now," she
NEW YORK (AP) — Iman laughed, adding, "Iman
Vellani, who stars as Kama- brought so much life and
la Khan in the new Disney+ love to the character and
series "Ms. Marvel," has a it just made the entire pro-
conundrum. Now that she's cess so much easier."
a part of the MCU (Marvel Vellani was browsing a lo-
Cinematic Universe), does cal comic book store when
she remove the Marvel she discovered the "Ms.
posters from the walls of Marvel" comics and imme-
her childhood bedroom or diately felt represented in a
leave them up? way that is not common in
"Brie (Larson) is on my wall mainstream media.
and she's in my phone "I saw a girl who looked like
book. So, like, that's weird," me. She was Muslim and
said Vellani in a recent in- Pakistani and a superhero
terview. fanatic and I was Muslim,
"Ms. Marvel," debuting Pakistani and a superhero
Wednesday, is 19-year-old fanatic, so it worked out
Vellani's first professional quite well. And I think my
acting job. Already an avid favorite part about the
reader of the comics, Vel- comic books was that it
lani learned of the open wasn't about her religion
audition from her aunt. Iman Vellani, star of the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel," poses for a portrait, Thursday, June 2, 2022, at or her culture or her ethnic-
She went to the audition. the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. ity, it was about a fanfic-
Lo and behold, Vellani got Associated Press writing nerd, who just so
the job. The first month on happened to be Pakistani
set was spent in prep, re- suit. The one that Brie gets ro. That's what happened.'" comfortable. It's what we and just so happened to
hearsing and stunt train- to wear. It was an extreme- Vellani just may be the first know. We can recite every- be Muslim. Those parts of
ing. She had to give up her ly uncomfortable day. That Marvel actor who is also thing under the sun about her life motivated her and
high school diet of McDon- suit is not made to move a massive fan. She espe- the MCU." Sana Amanat, drove her as a character.
ald's and Oreos and build in. You're just supposed to cially loves Robert Downey, the co-creator of "Ms. Mar- she used her religion as a
stamina, but Vellani wasn't stand and walk like a man- Jr. and has proudly re- vel," jokes that having an moral code. .. She never
interested in changing her nequin, and that's what it's watched "Iron Man" "more actor who is a stan (or, real- neglected her culture. It
shape too much. "I was 17. made for. There's so many than the average person." ly big fan) as they say, has was something that kind of
Kamala was 16. I wanted pieces and it's just really "They really are just a pro- its challenges. uplifted her journey."
her to look like a normal uncomfortable, and the jection of real life and make "Sometimes she would just One of the things about
high school kid," she said. scenes were pretty intense. you feel like you're a part of pull up in the producer's South Asian culture that
"My first proper day of film- So I came home with all something. Isn't that what chair next to me and just Vellani says "Ms. Marvel"
ing — that was intense," these bruises and every- we all kind of want, to feel give lots of thoughts and gets right, is the importance
said Vellani. "It was all of thing. My mom was like, 'Oh like we belong? And I know opinions on, you know, ei- of family. Kamala's parents
the stunts that I had to do my God, what happened?' it sounds super cheesy, but ther the show or the rest of and brother feature promi-
in the real Captain Marvel And I'm like, 'I'm a superhe- for the Marvel fandom, it's the MCU. And I'd be like, nently in the series.q

McConaughey calls for gun control

action at White House

elementary school in his two teachers in the sec- responsible gun owner as
home town of Uvalde, ond worst mass school a youngster in Uvalde. He
Texas. In a highly personal shooting in U.S. history. said he and his wife drove
22-minute speech, Mc- "We want secure and safe back to Uvalde on the
Conaughey offered a full- schools and we want gun day after the shooting and
throated exhortation for laws that won't make it so spent time with the families
a gridlocked Congress to easy for the bad guys to of some of the victims and
pass gun reforms that can get the damn guns," Mc- others directly impacted
save lives without infring- Conaughey said. McCo- by the rampage. He said
Actor Matthew McConaughey holds a picture or Alithia Ramirez, ing on Second Amend- naughey, who earlier this every parent he spoke to
10, who was killed in the mass shooting at an elementary ment rights. year considered a run for expressed that "they want
school in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a press briefing at McConaughey used his governor in Texas before their children's dreams
the White House, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Washington.
Associated Press star power to make an ar- taking a pass, met briefly to live on." "They want to
gument for legislation in a with President Joe Biden make their loss of life mat-
By AAMER MADHANI briefing Tuesday to call on fashion that the Biden ad- before addressing the ter," McConaughey said.
Associated Press Congress to "reach a high- ministration has not been White House press corps He related the personal
WASHINGTON (AP) — er ground" and pass gun able to, offering a clear from the James Brady stories of a number of the
Academy Award–win- control legislation in honor connection to the small briefing room. McCo- victims, displaying the art-
ning actor Matthew Mc- of the children and teach- Texas town and offering naughey, who declined work of one girl and the
Conaughey took center ers killed in last month's vivid detail on the sheer to take questions, spoke trademark green tennis
stage at the White House shooting rampage at an loss of the 19 children and of learning to become a shoes worn by another.q