Kumail Nanjiani Joins HBO's 15-Story Asian Diaspora Documentary May 13

kumail nanjiani is among the 15 participants in HBO's The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas, which debuts Wednesday, May 13, from 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary also becomes available to stream on HBO Max that day.

Directed by Eugene Yi, the film uses personal vignettes to place Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities at the center of the frame. That makes the project less a single-profile documentary than a broad-format survey built around 15 distinct voices.

15 voices on HBO

The participant list gives the project its structure: Sandra Oh, chef Yia Vang, activist Amanda Nguyen, musician DJ Rekha, journalist Connie Chung, athlete and activist Schuyler Bailar, comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, nurse Madelyn Yu, entrepreneur Haroon Mokhtarzada, Senator Tammy Duckworth, comedian Bowen Yang, photographer Manny Crisostomo, astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, activist Kathy Masaoka, and surfer and scientist Cliff Kapono.

Jada Yuan conducted the interviews, while Timothy Greenfield-Sanders executive produced the documentary. The setup tracks with The List series he created, which has previously included The Black List, The Trans List, The Out List, and The Latino List.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' series

The series format matters because it keeps the emphasis on portraiture and testimony rather than a single through-line. In this case, the 15-story structure gives HBO a way to package a wide range of public figures and professionals into one documentary event without flattening them into a single narrative.

For viewers, the practical detail is simple: the premiere lands May 13 on HBO, and the same-day HBO Max release makes the documentary available outside the linear telecast window. That gives the title a broader launch than a one-night broadcast alone.

May 13 on HBO Max

The sharper business takeaway is the positioning. HBO is not just airing another documentary; it is using a known franchise structure, a clear premiere window, and a multi-platform rollout to turn 15 separate stories into one identifiable title. For anyone following Kumail Nanjiani or the wider roster, May 13 is the date the package arrives in full.