Gigi Hadid may have played a raging girlfriend while on set for her first-ever scripted TV role, but her “Not Suitable For Work” costar can attest the supermodel was “incredibly kind” when the cameras were off.
“We have a bunch of really incredible guest appearances in this show, but because of the nature of our schedule, we weren’t really told in advance who they would be,” Ella Hunt, who plays entry-level corporate analyst AJ, tells USA TODAY. “In the case of Gigi, I turned up to work not knowing who was going to be playing this very fabulous character.”
In Episode 3 of the Mindy Kaling-created comedy series (Episodes 1-3 now streaming on Hulu), Hadid plays Catherine, the girlfriend of high-power New York City investment banker Bill Gibson (Jay Ellis). She is a woman on a mission as she strides into his high-rise office in a chic brown fur coat thrown on top of a matching butter yellow pajama set and tells Bill off for abruptly leaving their anniversary breakfast.
Gigi Hadid plays Bill’s (Jay Ellis’) girlfriend in Hulu’s “Not Suitable For Work.”
She tears into Bill, exclaiming, “My heart cannot survive on luxury travel and designer bags and orgasms alone,” before dumping her tray of chilaquiles over his freshly pressed suit.
“She really crushes that scene, as well. She came in and cracked [the whip],” Hunt says.
From left, May Hong, Ella Hunt, Bhavesh Patel and Will Angus work at an investment firm in Hulu’s “Not Suitable For Work.”
Ella Hunt didn’t recognize Gigi Hadid on set
The actress also confesses she didn’t know who she was talking to when she first approached Hadid.
“I see this blonde woman from behind in a beautiful coat. And I go up to her to compliment her on her coat and I go, ‘Lovely coat’ – she turns around – ‘[It’s] Gigi Hadid,'” Hunt says. “It was not my finest work. She was incredibly kind.”
After wrapping the scene, Hadid took Hunt’s compliment to heart and sent the British actress a coat.
Gigi Hadid plays Bill’s (Jay Ellis’) girlfriend in Hulu’s “Not Suitable For Work.
“Guest in Residence, thank you very much,” Hunt name-checks Hadid’s knitwear brand as costar Avantika Vandanapu jumps out of her seat in shock.
Hunt continues, “She was wonderful and she’s so funny in the show and so sweet.”
Vandanapu, seated next to Hunt, jokingly says, “You couldn’t have put me on the call sheet for that day, too?”
Mindy Kaling had to reach out to ‘very funny’ Gigi Hadid after ‘Never Have I Ever’ voiceover work
Hadid is no stranger to Kaling’s coming-of-age comedies. She narrated Paxton’s storyline on Season 2 of Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” and returned for its final season.
“The character of Jay Ellis’ girlfriend, Catherine, was sort of mythical, like she was gorgeous. She was a little bit volatile,” Kaling says. “So when we thought of Gigi, we were like, ‘She’s very funny. I don’t know if she acts on camera.’ But we felt so lucky that she said yes.”
“Not Suitable For Work” creator and executive producer Mindy Kaling works with Ella Hunt, Avantika and director Greg Mottola on set.
All of the season’s cameos and guest appearances featured actors who are based in New York, in an homage to Kaling’s first show to film on location in Manhattan. Comedian Zarna Garg plays a doctor in the first episode, and subsequent installments feature Tony- and Oscar-nominated celebrities.
“I don’t think we would have gotten any of those people if we’d been in LA. It just would have been too difficult. But the show was in their backyard, so they were able to pop in and out,” Kaling says. “It felt like it was worth the schlep.”
“Not Suitable For Work” releases two new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gigi Hadid’s ‘Not Suitable For Work’ costar on surprise cameo, gift
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