‘Chad’ star Nasim Pedrad blooms into a ‘sweet groove’

“I can easily connect with the prepubescent dork I spent much of my life being,” said Nasim Pedrad.

Zooming in from her home in L.A., the former “SNL” star has taken her inner dweeb to the next level. She created, wrote and stars in the new TNT comedy “Chad,” debuting April 6, and already garnering rave reviews.

The twist is that the character actress, who used to play curvy Kim Kardashian and Arianna Huffington on “SNL,” now portrays a 14-year-old Persian boy just trying to fit in during his oh-so-awkward first year of high school. Chad also has to cope with embracing his Muslim culture while dealing with his mother’s newfound dating life.

Pedrad, 39, knows that struggle. She was born in Tehran, Iran, and grew up in a Muslim family that emigrated to Irvine, California in 1984 when she was 3. She broke into comedy with the Groundlings and on TV’s “Gilmore Girls” before spending five seasons on “SNL,” from 2009 to 2014.

Will she host “SNL” now that she has her own series? “That would be like coming home,” said Pedrad.

What is an ideal Sunday?

Nasim Pedrad: I’ve really been getting into this sweet groove with my Mom coming over to teach me how to make Persian food. I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’m trying to make up for the childhood of rejecting my culture. I’m leaning in super hard. By the way, if you’ve never had Persian food, befriend some Iranian somewhere and have them make you dinner. Persian food is so delicious. I got to the point where as an adult I was panicking because I didn’t know how to make it. I video journal my Mom cooking every Sunday, so I don’t miss a step.

Let’s talk about “Chad,” which is receiving rave reviews.

The one thing I did know is that I wanted to disappear into this role, and I could do that easier as a boy than a girl. I picked the boy because I was trying to get as far away from myself as possible. But, at the same time, I wanted to make sure that this was more than just a grown woman playing a little boy. To work, I really had to disappear into this character and then people would find it easier to buy that I’m this kid.

A 39-year-old woman playing a 14-year-old lends poignancy you might not find if a teen had played it.

That’s because an adult is in on the joke. And adults know what’s funny about the teenage years from a lot of painful reflection. Teens who are in it at the moment don’t know what’s funny because it’s still painful. That’s why I thought you could push the comedy further if an adult, who had some perspective and distance, was Chad. The funny moments are funnier. Plus, I didn’t want someone just sitting there laughing at an actual Iranian child.

How did you come up with the idea of “Chad?”

I wanted to do something where there was this collective sigh because everyone resonates with it. We all survived that awkward time of going to high school for the first time as a freshman. It didn’t even seem like you would make it through at the time, but there you are … I’m glad that the show makes adults think, “How did I survive it?” And kids today identify, although I don’t know how they survive high school with all the social media and extra (stuff).

Why was it important for you to bring his Muslim background into the series?

It’s my story in some ways. My upbringing. When I was young, I had a debilitating fear of not fitting in. For immigrant kids, it’s that extra obstacle. I was like other immigrant kids who obviously loved their parents and their culture, but also felt embarrassed by it. That’s normal — and a rich area to explore.

You call this “cringe comedy.”

You do cringe for Chad who walks up to the most popular kids in the hallway of high school and starts talking about himself. He tells them he had sex on summer vacation. He won’t stop, and it’s so horrifying. Chad literally blacks out in those moments and keeps talking and talking. He doesn’t realize an interaction should be back and forth. That’s where the cringe comes in. Chad is like any other 14-year-old in that he cannot read a room. Even if it’s not working, he has such a rigid determination to be liked that he will overstay his welcome by paragraphs. … It’s funny. It’s heartbreaking.

Was this from first-hand experience?

I’m truly the biggest late bloomer on planet Earth. I was clinging onto my childhood. So is Chad. He’s stuck in those tender years when you’re not a kid, but really not a teenager either. He tries to be this cool guy, but then comes home crying to his mother and just wants to play video games. He’s also the weird foreign kid with this weird foreign name. That was me. It’s ridiculous that people mature at such wildly different rates and they’re all thrown into this building together. That building is called high school.

So, adolescence is …

Adolescence is a unique hell.