“And Just Like That...” Star Armin Amiri Recalls the Time He Smoked a Joint with Former First Daughters: 'The First Time Didn’t Know Who They Were'
Amiri stars as Ravi Gordy in the 'Sex and the City' spinoff series
Amiri stars as Ravi Gordy in the 'Sex and the City' spinoff series Paul Hawthorne/Getty;Cindy Ord/WireImage Armin Amiri Jenna and Barbara Bush
- Armin Amiri of And Just Like That... revealed he once served the Bush sisters at Bungalow 8
- He recalled asking them for help with obtaining his green card
- The actor currently stars as Ravi Gordy in the Sex and the City spinoff series And Just Like That...
Armin Amiri, who plays Ravi Gordy on Max's And Just Like That..., made a surprising revelation about his time in New York City's nightlife in the 2000s. He once served the Bush sisters, and had a unique favor to ask of them.
Amiri, 46, detailed working the door at the now shuttered Bungalow 8, a popular celebrity hangout spot in the early aughts, during a Wednesday, May 21, interview with Page Six Radio hosts Evan Real and Danny Murphy.
"So we had 280 reservations for the restaurant," he began. "Four people showed. Two of them were Bush’s daughters. The first time I didn’t let ’em in and I didn’t know who they were."
At the time, twins Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, now 43, were known for their active social lives in the spotlight as the first daughters.
The actor recalled seeing their accompanying Secret Service personnel. “I got a tap on my shoulder, and it was the Secret Service. And he goes, ‘Hey man.’ I said, ‘Hey.’ And he goes, ‘These are the first daughters.’ I said, ‘First daughters of whom?' ” he laughed. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Jenna Bush Hager embraces another woman in a studio setting
“I remember I needed my green card. So, we smoked a joint together and I was just like, ‘Listen, I’m having a green card problem,' ” Amiri told the outlet.
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As a thank you, the actor offered to comp the sisters' meal. Amiri recalls one of them responding, “Honey don’t even worry about it. We’re used to these kind of things.”
The actor recalled one of the sisters saying that they would “speak to someone” regarding his status. But, “nothing ever happened,” Amiri joked.
The actor was born in Tehran, Iran, and later relocated to Istanbul. He went on to seek political asylum in Vienna. Four years later, he relocated to the U.S. to begin his higher education and acting journey, per IMDb. He now stars in HBO's And Just Like That..., the spinoff series to Sex and the City, as film director Ravi Gordy and Seema’s (Sarita Choudhury) love interest.
Jenna currently hosts TODAY with Jenna & Friends on NBC, while Barbara has devoted her career to health equity activism and has written children's books. In March, Barbara was a guest cohost on Jenna & Friends.
“This is easy. We've been practicing for this since our childhood,” Jenna told PEOPLE before her sister's hosting gig. “We had a talk show called Barbara & Jenna & Friends in the womb."
And Just Like That... season 3 premieres on Max on May 29.