Ep672 - Aziz Ansari, Writer & Director ‘Good Fortune’

Creative Principles

Aziz Ansari is an award-winning writer, director, producer, actor, and stand-up comedian. This fall, Ansari makes his feature film directorial debut with GOOD FORTUNE, which he wrote and stars in opposite Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh, and Keke Palmer. The film follows a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel who meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist. Previously, Ansari starred, wrote, directed, and executive produced MASTER OF NONE, a Netflix original series that he co-created with Alan Yang (PARKS AND RECREATION). In this interview, we talk about the motivation for his film GOOD FORTUNE, an original theatrical comedy starring Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves that uses a classic angel trope to explore modern wealth inequality and the struggle of unrepresented characters. He also shares his process for developing rich side characters, why he creates his own projects, and his advice for aspiring directors. Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS, right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds, and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!