Cord Jefferson Says Aziz Ansari ‘Planted the Seed’ for Him to Direct ‘American Fiction’ While Filming ‘Master of None’
variety.comClayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Cord Jefferson didn’t always know he wanted to be a director. While working on Netflix’s comedy series “Master of None,” actor/writer/creator Aziz Ansari asked Jefferson out of the blue if he ever wanted to direct.
Jefferson recalls, “I said, ‘No, I’ve never been to film school, I don’t know anything about cameras or lighting. I don’t think that’s for me.” But Jefferson says Ansari’s response “planted the seed” for what would be a catalyst for him to tackle his directorial debut, “American Fiction,” based on the novel “Erasure.” “He said, ‘Dude, I went to NYU for business.
I never went to film school. I’ve just been on sets and paid attention. All you need to do is hire people who understand the technical stuff and then be able to articulate what’s in your head.” On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we speak with the debut feature writer and director about his MGM film “American Fiction” and what it was like to win the TIFF Audience Award.
Also, the roundtable discusses the SAG-AFTRA strike, including what it means for the Oscars and next year’s Emmy season. Listen below: Based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett, the film follows Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated novelist who becomes fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes.
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