Things used to come easy to Aziz Ansari – or at least that’s how he made it look. In the first decade of his career, he moved quickly: from breakout stand-up to sketch comedy, from sitcom favourite to one of the defining cultural voices of the 2010s.
Then a story published during the #MeToo era stalled that ascent, and the pace that once defined him disappeared almost overnight.
Years later, Ansari isn’t looking for the easy version of anything. He has chosen the hardest path he could have – directing films when almost no one is making theatrical comedies any more.
“It’s getting harder and harder to get films made in general,” Ansari tells The National. “It’s a long road every time. But that’s what I love about it – it’s so challenging.”
His feature Good Fortune, which he wrote, directed and starred in alongside Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, marked a shift he had been working towards for years. Ansari sees it not as a break from his past, but as the natural extension of the craft he developed on his Emmy Award-winning Netflix series.
“When I was younger, I did Master of None, and that was kind of my training to be a director and to make a film,” he says. “I learnt so much doing that show, and I was excited to take that and apply it to trying to make a feature film.”
Spending long stretches in Los Angeles shaped the tone and ideas behind Good Fortune, but Ansari’s goal was broader than the setting. He wanted to make an original, character-driven comedy that could still exist on the big screen, even as the space for such films shrinks.
“The only two big theatrical comedies this year were our movie and Naked Gun,” he says.
“I was really just trying to make the movie be something that played in the theatre in a way that people could enjoy it, the way they used to enjoy movies back in the day.”
Ansari built his early creative life surrounded by fellow comedians, but as he has moved deeper into filmmaking, he has found support within a different community.
“When I had an early cut of Good Fortune, I showed it to Steven Soderbergh,” he says. The two both live in London. “He’s very famous for being very insightful watching early cuts, and he was kind enough to do that.” Spike Jonze also offered feedback, attending an early preview screening. Alan Yang – his long-time collaborator on Master of None – produced the film and remained a close creative partner.
“I think directors, we all have this shared experience,” Ansari says. “You know how tough it is, and anyone I’ve ever reached out to has only been very kind and wanted to help.”
He is already looking beyond Good Fortune. Ansari has written two new scripts and is deciding which one to make first.
“One thing is kind of more grounded and kind of Master of None vibe,” he says. “Another thing is a little bit like a sci-fi idea.” He isn’t describing them in detail yet – the projects are still taking shape – but the intention is clear.
“I hope I’ve learnt from the experience of doing Good Fortune and gotten better at what I’m doing. I hope I get to make them.”
Ansari still performs stand-up, but most of his creative energy now goes into writing and shaping the films he hopes will follow. He may not want to be the same man he once was, but he does want to regain his momentum – and he wants to earn it.
The next chapter will come down to whether he can get those films made. For now, he’s focused on the work in front of him, scene by scene, script by script, building towards whatever comes next.
Good Fortune is available now on digital platforms
