A Conversation with Comedian Maz Jobrani

I recently had a chance to talk with Maz Jobrani, a successful Iranian-American standup comedian and actor with a long list of TV and film credits. Jobrani was also part of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that appeared as a special on Comedy Central back in 2007. He has a new comedy DVD out now entitled Maz Jobrani: Brown and Friendly.

Imran Khan: I’ve read in interviews that growing up you just wanted to fit in and be like everyone else. Is there a specific experience, where you just realized, “Hey my culture and where I’m from is actually interesting”? Was there any specific turning point for you? Or was it just a gradual thing that happened?

Maz Jobrani: Well, I always spoke the language at home. It was never a huge issue going through high school because most of my friends were American and it just didn’ come up that often. I think it was in college where I really started to kind of go “Oh wow what a cool history” and started looking at the history of the ‘53 coup that the CIA was behind and just going “Wow there’s a lot of history and cool stuff there.” I also met other Iranians that were like me who had grown up in America. And so suddenly I had more friends like that. So that’s kind of when it started becoming this thing where I was like “Oh, I actually like that I’m kind of Iranian now.”

IK: You’re probably the most successful Iranian-American stand up. Do you feel the pressure to represent your culture and Middle Easterners in general to Hollywood and the American mainstream?

MJ: Not really because I live my life in a way that I want to live my life.  And I think for the most part I try to do well to others and think good thoughts and do good deeds and all. Some members of the community probably think, “Hey you shouldn’t cuss on stage.” To be honest with you, sometimes there are things I want to say that include cussing. And again, I don’t overdo it and I try to use good judgment. If there’s a family at the show, I’m not going to cuss. I think that most people in the community kind of agree with a lot of things I’m saying, which is nice. They’re happy that I get on stage and say, “I’m Iranian.” Also, they’re happy that I have an American audience and that I’m making them laugh. They like that I talk about different ethnicities and say that we need to not separate and come together.

I was on a radio show in Australia and some guy called in and they didn’t let him on the air but he was complaining to whoever was answering the phones. He said, “Why doesn’t this guy do his shows in Farsi? Is he ashamed of being Iranian?” (Laughs) And I was like this guy doesn’t get it. The point of doing it in English is so that others understand who we are in a good way.

IK: Right. As an artist you take that liberty to sort of express yourself however you want, I’m sure that’s a part of it as well.

MJ: Absolutely. I think the key to being a successful standup comedian is to have a voice and a point of view. And you get that voice and point of view after doing it for like 7 or 8 years and really getting comfortable with yourself on stage. So that’s the key. If you’re going to try and please everybody in the community then you’re white-washing your material and your voice is gone.

IK: I read that you declined a part on the TV show 24 for certain reasons and I was wondering if you could just explain that situation.

MJ: It’s funny because different people have interpreted this completely differently. The reality is that I’ve turned down auditions to play terrorists on different film and TV things that have come up in that past – just the auditions, not the parts. 24‘s very secretive about what the role is. So, I got an audition for this part and I was like, “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” And they said, “We can’t really tell you.” I said, “Alright, I’ll audition for it.” This was Season 2. I auditioned and I didn’t get that part. But then later on they go, “There’s another guy we want you to come in for and he’s a terrorist.” And I told my agent no. But then my agent says, “But he changes his mind during the mission and decides not to do the mission.” I was like, “Oh that sounds interesting.” So I actually did it. So I’m in Season 2 doing what I call “The Ambivalent Terrorist Who Changes his Mind.” (Laughs)

But I have turned down auditions before, like for this film United 93. I also turned down the audition for the film Traitor with Don Cheadle. There’ve been several other auditions that have been comedic parts for terrorists and I was like, “I just can’t do it.” I feel like there’s enough of that on film and TV that I don’t need to be involved with it. I’m lucky to have the stand up so I don’t necessarily need it.

IK: You mentioned the movie Traitorand I want to know what you think about it. From my perspective, I didn’t see it as very positive. I get this overwhelming feeling from the movie that any Muslim that you may know, on the street or otherwise, wants to blow himself up. And they this one guy, the hero, who doesn’t; but the majority of them do. What did you think?

MJ: I actually never saw the movie but I read the script and I agree with you. See, the problem is, and I’ve said this before, when The Sopranos came out, some Italians complained and they said it was a negative depiction of Italians. Well, at the same time Italians also had Everybody Loves Raymond, which is about an Italian family. They had Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and other actors who are positive. People love these guys. See for Middle Easterners, we don’t have those stars and TV shows. We had Omar Sharif years ago, but we don’t have anyone else. We haven’t had a TV show or film that depicts us in a positive light. The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour was the first time you saw four Middle Easterners on an American television show where we didn’t kill anybody or ourselves. So, I agree with you, I think that the fact that you put one good guy in it doesn’t change the fact that at the end of the day you still go home thinking, “These guys are up to something.”

IK: Do you think these perceptions are beginning to change as of late, or are they kind of just coasting?

MJ: I think there’s always some change happening. I think the people who work in Hollywood tend to be smart. Some people have agendas. Like if you look at some films and you look at who the producers are you go, “Oh my God, this guy has like a hardcore political agenda.” But there are a lot of people who are smart enough to go, “We want to do different things.” For example, I just worked on a pilot for ABC based on a book called Funny in Farsi. Funny in Farsi is written by a lady named Firoozeh Dumas. She wrote a book about growing up in the early 70s near Newport Beach with her Irani family. ABC picked it up as a half hour comedy pilot and we filmed it to air. But, ABC shoots 10-12 pilots and they’re going to pick 3-4 of comedy. It’s possible that we might be on air as an Irani family living in Newport Beach in the early 70s and it doesn’t talk about any sort of terrorist stuff or anything; it’s just about a family. It’s kind of like The Wonder Years where she’s telling her story in retrospect. It’s a little like The Honeymooners because I play the dad and my brother, the uncle, lives in the house with us. And then there’s my wife and the two kids. Me and the uncle are always going off and doing crazy stuff and then getting into an argument with the wife and then making up at the end.

I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think it takes time for people from our generation. The first generation that comes to America buys the mini marts and dry cleaners. They just want their kids to become lawyers and doctors. Then a couple generations down the line, we realize the importance of film and television and all that, and we get into it.

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