A STUNNING stand-up career combined with his acting success and hit web serial Master Of None helped elevate Aziz Ansari into the top tier of Hollywood.
But then a sketchy sexual misconduct allegation in 2018 that was made by an anonymous woman, which most agreed was likely overblown, almost saw his world come crashing down.
After stepping away from the limelight for a time for deep reflection, Ansari made a return with successful 2022 stand-up special Nightclub Comedian.
The same year it was announced that he would make his feature directorial debut with Being Mortal. Ansari was also due to write, produce and star in an adaptation of 2014 non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by surgeon Atul Gawande.
But that project was shut down after allegations of inappropriate behaviour by headline star Bill Murray on set. After Being Mortal was shelved, he managed to get a bigger movie greenlit in 2023 with Good Fortune, but bad luck struck again when filming was delayed in May of that year with the Writers Guild of America strike.
His luck turned for the better when the project was acquired by Lionsgate and started shooting later that year. Then it was almost derailed after lead star Keanu Reeves sustained a serious injury while shooting for it, but thankfully for Ansari, it got back on track.
The story revolves around a ‘budget’ guardian angel (Keanu Reaves), who decides to swap a down-on-his-luck man’s (Ansari) body with his wealthy employer (Seth Rogen) to show money doesn’t solve problems. When the ‘life swap’ plan goes wrong, the angel loses his wings and is sent to live among humans, including the man who lost his wealth because of him. The film’s impressive cast also includes Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.
There has been a positive buzz around the movie, including at CinemaCon earlier this year, where a closed-door trailer was shown to attendees. If as expected the comedy, which has been inspired by classic films like Trading Places (1983) and Scrooged (1988), clocks up huge box-office numbers when it is released in cinemas in 2025, it will re-establish Ansari as a major Hollywood power player, not just as an actor, but also as a writer, producer and director. That, in turn, will mean he will be able to get projects greenlit, where he has full creative control.
One of Ansari’s biggest supporters has been his close friend Rogen, who was due to act in Being Mortal and plays a key role in Good Fortune.
The new movie will bring back to the forefront a fabulous talent who was on an unstoppable rise in Hollywood, until one anonymous – and many would agree – unsubstantiated article almost destroyed his promising career. His return next year will not only be welcome from a creative and talent point of view, but also push open more doors for diversity and representation in Hollywood. Like his new film’s title, that is good fortune for Ansari as well as many others, who will be inspired and entertained by him.
Writer-director Aysha Rafaele
Julia Davis appears as Shakil's doctor