“The powers that be… they’re not looking out for me. And they’re never gonna look for me. So, this dream that you had—that you were gonna come down and get cast in that thing, and one day you were gonna be driving down Sunset and you’re gonna see your face on one of those billboards—it’s never gonna happen, Hasan. Bro they can’t even say your name! How are they gonna spell it right on a billboard? It ain’t happening my friend. And what it did was, it made me go: you are going to have to write your way out of this. Put up the money, write it, shoot it, do it yourself. And here’s the thing: nobody’s going to give a fuck for a very long time. But if you do this, you will have agency over your life.” – Hasan Minhaj, episode 178 on Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Hasan Minhaj is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, and television host. Best known for his Netflix show, “Patriot Act”, he sits down with us this week to discuss the difference between living through history and reading it (4:30), having his second child in the midst of a pandemic (6:22), trying to find his footing in stand-up and the little signs of encouragement that kept him going (11:55), why political comedy felt so radical as a Muslim teenager (17:10), a post-college period of “pure hedging” in Hollywood (28:20), when he realized his skin had value (35:49), why the spaces for public failure are vanishing (46:02) and, finally, the legacy he wants to create for his children—on stage and off (51:00).
Show notes:
- Follow Hasan on Instagram and Twitter.
- Watch Hasan’s complete remarks at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner here.
- Watch Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Netflix.
- Watch Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King on Netflix.
Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
Music by: Dylan Peck and Jinsang.
Subscribe on: Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher.