Iranian comic Maz Jobrani wants to change perspective about Middle East

The Express Tribune learns how he came about doing comedy and where he’s headed next


Rahul Aijaz July 31, 2016
Jobrani has a best-selling book and a film to his credit. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Iranian-American comedian and actor Maz Jobrani has made it his business to break stereotypes, right, left and centre.

Having moved to the US just before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Jobrani grew up to be a funny man with a degree in political science from UC Berkeley. Majority of his quips during performances revolve around the misunderstanding regarding people from the Middle East in the US and race issues that dominate the discourse.

The Express Tribune learns how he came about doing comedy and where he’s headed next.

“I became a fan of comedy by watching Eddie Murphy when I was a kid,” he shared. “I believe those Saturday Night Live episodes must have been the turning point.” It was a lot later, during his PhD program at UCLA, that Jobrani finally decided to pursue his childhood dream of acting, and he set out on a journey to make people laugh.



Since 2006, Jobrani has been a roll, travelling the world with his comedy group Axis of Evil. He has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.

In 2016, he played the titular character in an indie comedy Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, a film he also co-wrote and produced.  The film tells the story of a man who moves to the US to pursue his dream but gets caught up in a conspiracy to start the next World War.

“We were a small, independent film going up against all the blockbusters,” explained Jobrani, discussing the response his project met. “The first weekend we did a per screen average that had us in 4th place nationwide, behind Captain America. Of course they were in 3,000 theatres and we were in four. But still we did well. On Rotten Tomatoes we still have over a 90% rating. So people seem to be enjoying it.”

He added that the only thing the movie needs is more exposure and a bigger viewership in different countries.

In 2015, Jobrani released his memoir titled I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV, which told his story of growing up as an Iranian immigrant in the US. When asked how his style of humour differs from that of other comedians, he said he doesn’t really compare himself to others. “I just talk about what interests me. These days, I’m interested in social and political commentary as well as talking about my kids. My material regarding the Middle East and Muslims tends to take a very liberal point of view so that makes my comedy stand out.” He revealed that most of his material comes from personal experiences. “It usually takes a good year to a year-and-a-half to come up with a full new hour.”

With a best-selling book and a movie to his credit, Jobrani has no plans of stopping just yet. “I want to keep doing what I love, although a TV show would be rather interesting,” he shared.

Jobrani also added that had he not pursued comedy, he would have been a political science professor; comedy only allows him to deal with the subject in a fun way.

Apart from taking his mission of tickling funny bones forward, Jobrani spoke about his inclination towards addressing serious issues simultaneously. “If I can make some social commentary along the way, then that will definitely be a bonus. If I can change people’s minds about Middle Easterners along the way, then that’s a double bonus.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2016.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ