Ep527 - Don McKellar, Actor-Director-Writer, 'The Sympathizer'

Creative Principles

“There was David Cronenberg (The Fly, Scanners), but not many other examples,” says Don McKellar, about his childhood as a Canadian where he felt there were few role models in the business. “But I did love theater. I created shows with my friends and all the disciplines — writing, directing, acting — blended together for me.” Those live performances helped to shape his work. “I co-wrote a musical called The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway. In that kind of show, if you do a show and it doesn’t work, it’s obvious. What I think helps as a writer is having that actor’s eye ingrained in my bones. You can sort of feel what works, what can play, what’s enjoyable to deliver. That instinct really informs my writing.” “Knowing what actors will enjoy is consequently knowing what viewers will enjoy. I think that helped me work with Robert,” he jokes, in regards to the new series The Sympathizer, which stars Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Oh, and Hoa Xuande. The plot reads, “Near the end of the Vietnam War, a plant who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community where he continues to secretly spy and report back to the Viet Cong.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!