Oscar Winner Shares Fear Philosophy
Cord Jefferson, Oscar-winning filmmaker, told The Dave Chang Show that "The best stuff in my life has come on the other side of fear," illustrating this through his willingness to try new foods like oxtail soup and take career risks. Jefferson maintained a 14-year commitment to vegetarianism after reading Peter Singer's "Animal Liberation" in college. The duo discussed their recent intensive five-day collaborative project in Las Vegas for an undisclosed streaming TV show.
Cord Jefferson's Oscar win was for Best Adapted Screenplay for his film "American Fiction," which was his feature directorial debut. The film is a satirical comedy-drama based on the 2001 novel "Erasure" by Percival Everett. Before his success in film, Jefferson had an extensive career in journalism, writing for publications like USA Today and The Huffington Post, and serving as an editor at Gawker. He transitioned to television writing, contributing to acclaimed series such as "Master of None," "The Good Place," and "Succession." His work on the HBO limited series "Watchmen" earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie, shared with Damon Lindelof. During his Emmy acceptance speech, Jefferson made waves by giving a shout-out to his therapist and advocating for free mental healthcare. Peter Singer's "Animal Liberation," the book that inspired Jefferson's vegetarianism, is a foundational text of the animal liberation movement published in 1975. The book argues against "speciesism"—discrimination based on species—and advocates for the equal consideration of the interests of all beings capable of suffering. In his Oscar acceptance speech, Jefferson pleaded with the industry to take risks on emerging filmmakers and smaller-budget films. He urged studios to consider making 20 movies for $10 million each instead of one $200 million film, to provide more opportunities for new voices.
