What is the best thing that I love about my work?

I love being able to get a meaningful message or idea on my audience’s radar through comedy. Laughing to me is the most instinctual reaction to entertainment, and it’s a wonderful hook to saying something more meaningful to my audience. 

What is my idea of happiness?

My recent comedy series release on Tubi, “Under Cover Comic” actually treats the topic of happiness and fulfillment quite a bit. The thesis of the show is “in this life you can have it all, just not at the same time.” This Oprah Winfrey quote is a powerful starting point to understanding how happiness, fulfillment and achievement intertwine. A lot of people think happiness is simple, and it may be, but it’s also ephemeral. There is no finish line one can get to and say “okay, now my happiness is secure.” Happiness is like a garden, if you miss a week of caring for it, it could look weak or wilted, or if you get lucky and it’s a nice sunny week, you could roll ass-backwards into it and not think it’s very hard to achieve at all. That’s the central issue for the main characters of “Under Cover Comic”. They chose the greatest ambition of all: starting a family. But along the way, they lost a part of their identity. In this show, they both grapple with reclaiming their identities. 

What is my greatest fear?

I once heard someone say their greatest fear was to be boring and that really resonated with me. I don’t think it’s my greatest fear, but it’s definitely a concern of mine: keeping life interesting without ruining it. How can you do interesting and fun things with your life without risking the parts that matter most? Especially once you have little ones who depend on you, I think the new greatest fear becomes letting them down. 

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

I used to be way too honest and forward, and I’ve seen that wide-eyed approach burn me as a filmmaker. Not everyone wants to play fair, and as a life-long New Yorker I should have perhaps been more alert to that. Ironically, admitting this insecurity is both honest and forward of me. 

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?

I am a huge admirer of Lin Manuel Miranda. I admire the way he not only writes to illuminate his identity as a Latino and American, but how he presents himself in a way that is both vulnerable and authentic. To me, being real about who I am is important. I also am a huge fan of Adam Sandler because of how he has combined playful comedy with music in such an endearing way. I strive to make both my movies and music in the vain of the great Sand-man. 

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

I wouldn’t use the word dislike, but there’s certainly something unsettling about looking back on early work. I have evolved a lot. I look back sometimes and see obvious direction, and it makes me cringe. I think I have learned a great deal about letting audiences draw their own conclusions and being less prescriptive in my themes. 

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

I’m happiest with my work today! Releasing “Under Cover Comic” on a free and widely available platform like Tubi was a multi-year goal of mine. I look back at the work and realize that I’ve left something behind for my kids to look back on, something they can laugh at and connect with. It’s an important and oft-overlooked message about striking balance in our lives. 

If I could, what would I change about myself? 

I would change my stubbornness. Ironically, this allowed me to start my directorial career, but since then I’ve learned that the best work happens when directors are open and collaborative, and not stubborn or domineering. 

What is my greatest achievement in work?

While “Under Cover Comic” is a huge achievement, I think my greatest commercial success was creating and releasing “Coping Mechanisms”, a visual album (six music videos strung together as a narrative) for my creative partner Tayla Parx. Learning how to work with Apple, Atlantic Records, and other industry forces was an invaluable experience which I am proud of how I handled despite how green I was at that point.  

What books influenced my life and how?

I was heavily influenced by “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig. This book taught me so much about being present and allowing each moment to exist in its own right. As a filmmaker it’s so easy to constantly get swept up into the hustle, and lose track of your purpose and the fun that inspired you to get into filmmaking to begin with. This novel is one of the most widely read philosophical texts of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? 

My fictional hero is Edmond Dantes of Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The way he deals with adversity over 1000 pages is inspiring. Dealing with wrongful imprisonment at a young age doesn’t destroy him, but instead improves his will to live in the most dire of situations. I would recommend this piece of literature for it’s hero alone. 

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? 

My two greatest partners are my wife Tali and my editor, Brandon Warrick. Tali has been my life partner for 13 years now, and she has opened my perspective to the world, perpetually seeing the greatness in me, even when I may have not seen it myself. Brandon’s commitment to supporting my vision has been ongoing for 5 years now. He is a young and talented filmmaker himself, and has chosen to dedicate his time to working in multiple capacities on almost all of my films. I couldn’t possibly do what I do without Brandon. 

Which people or companies would I like to work with?

I am most interested in working with Happy Madison Productions and Adam Sandler. I grew up on his comedy albums, and not only has my style of comedy been strongly influenced by him, but so too has my screenwriting and filmmaking. Some of his contemporaries will simply smirk and say “shabadoo!” For me, that is a nod to how silly and freeing comedy needs to be in order to really slap. That zest, combined with simple and strong storytelling, makes Happy Madison a group I feel well equipped and would give anything to work with. 

What project am I looking forward to work on?

I am looking forward to starting work on my next feature film, ‘The Damn Knicks.’ This is a sports screwball comedy about a New Yorker working three miserable jobs, mostly broke, and only looks forward to watching his Knicks each evening. Of course, in this story the Knicks are miserably bad, ironically for him. He ends up selling his “fanhood” via contract on a podcast, becoming the laughing stock of the basketball world. Now people are monitoring him on forums like IG live, and even on the street, making sure he doesn’t root for the Knicks. Of course, not long after this, his Knicks become really good and in championship contention. 

Where can you see me or my work?

“Under Cover Comic” is currently available for free on Tubi and for $5 on Amazon Prime Video. In addition, my visual album for Tayla Parx, “Coping Mechanisms” can be streamed on YouTube and Facebook for free. 

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? 

Each time I finish a film, I tell my wife “I’m taking a break!” She just laughs and rolls her eyes. Clearly, storytelling, or any other passion, isn’t something people do exclusively for a paycheck (although we’ll gladly accept one). It’s definitely work, to defy the common advice about never working a day in your life. But nonetheless, passion is simply a part of you, similar to an arm, leg or your eye color. Those things don’t retire, neither does my passion. 

Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story?

Max Gardner is a producer at A+M Creative. He has a compelling story to tell and is very talented at what he does. 

How can you contact me? 

I can be reached on instagram @bobby_fried_man and via email at bobbyfriedom@gmail.com