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Director Cord Jefferson on winning an Oscar and writing for love

The director and writer shares how a wild array of music shaped his journey from angsty teenager to acclaimed filmmaker.

A smiling child in a yellow top and red shorts sits on a woman's lap. The woman has curly hair and wears a light pink shirt, sitting on a carpeted floor.
Cord Jefferson in the arms of his mother, whose parents disowned her for marrying a Black man. | Source: Cord Jefferson

In each episode of our podcast “Life in Seven Songs,” we ask the world’s brightest minds and leaders: What songs tell the story of your life?

This week’s guest is Cord Jefferson, the Oscar-winning director of the 2023 film “American Fiction,” whose journey from angsty teenager to acclaimed filmmaker was shaped by an eclectic soundtrack ranging from Miles Davis to the punk band Jawbreaker.

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“My parents used to play [Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’] for me in the womb,” Jefferson told The Standard’s Sophie Bearman. The album, particularly the song “Flamenco Sketches,” would become a lifelong source of comfort and introduce him to the work of actor Jeffrey Wright, whom he would cast as the lead in “American Fiction.”

A group of children are gathered, one with a colorful afro and face paint talks to another with light hair. They're holding fruit in a lively outdoor setting.
Source: Cord Jefferson

As one of the few Black kids in Tucson, Arizona, Jefferson struggled with his identity and family dynamics. His white maternal grandparents had disowned his mother for marrying his Black father and returned Jefferson’s childhood letters unopened. He found an outlet for these early experiences of rejection in hip-hop and punk rock, with Notorious B.I.G.’s angry lyrics and Jawbreaker’s rejection of conformity speaking to his teenage alienation.

Despite success as a TV writer for series like “The Good Place,” “Station Eleven,” and “Watchmen,” for which he won an Emmy, Jefferson hit rock-bottom in 2018. “I would cry at random moments. I would cry in the shower alone. I would cry in my car alone,” he recalled. After his therapist diagnosed him with depression, Jefferson began a journey of self-discovery that would inform “American Fiction,” his directorial debut at age 42.

Two men in formal attire are happily admiring a golden statuette. One man holds it proudly while the other looks on with a warm smile.
Jefferson, right, with "American Fiction" co-star Sterling K. Brown after winning an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. | Source: Cord Jefferson

The film, which tells the story of a Black writer grappling with industry expectations, mirrors Jefferson’s experiences as a creative fighting against prescribed narratives. “It is in many ways like the culmination of my life’s work,” he said, encouraging others to persist in pursuing their passions: “As long as you love it, keep doing it.”

Listen to Jefferson’s playlist on Spotify, and find a transcript of the podcast episode here. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.