He Said What?

Peters riffs on age, his new CTV/Netflix series and the art of comedy

ZOOMER MAGAZINE: How did The Indian Detective come about?

RUSSELL PETERS: We’ve been working on this show for about five years. It’s changed a lot from where it started, but I’m very happy with what the show is now. I’m an executive producer on the show, so there’ve been a few tweaks here and there that I’ve weighed in on to make it more reflective of who I am and my own tastes.

ZM: Frank Spotnitz is a seasoned and in-demand creators how runner – The Man in the High Castle, The X-Files – what was the experience like developing a show with him?

RP: Frank was great. Once we got him on board, we literally spent a long weekend at my house in Mississauga with Frank, Smita Bhide (writer), my brother Clayton (who’s also a produ- cer on the show as well as my manager), Paul my other manager (also a producer) and producer Mark Burton and hammered out the characters, overall story and other ideas for the series.

ZM: The premise for The Indian Detective – a Toronto cop who unexpectedly finds himself investigating a murder in his parents’ Indian homeland – doesn’t make you roll with laughter. Was the appeal

that you could tap into the dramatic side of your persona? RP: I’ve been looking to do more dramatic work, but as a comic everyone’s always like, you have to do comedy. I love comedies but I wanted something more. Frank wrote my character Doug D’Mello around my personality. So Doug is a lot like me but different enough that it’s interesting for me at the same time.

Basically, I wanted Frank and Smita to write a straightforward drama, and then we added the comedy to the show from there. The comedy in The Indian Detective is really funny, especially the scenes between myself and the great Anupem Kher (who plays my father, Stanley D’Mello) and the drama is solid with the brilliant work of Hamza Haq who plays the villain, Gopal Chandeker. We got very lucky with the cast. Everyone delivered and forced me to step up my game. ZM: What is harder to perform for you, the comedy or the drama? RP: When a show or movie is well written, it’s actually easy to do either. It’s when it’s not well written that it’s hard. ZM: At this stage in your career, are you hoping to do more films and television and less of your stand-up tours? RP: I can never not do stand-up. I still do spots at clubs around L.A. even when I’m off tour just because. I’d like to do more film and television. I enjoy it for the most part (except those early call times!), but I do love being on tour, except for being away from my daughter. Being away from her kills me. ZM: How has she changed your life? RP: Being away from my daughter is the hardest part of this business. She’s six now and she makes me laugh like nobody else. When I’m home, I try to pick her up from school every day (she lives with my ex-wife) and try to spend as much time with her as possible. She’s my No. 1 priority. ZM: How has your comedy evolved as you’ve aged? RP: My comedy has become more personal as I’ve gotten older. I talk a lot more about who I am now and how I see the world - not just race and culture but having a daughter and being in relationships. ZM: Does ageism exist on the comedy club circuit? RP: Comedy isn’t a race. There’s no finish line, but there’s definitely an industry preference for the “new young kid” who may have a great 10 minutes but not much else. The thing about comedy is that it can take almost 10 years for you to find your voice. I’ve been doing it for 28 years now and continue to learn something new every time I get on stage. ZM: Do you have any cruel jokes about seniors? RP: I’ll be 47 this year and find myself feeling “old man-ish” a lot. I don’t know any of the current music, other than what my six-year-old daughter tells me she likes (Shawn Mendes). I’ve become like my parents when they used to talk about Bill Haley and His Comets being “real” rock ’n’ roll, except for me it’s ’90s hip hop versus today’s rap music. ZM: Do you think the world has tipped too far into political correctness that it’s difficult to navigate as a comedian? The jokes you started out with earlier could you still make them today? RP: I’d still make the same jokes from earlier in my career if I could only remember them but, yes, people are way more sensitive today than they ever were.

I’m responsible for what I say. I’m not responsible for what you understand. I know what my intent is, and my fans know what my intent is (which is what makes them fans). But if you’re against someone, you’re going to hear whatever you want to hear, however you want to hear it.

I’m not a politician where I’m asking everyone to like me or vote for me. A comedian is supposed to make you feel a bit uncomfortable. We see the world differently and comment on it. There’s no malice in what I’m saying. There’s no intent to harm. You can’t apologize for that.

“I’m responsible for what I say. I’m not responsible for what you understand”