Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, Being Mortal, starring Bill Murray, remains unfinished after production was halted more than two years ago due to misconduct allegations against Murray. The film, which had completed about half of its shooting when Searchlight Pictures stopped the project, has lingered in Ansari’s thoughts even as he moves forward with his new comedy, Good Fortune. Ansari recently discussed the weight and significance of the halted project on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, offering insight into the experience and his hopes for its future.
Reflecting on the Collapse of ‘Being Mortal’
Despite the setback, Ansari does not view the failure of Being Mortal as a curse. Laughing off the idea, he emphasized how frequently film projects encounter setbacks without public attention.
“Here’s the thing people don’t realize — all these movies you see, the ones that make the news are the big ones, but most of the time, things fall apart quietly. Some actor drops out two weeks before, and then they have to spend another year getting financing. Every movie is a miracle. There’s nobody I know that’s had, ‘Oh yeah, we had the script, we got the people, we shot it, it was done, it was easy.’ Especially now, things fall apart all the time. I feel so blessed to have this movie come out and to have completed it. I don’t feel unlucky in the least bit.”
The Story Behind the Film and Its Emotional Depth
The project, based on Atul Gawande’s nonfiction book Being Mortal, explored end-of-life issues, such as aging, illness, and navigating healthcare for elderly parents. Ansari described the film’s tone as heavy yet interspersed with humor.
“It was heavy. It’s based on a book called ‘Being Mortal’ by Atul Gawande, who’s an incredible writer. It’s a nonfiction book about dealing with end-of-life issues — things you deal with when your parents are getting older, getting sick, putting them in retirement homes, and dealing with doctors. It’s heavy, but it can also be funny. There’s humor there, you know, in these really dark times.”
Ansari explained that the film was built specifically around Bill Murray’s unique presence and style.
“The idea for the movie was, oh, what if you took this book and made it into a narrative, and the guy was Bill Murray? It wasn’t like, ‘What if there was a guy like him?’ It was, ‘What if it was Bill Murray?’ It was really trying to do an evolution of the stuff he was doing in ‘Lost in Translation,’ where he’s really funny but also very poignant.”
Cast and Production Details
The film also featured Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer, with Lowell Crawley, known for his work on The Brutalist, as cinematographer. Ansari noted the visual style was traditional and artistic, stating,
“We were shooting on film — on 35. There was beautiful stuff in it, and there was really funny stuff, too.”
One of the standout moments was a comedic cameo by Helen, known for her role as Ethel Beavers on Parks and Recreation.
“There was a woman from ‘Parks and Recreation,’ Helen, who played Ethel Beavers — she was in ‘Being Mortal’ as this cranky lady at the retirement home, and it was so funny.”
Capturing the Film’s Unique Tone Through Key Scenes
Ansari recalled a poignant and bittersweet scene that highlighted the film’s balance of humor and gravity. In this sequence, Seth Rogen’s character guides Bill Murray’s character through several retirement homes to decide where he should live next.
“There was a scene where Seth has to take Bill to all these different retirement homes to find out which one he’s going to go into — kind of shopping for the right one. There would always be something ridiculous happening at each place, and then one that’s just a little darker, a little sadder. I remember thinking, man, it’s so sad to think of someone like Bill being in one of these places. And then I thought, it’s sad to think of anybody being in one of these places. Bill — everybody knows him, and he has this light inside. But everybody has light inside them. The movie made me think about that a lot. And I hope we get to revisit it.”
Possibility of Completing the Film
Asked if the project might be revived, Ansari said there has been discussion about returning to finish the movie, though coordinating schedules remains a hurdle.
“People have talked to us about doing it. It’s a matter of schedules. We’ve got some busy people between Seth and Kiki and Bill and myself. But no, it was a much different thing. It might have been something where people would have said, ‘Oh man, this is too much of a leap for you.’ But I love ‘Being Mortal’ too. It was just a different thing — a little bit different genre, a little more dramatic.”
Ongoing Connection and Personal Impact
Despite the challenges, the project remains close to Ansari’s heart. “It’s still there,” he said with a laugh,
“It’s on my computer. Some of it, yeah.”
His tone grew softer as he reflected on what the film meant to him:
“The movie made me think about a lot, and I hope we get to revisit it.”
