2 months ago
Comedian Paul Elia has announced that his latest drama special, Good Son, which he self-produced and financed, is group to premiere connected YouTube connected April 8.
In nan special, changeable astatine nan Den Theatre successful Chicago, Elia explores nan profoundly individual and hilarious acquisition of moving backmost successful pinch his Iraqi-Assyrian parents aft his fiancée (now wife) was accepted into an oral room residency successful his hometown of Detroit. The typical centers connected Elia’s soul conflict arsenic he tries to please his aged schoolhouse migrant parents while confronting nan realization that being a “good son” whitethorn person made him a bad husband.
“This typical is my champion activity to date,” Elia told Deadline. “It’s each nan things I ever wanted to show my parents but was excessively ashamed to admit, kinda for illustration really I was sneaking retired their location astatine 37. I’m really proud of really honorable I was capable to beryllium successful it and couldn’t beryllium happier pinch nan last product.”
Good Son was directed by Elia’s longtime friend Lisa Wiegand (Mayans M.C., Chicago Fire), whom he credits pinch getting him connected nan roadworthy to a Hollywood career. The typical is executive produced by Azhar Usman, Mohammad Ali, and Logan Potter, and produced by Dan Ringey, Amna Mirza, and Greg Van Horn.
Also an actor, writer, and producer, Elia is personification who has consistently recovered ways to create connected his ain terms, alternatively than waiting connected support from gatekeepers. This has included teaming pinch Matt Rife to create nan LowKey Comedy Show, arsenic an outlet for performers looking for a mic during nan pandemic, successful summation to hosting integer drama shows connected nan audio-only app Clubhouse, and self-producing his ain specials.
“I’ve ever had a unusual narration pinch Hollywood,” Elia said. “I was aforesaid representing myself for years, booking my ain shows and uncovering ways to publication for roles successful tv and film. I had a monolithic travel to Jesus infinitesimal and stopped relying connected Hollywood to springiness maine an opportunity and started to make my ain stuff. If it hits, great! If not, great! I conscionable wanna make worldly I’m proud of astatine this constituent and will walk my past dollar doing so.”
The Iraqi-American artist’s debut solo special, Detroit Player — nan first to sprout astatine nan Detroit House of Comedy — released astatine nan tail extremity of 2023. He followed it up successful 2025 pinch LowKey Comedy Special, an hr put together pinch Rife, which taped astatine nan Troubadour during Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2024.
Currently, Elia is simply a bid regular connected Prime Video/A24’s big animated bid #1 Happy Family USA, created by his longtime friend and collaborator Ramy Youssef, wherever he voices aggregate characters. He besides has a recurring domiciled successful Season 2 of BET+’s Diarra from Detroit, created by chap Detroit autochthonal Diarra Kilpatrick.
Elia exec produced LowKey Comedy Special aft EP’ing Rife’s specials Natural Selection and Matthew Steven Rife, and subordinate producing his debut special, Only Fans. He is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary Management.
