Seven Things To Know About Cord Jefferson, Director Of 'American Fiction'

Cord Jefferson is the man behind American Fiction. It is already getting Oscar buzz and is an adaptation of the novel Erasure.

While American Fiction is Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, he has worked on several television series as a writer. Here are seven things to know about the potential future Oscar nominee.

1. He was born in Tuscan, Arizona, and is biracial. His father is Black and an attorney.

2. Before moving into television writing and directing, Jefferson got his start as a journalist. He worked for Gawker, eventually becoming an editor until 2016.

3. His journalism work also includes writing for USA Today, The Huffington Post, The Root and The New York Times Magazine.

4. Jefferson made his move into television when he was asked to join the writer’s room for the Lebron James-produced Starz series Survivor's Remorse.

5. Jefferson’s work on the limited HBO series Watchmen earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie for the episode The Extraordinary Being.

6. Jefferson served as a supervising producer and writer for the HBO series Station Eleven.

7. In 2020, Jefferson signed a deal with Warner Bros Television Group. It is his first overall deal with the studio.

American Fiction is set for a wide theatrical release on December 22 after a limited theatrical release beginning December 15.