Check Out Phil Mazo’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Mazo.

Hi Phil, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m the first in my family to be born in America (my parents were Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union), and I always felt like an outsider:

Although I was American, I was raised in an immigrant home where I spoke Russian. Yet I wasn’t part of a greater Russian community, as I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in Newark, NJ. And since public schools in Newark were pretty bad, my parents sent me to private schools in the wealthier suburbs—where the kids were from a different economic class. Since these kids didn’t live in my neighborhood, my entire social life existed within school walls, and as a latchkey kid at home I was often lonely.

So I developed an active imagination and kept myself entertained. And I gorged on TV and movies, dreaming of one day being part of that world. I think the feeling of not quite belonging also made me more of an observer, which would later come in handy as a filmmaker, comedian, and actor.

A core memory was joining the high school musical in my junior year, where I got to play Lank in “Crazy For You”. The director, Mr. Kitts, choreographed a hilarious dance number for the song “Naughty Baby” that took advantage of my small size and physical comedy skills. During the tune the girl who played the domineering Ilene Roth lifted me up and swung me around in surprising ways that made the packed auditorium roar with laughter. After one show, I sprinted through the halls to make my next entrance on the opposite side of the stage, and a kid I passed shouted, “Dude! That was awesome!” I was hooked.

I also made comedic short films in high school with my dad’s camcorder and a primitive tape editing machine from the A/V Club. My best friend, Mike Trainor—now a writer on The Howard Stern Show—and I put a few of them together with a live stage show that included skits and funny songs for our senior thesis project. The audience turnout exceeded expectations. Another hit.

After going through college—which I considered an obligation—it was time to start pursuing my dreams. I interned at a small production company on City Island in the Bronx called Harrington Talents, where I learned to shoot and edit on a variety of projects: weddings, wrestling shows, commercials, music videos, indie films. (We used Premiere, the least popular editing software back then, and now perhaps the most popular—lucky me!) At the same time, I started doing standup at open mics around NYC and taking improv classes everywhere from Second City to UCB.

After a year, I bought my own Panasonic DVX100a camera and editing bay and went freelance, taking any gig I could find on Craigslist.

Over the next few years I started getting paid standup gigs on the road, gradually transitioning into comedy full-time. I released my first comedy album, which got rave reviews and cracked the Top 40 comedy charts on iTunes.

After that I moved to LA, where I continued standup, expanded my improv training to The Groundlings, and started dipping back into my production skills by making Vines.

My Vine momentum was growing until, in 2015, my father received a cancer diagnosis. I dropped everything and went back to be with him. He passed a year later, but by then my momentum was gone and, quite frankly, the experience turned me into a different person. My previous act no longer fit me, and I found myself on a new journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out who I might be in the world if not a comedian…or if I could even tolerate an existence absent that identity.

Although I had it in the back of my mind that I’d return to my previous path at some point—and every once in awhile I’d make a new video—I put my attention on collecting every experience I could from life: I started going to Burning Man, making new friends, reconnecting with piano as I did in my youth (new friends started calling me a “musician”), traveling, etc.

Then Covid hit. Along with the rest of the world, I was suddenly alone again—like I was as a kid at home. And just like in my childhood, this new reality filled my ever-buzzing mind with inspiration, and I started feverishly making comedic short films and content again. The entertainment playing field had now been leveled, so my only competition was other individuals who could write, shoot, perform, and edit—rather than teams and large studios. In this arena I felt confident I could stand out.

I started seeing the fruits of my labor. My covid-era short film, “I’m Phil” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM3RRDVi2NA)—a romantic comedy between a guy and his own reflection that I made entirely alone—won Best Comedy Short at the Coney Island Film Festival and awarded me a $16,500 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

I began creating with the same single-minded focus I had before my father’s death, except now with a maturity that only comes with time, experience, empathy, and a broader set of tools that I’d rediscovered during my detour from my original path.

My new comedy videos started going viral, with my biggest hit (https://www.instagram.com/p/DFRTqjpAHHP/) reaching over 35 million views on Instagram alone.

And my latest film, the docu-comedy “Replay”, made it into top festivals like Palm Springs International ShortFest and Calgary International Film Festival (where it won the Audience Choice Award for Documentary Short), was selected to screen in hundreds of arthouse theaters nationwide (like Landmark, Angelika, Laemmle, and Cinepolis) as part of the curated preshow, and even got longlisted for this year’s Oscars for Best Documentary Short Film.

And now I’m well into production on my first feature project.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. The biggest struggle was losing my father to cancer, an event that derailed my life and career ambitions for a long time. But the experience also turned me into a better person with more depth and empathy, and I think as a result I am now a stronger artist.

There have been other struggles, including another major one—but since I’m turning it into a film I’d prefer to keep it hush-hush for now.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a comedic filmmaker and content creator—though I express my creativity in many other ways as well.

I’m most known for (and most proud of) my film “Replay”, a docu-comedy about a man seeking redemption 30 years after a humiliating childhood TV appearance. I can confidently say it’s a one-of-a-kind story, due to the absurdly rare combination of events that make it possible.

I’m also proud of a short I made after my father’s death called “the msg” (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DMd2KVJAVJW/), my first foray beyond pure comedy. A lot of people have told me it made them both laugh and cry, making me realize I have the capacity to lean into sincerity and touch on multiple emotions with my work.

I’m also known for my viral comedy videos.

What sets me apart is that I’m insatiably curious and can learn anything. This has made me a true jack of all trades who can write, shoot, direct, act, edit, compose music, handle sound design, etc…which means I can create films and content entirely—or nearly entirely—by myself for no money at a level that usually requires a team (and money).

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Bad luck has given me the best stories to tell in my work, and in that sense it might have only seemed like bad luck in the short-term.

Good luck is usually preceded by taking big bets on myself and my work in the form of time, effort, and money—with no promise of reward. It almost feels like the universe throwing you a cookie in exchange for the faith you showed through your actions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.philmazo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philmazo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilMazo
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philmazo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PhilMazo