Distinguished TV director Asaad Kelada chatted with Markos Papadatos about his respected career directing American television series and theatre.
In this exclusive interview, he opened up about his celebrated career, memorable experiences behind the camera, collaborations with iconic television stars, and the enduring magic of bringing stories to life.
Vincent van Gogh once said: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” This quote applies to veteran filmmaker Asaad Kelada.
Background on Asaad Kelada
With such an illustrious career spanning several decades, Egyptian-born television director Asaad Kelada has left an indelible mark on the world of American television. He is renowned for his exceptional storytelling abilities and keen understanding of comedy.
Kelada has directed some of television’s most beloved sitcoms, including “The Facts of Life,” “Family Ties,” “Who’s the Boss?,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Two and a Half Men.”
From his early beginnings in Cairo, Egypt, to studying at the prestigious Yale School of Drama and building an extraordinary career in Hollywood, his journey is a testament to passion, perseverance, and artistic dedication.
With more than 500 television episodes to his credit, Kelada’s noteworthy contributions have entertained generations of viewers.
‘Pilate: The Lost Gospel’
Most recently, he directed “Pilate: The Lost Gospel,” the one-man stage drama that was written by Michael Punter, and starred Maxwell Caulfield in the title role as Pontius Pilate.
That play was set in Rome in 36 AD, and the story featured Pilate summoned to recount his military career, his encounters with Jesus Christ, and the events leading up to the crucifixion.
The production ran at The Pleasance Courtyard during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
On directing “Pilate: The Lost Gospel,” he stated, “It was an extraordinary experience. Maxwell Caulfield is a brilliant actor and a lovely man. Witnessing his talent on stage in this was remarkable.”
‘How High the Moon’
This past summer, Kelada directed the play “How High the Moon” at Theatre West in Los Angeles, which was written by Barbara Nell Beery. It ran from July 24th to August 16th.
The play takes you back to July 4, 1952, when the lives of neighboring families in the San Fernando Valley are forever changed. A young housewife questions her marriage, and an estranged son returns home.
“How High the Moon” is a play about sibling conflict and family secrets during the housing boom in the San Fernando Valley.
On directing the play “How High the Moon,’ he said, “It was a great experience. The theater had more of a community theater setting, so we had to work around certain limitations and resources that were not readily available. We found creative ways to compensate for that. The cast, however, was tremendous. They were all wonderful people and incredibly talented. Given the circumstances, I was very pleased with the final result.”
“I had been working with the playwright Barbara Nell Beery on and off for a couple of years when she approached me with the play and asked if I would be interested in developing it with her. We sat down and read it, and from there, it became a long creative journey,” he noted.
“Finally, we reached the point where the material was ready to be presented. Barbara was a wonderful collaborator, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of working together. When the play was finally ready to take the stage, I was asked to direct it. She didn’t want to move forward with the production without me on board, so we brought it to Theater West. The production was very successful, and we enjoyed terrific audiences throughout its run,” he elaborated.
Kelada on his relationship with Theater West
For Kelada, Theater West holds “a special place in my heart.” “My first visit there was shortly after I moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s. I was looking to become part of the local theater community, and someone I had worked with recommended Theater West,” he said.
“That was the beginning of a long-standing relationship, and I’ve had a wonderful history with the theater ever since. It’s the oldest continually running theater in the city,” he added.
‘The Facts of Life’
He fondly looked back on “The Facts of Life.” “It was certainly one of the highlights of my career. It came midway through my career and marked the beginning of the first long-running series that I directed,” he said.
“Initially, I was hired to direct just one episode. At the time, the production was nearly twice the size it eventually became, with approximately nine girls and three or four adults. It made for an incredibly busy week, but it was a memorable experience,” he noted.
“After that, I moved on to other projects, but eventually, they reached out again and asked if I would be interested in directing two more episodes. When I returned, I reconnected with the producers and writers, and I immediately had a feeling that this would be a wonderful place to call home. There was something special about the atmosphere and the people involved,” he elaborated.
“Following those two episodes, they offered me the series. I accepted, and what began as a one-episode assignment turned into a remarkable 40-year journey. They were very happy with the work, and I was fortunate to have found such a rewarding career,” he added.
Working with Nancy McKeon
When asked what it was like to work with Nancy McKeon on “The Facts of Life,” he responded, “Nancy joined the show very early on. I believe the first episode I worked on was the one that introduced her to the show. We saw her on camera for the first time that day, as we went through camera blocking and got her set up.”
“Nancy is such a talented woman, and her range was remarkable for someone at that stage in her career. She was certainly one of the people I most enjoyed working with, and, honestly, we became close friends,” he elaborated.
‘Who’s the Boss?’
On directing and producing “Who’s the Boss?”, he remarked, “That was one of my favorites. That was probably one of the highlights of my career. It was the longest engagement I had with any other show… about five years. The cast was remarkable. They were all professionals, Judith, and Katherine were from the theater, so we had that in common. Tony Danza, of course, was a force of nature.”
“It was a very rich experience for me on many levels because I was involved in all aspects of the show and every episode. I ended up receiving a producer credit, which gave me a great deal of creative control over my work on the show. I felt that I had really reached the level that I had been striving for, and it allowed me to express it. So, it was a great experience, and the writing was conceptually good. Overall, ‘Who’s the Boss?’ was an excellent experience. We all loved each other, and we all respected each other,” he elaborated.
“I would say it was a very happy experience about 95 percent of the time, which is quite rare, especially given the pressures that come with producing a successful show. The weekly demands were grueling, and yet we were fortunate to work with such inspired actors and wonderful guest performers, all of whom showed up consistently and delivered terrific performances week after week,” he noted.
“I have enormous respect for those professionals,” he admitted. “I think that aspect is sometimes underrated, especially in comedy, which is some of the most demanding work there is.”
“To be ready to perform in front of a live audience and then do it again in front of the cameras, knowing that everything is being recorded, takes tremendous skill and professionalism. It was a wonderful experience for all of us,” he added.
‘WKRP in Cincinnati’
On working on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” he remarked, “That was one of the happiest moments for me because music has always been very important, and music was an integral part of that show.”
“Quality writing is fundamental for having a show work, but the same holds true for the people who bring it to life. That cast was so well-fixed and so well-integrated together. It was just great,” he said.
“I just loved the humor, the craziness, with the reality underneath that was still always there. It was one of the first shows to address the issue of drugs, but it also had a lot of heart and humor. Many of the actors on that show became stars,” he elaborated.
Working with Loni Anderson
On working with the late but great Loni Anderson (on “WKRP in Cincinnati”), he stated, “Loni Anderson, of course, exploded into everybody’s televisions. She was glorious, gorgeous to look at, very smart, funny, and a lovely lady. I miss her terribly.”
“I was very saddened by her loss… she was remarkably the first of her kind… a gorgeous and funny woman on television,” he noted. “That was one of the most difficult things to find: how to get somebody who looked as beautiful as she did, who was also as smart and funny. That trifecta is a great combination.”
“Every member of the ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ cast made their mark because we were all great. It was a wonderful experience. I was very lucky with the shows that I was allowed to work on. They all had qualities to cherish,” he recalled.
“By that, I mean the people were remarkable, the writing was elevated, and the quality of the work and the people was top-notch. So, I feel very lucky that for most of my career, I happened to land in those enviable situations. I was very lucky for the long run,” he added.
‘The Office’
Kelada had the good fortune to direct “The Office” episode titled “Prince Family Paper,” which is the 13th episode of Season 5 (and the 85th overall episode in the series), which was written by BJ Novak.
“The episode I directed for ‘The Office’ was my final episode that I directed for television. It was something that I had in mind for a very long time because it was such a special, unique concept and series. The way it was done, the passion, and everything about it was a landmark achievement,” he acknowledged.
“I just wanted to have that experience, and fortunately, I was given that episode. It lived up to all its promises, and it was a great experience. ‘The Office’ was very different from the other shows I’ve done because it was not filmed in front of an audience. It had cameras and a documentary kind of touch,” he elaborated.
“So, I kind of ventured into an area that was new for me, which I love doing, and I really treasured this grand finale,” he added.
The digital age
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are prevalent, he said, “Well, I must admit that I am very aware of my age because I am not a technical being.”
“I started with those 35-millimeter film cameras in the ’70s that were monstrous, and then saw it go to videotape, and then back to film, now into digital. So, it is extraordinary for me to see the progress, but I don’t know how much I would be able to navigate all of that,” he observed.
“I haven’t been as actively involved in it recently as I was back then because some of the challenges are related to my technical abilities; however, overcoming those technical challenges is part of being involved in it, and that’s really what it comes down to,” he explained.
Advice for young and aspiring filmmakers
For young and emerging filmmaker, he said, “First of all, remember that it is a very tough business to get into, be in, and stay in. On one hand, I am delighted by the young filmmakers and emerging film directors right now because of all the new technology that is available to them.”
“My advice would be to follow your passion and stay true to who you are, what you want to talk about, and what you do best. Ask yourself: ‘Why are you doing this?’ or ‘Why are you taking on this struggle, which is inevitable?’ It is because you have something you want to say,” he said.
“So, stay connected to that purpose. Learn the technology and keep up with all the advances, but don’t forget that we are, first and foremost, storytellers,” he noted.
“Make sure you are telling a story you believe in, one you genuinely want to tell, and that through telling it, you are expressing what you really want to say. Don’t lose sight of your place in the world you’re working in,” he elaborated.
“This industry is difficult. It really is. We can lose our way very easily when we are trying to be part of something, gain acceptance, and find our place in it,” he acknowledged.
“So, take a deep breath, remind yourself why you are doing this, and keep going. Believe in what you want to say and in how you want to say it. You are a storyteller,” he underscored.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “I am old, but I am still interested in what comes next!”
“This is interesting actually because I just finishing writing my memoir,” he admitted. “Hopefully, it will be published in the next few months.”
“One of the things I am grappling with is finding a title that would cover what the driving force for the book was, where I began, and where I found myself as my life kept growing on,” he said.
“I grew up in Egypt and then I came to the United States at a very young age, at 20 years old, having never traveled a long way before and really not knowing very much of anything, except that I had been a performer in Egypt playing music, very successfully,” he recalled.
“So that was my only foot in the door,” he admitted. “Then, I came for my graduate studies at Syracuse University, the School of Drama there, to study directing, which I didn’t know anything about, but obviously, it was fortunate,” he elaborated.
“So, it has all been a continuing growing experience for me, finding and growing up and growing as life went on,” he said. “What I would encourage people to do is to ‘follow their dreams.’ That is what I would like to pass on.”
“I had dreams, but I didn’t know what they were going to look like. I knew what they were based on, which is connecting with people and making a difference in people’s lives,” he noted.
“I had no idea how that was going to manifest. So, I started reading about it. I did that for 10 years, for a few years, directing plays, and then I moved to Los Angeles. Somehow, through a lot of struggles, and persevering, I managed to open the door in television. It was the last thing I would have expected, but it was the most visible part of my career,” he said.
“My career would be in the television community, which was something I hadn’t even known about as I was starting out my life. So, it has been an extraordinary adventure, and with the journey that I kind of took step by step by step. Life reveals itself, and my life keeps revealing itself,” he elaborated.
“This is the gratitude chapter and the reevaluation of everything. I am realizing what is important and what is not, and when you put it all together, it is a wonderful tapestry that has been achieved,” he explained.
“There is a gratitude chapter, which is a very astute way of putting it,” he added.
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “Success means living a life where you are just making good use of the time and having done good for others as well as for yourself.”
“Success is a life well lived. There can be no greater success. I am happy because I have made good use of the time that I was given,” he acknowledged.
Key to longevity in entertainment
Regarding the key to longevity in the entertainment industry, he shared, “I think the that stops us is staying where we are and insisting that that is the only way to be. I think longevity comes from moving with the times and continually learning.
“Back in the day, I was hired for things I wasn’t ready to do. I had to learn on the job. So, longevity for me is to keep adapting, to change with the times, but also to remain curious, and to stay interested,” he elaborated.
“Also, do not to be afraid that the world is changing around you and see that we are the beneficiaries of that because we can change and grow with it,” he noted.
“So, just stay open. Stay open and keep learning,” he added.
Message for the fans
For the fans, he expressed, “Thank you. Thank you for staying with me through all the years and being so generous and so accepting and making me feel that there was a reason for doing what I am doing.”
“Thank you for your good spirit, your laughter, and your generosity,” he said, effusively.
