Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer reveals that steering clear of politics has always been a fundamental part of his creative process in filmmaking.
Renowned for producing hits like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Arrested Development, and 24, Grazer shared insights into his career-long philosophy. Speaking at the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival, he emphasized his preference for narratives that unite rather than divide audiences.
“None of my stories take a political side. My movies aren’t about politics. For instance, Frost/Nixon was purely a recounting of historical events. Politics isn’t my realm,” Grazer explained. “The focus is always on exploring universal themes to foster connection, helping people understand each other’s struggles and perspectives better.”
According to Fox News, Grazer shared these thoughts during a session titled Building Bridges at the Box Office. He was accompanied by Yellowstone director and cinematographer Christina Voros and Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Joshua Seftel. The trio engaged in a dialogue about the art of storytelling and Hollywood’s current landscape.
When moderator Steven Olikara inquired about Hollywood’s capacity for curiosity amidst polarized perspectives, Grazer paused thoughtfully before offering a knowing smile.
“Sure,” he said after a beat, drawing laughs from the audience. “I mean, some people are.”
He went on to argue that the industry’s evolving business model has changed the way artists approach their work.
“The mechanics of the business of Hollywood has changed so significantly in the last four years, it could cause artists to be disincentivized,” Grazer said. “The compensation structure is predominantly based on a socialistic system — that was political — but in that everybody gets paid, you know, you get a streaming price. So you’re not incentivized to work your ass off, feel the risk of that, own that, and fail, lose money, or make $90 million or something. That’s what artists can do.”
For Grazer, curiosity remains one of the most important qualities a storyteller can have.
“And so curiosity really always, to me, was, at the very minimum, just being polite to human beings,” he said. “If you’re interested in other people … you usually create a human moment. It becomes memorable, at least for the day.”
Later in the conversation, Grazer was asked how filmmakers should celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. He argued that appreciation for the country shouldn’t be viewed as a partisan issue.
“Be grateful to America, be kind to America. I think that’s what would be really nice if that lived in the fabric of our culture,” he said.
Voros echoed the importance of challenging assumptions through storytelling, recalling how relocating from Brooklyn to a small town in West Texas while working on Yellowstone reshaped many of her own preconceived notions.
“I think we as a culture need to be careful of the filters through which we are guided to perceive this country and the stories of this country,” Voros said. “You can get into an echo chamber pretty quickly, regardless of where you live or what you feel.”
She added that audiences should leave room to discover something new instead of bringing fixed expectations into every story.
Seftel struck a similar note, saying, “I simply want people to understand each other. It’s not that hard to tell stories that help us understand each other. And I just hope we can keep doing that.”