Boutique production company Imposter has added Zach Woods to its directorial roster for North American representation. This marks his first time being repped for commercials.
Woods is best known for portraying Jared Dunn on HBO’s Silicon Valley and Gabe Lewis on NBC’s globally beloved sitcom The Office. He’s appeared in many TV and film roles including HBO’s Avenue 5, Veep, The Good Wife, and Steven Speilberg’s The Post. He now stars in The Afterparty, streaming on Apple TV.
Woods has also applied his talents for nuanced comedy to directing and writing. He is currently showrunning, directing, and acting in the upcoming series In the Know, which he co-created with Mike Judge and Brandon Gardner, coming soon to Peacock.
Woods’ directorial debut David, a dark comedy starring Will Ferrell and William Jackson Harper, was the only U.S. short film selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and screened at many other festivals including Telluride, TIFF, and Clermont Ferrand. His more recent Bud was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and stars Michael Peña as a loving father whose daughter’s birthday takes a troubling turn.
For his commercial debut, Woods directed three spots for office supply retailer Quill.com with agency Fear Not–comedically highlighting the risks of “settling.” More recently, he teamed up with Anomaly LA and his The Office co-stars Leslie David Baker and Phyllis Smith to shoot a series of Cheerios commercials featuring a talking bee, while Woods’ latest campaign for Google Play Games stars comedian Caitlin Reilly.
Woods commented, “I want to approach the work I do at Imposter with warmth, humanity, and humor–on camera and off. The folks there are kind, well-intended, and they work their asses off. I’m excited to be in their midst. Also the company name resonates deeply with my sense of self. Just kidding. Mostly.”
Avtar Kay, EP at Imposter, said, “With a notable career in front of the camera, Zach has earnestly embraced his new role behind the camera, bringing a fresh and invaluable insight to his commercial directing. It simply comes naturally to him: with only three campaigns under his belt, he already seems like a seasoned pro. Zach’s artistic sensibility, astute wit, and comedic timing infuse a distinctive charm into all of his projects. Aside from his incredible talent and taste, Zach is perhaps one of the most lovely humans you will ever meet and a true pleasure to work with.”
Kay added, “We’ve always focused on fostering new and exciting talent by creating a collaborative environment for them to grow and learn. Zach already has a prolific career in film and TV, and having the opportunity to introduce his directing talents to our market is exciting.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More