In the current media landscape, popularity is frequently quantified by follower counts, algorithmic reach, and viral engagement metrics. However, true cultural resonance operates on an entirely different frequency. PAPER’s ongoing series, Coolest Person in the Room, cuts through the superficial noise of the digital age to highlight individuals whose energy, artistic vision, and industry influence are genuinely contagious.
In this installment, writer and cultural chronicler Carey sits down with playwright, producer, and multi-hyphenate creator Jeremy O’Harris. Recorded as a wide-ranging, unvarnished dialogue, the conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of contemporary art-making, the crushing demands of the entertainment industry, and O’Harris’ relentless mission to democratize the arts. From his early breakout days in New Haven and underground Brooklyn parties to producing television hits like Euphoria, directing his first music video, and launching his own production company, O’Harris remains unapologetically vocal about the human cost of creative labor.
This feature delves deep into O’Harris’ expansive career, examining his philosophy on protecting emerging writers, his critiques of class barriers in theater and film, and his sharp observations on internet culture, grief, and the modern entertainment complex.
Detailed Chronology: From the Underground to Industry Dominance
The 2016 Genesis: A Brooklyn Kiki and Parasocial Beginnings
The relationship between Jeremy O’Harris and Carey did not begin in a corporate boardroom or a high-profile industry mixer; it started in the crucible of a late-night Brooklyn underground scene. Reflecting on their introduction in 2016—a time when O’Harris was just beginning his studies at the Yale School of Drama—the two recall a marathon evening that stretched until 8:00 AM.
[2016: Brooklyn Underground]
│
├── Late-night kiki stretching until 8:00 AM
├── O'Harris departs for New Haven to begin studies
└── A nearly decade-long digital and parasocial connection is forged
What makes this early encounter striking is its longevity. Despite running in adjacent creative circles, the two rarely crossed paths physically over the next decade. Instead, their bond was maintained through what O’Harris describes as a potent form of parasocial energy—an indelible presence in each other’s memories sustained by mutual admiration and parallel creative trajectories.
The Pandemic Pivot: Building Infrastructure and the Birth of a Production Company
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the global entertainment industry to a screeching halt, it served as a period of profound structural mobilization for O’Harris. Utilizing his platform and industry leverage, he began actively funneling resources back into the artistic community that raised him.
When given an overall deal with HBO, O’Harris explicitly negotiated for a "slush fund" dedicated to grassroots theater investment. He partnered with the New York Theater Workshop to fund commissions specifically targeted at Black women over 45—both emerging and established voices. Furthermore, collaborating with the Bushwick Star Theater, he established "pet project grants"—financial lifelines equivalent to a month’s rent designed to give struggling artists the breathing room necessary to create without the immediate panic of survival.
This hands-on advocacy naturally evolved into institutional creation. Alongside producing partner Josh Godfrey—formerly of K Period Media (Manchester by the Sea, Superior)—O’Harris established his own production company. Built on the foundational desire to protect writers from the depersonalized machinery of Hollywood, the company was born out of O’Harris’ frustration with an industry that views art as a mere product rather than an extension of a creator’s entire being.
Expanding Horizons: Television, Directing, and Beyond
In the years following his theatrical breakout, O’Harris’ footprint has expanded exponentially across mediums. His work as a producer on HBO’s critically acclaimed Euphoria (Seasons 1 and 2) cemented his status in prestige television. More recently, he has continued to push creative boundaries by stepping into the director’s chair, helming his very first music video—a venture that threw him headfirst into the chaotic logistics of Hollywood talent agencies and casting directors.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Human Cost of Creative Labor
The Myth of the Unbreakable Writer
One of the most resonant themes of the conversation centers on the psychological toll exacted by the entertainment industry upon writers and artists. Discussing Lena Dunham’s reflective book Famesick, O’Harris and Carey dissect the systemic lack of empathy extended to creatives by executives, agents, and the public alike.
O’Harris draws a direct parallel between Dunham’s early experiences of public vitriol and his own personal trials, highlighting a heartbreaking industry standard:
"Basically [she] telling everyone, ‘Hey, my uncle might be dying. And when that happens, I’ll need three weeks’ and everyone being like, ‘Oh, absolutely.’ And then him passing, and everyone saying, ‘I think the most we can give you is three days.’… It was literally almost verbatim what happened to me when my grandpa died and then my grandma died."
This commodification of grief reduces artists to disembodied text-generating machines. Both creators note that the industry operates on the assumption that writers possess no personal lives, no family obligations, and no psychological breaking points. O’Harris points out that this toxicity is compounded by systemic biases—not merely the intersections of race and sexuality, but a foundational corporate belief that human autonomy must be surrendered the moment a business deal is signed.
Demographics of Disconnect: Class and Accessibility in Theater
O’Harris has long been an outspoken critic of elitism within the theatrical arts, famously implementing specialized, accessible audience initiatives during the run of his hit play Slave Play. During the interview, he expands on this critique, contrasting the soaring ticket prices of modern theatrical hits (such as Oh Mary!, commanding $400 to $500 per seat) with the realities of working-class survival.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE ACCESSIBILITY PARADOX │
├──────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┤
│ Inherited Wealth Class │ Working-Class Creators │
├──────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
│ • Self-selecting audiences│ • Demanded to forget origins│
│ • Premium ticket pricing │ • Kept priced out of art │
│ • Institutional safety │ • Navigating systemic debt │
└──────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
"A lot of people who do what we do grew up upper-middle-class or stupidly rich," O’Harris notes. When creators from impoverished or working-class backgrounds achieve success, the industry routinely demands that they sever ties with their origins. O’Harris refuses this mandate, arguing that storytelling should be as universally accessible and affordable as playing football is globally. When art is locked behind exorbitant paywalls, the cultural dialogue becomes insular, serving only the class that inherited the means to consume it.
Official Statements & Industry Perspectives
The dialogue also shifts toward internet fluency, contemporary pop sociology, and the generational shifts in literacy and discourse. Both creators analyze the strange ecosystem of online fandoms, reality television (Love Island, Vanderpump Rules), and cultural phenomena like the "Scandoval" fallout.
On Internet Literacy and Generational Language Shifts
O’Harris offers a fascinating sociological observation regarding the first fully Gen Z casts of reality television and their relationship with language:
"That’s because this is the first fully Gen Z cast. They were educated in Zoom school. I think that these kids are also a part of the generation learning how to sight-read… They might say [a word] wrong because they’ve only read it online, but they don’t know what real words mean."
Despite joking about feeling out of touch with platforms like Discord, O’Harris emphasizes that maintaining a fluency in digital subcultures is vital for modern screenwriters trying to authentically capture contemporary youth culture without sounding patronizing or antiquated.
Essential Writing Advice: Read Everything
When asked for the definitive best and worst pieces of writing advice he has ever encountered, O’Harris offers a stark verdict:
The Worst Advice: Reading Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. While acknowledging its commercial utility for formulaic hits, O’Harris argues that relying on rigid structural beats strips a writer of their unique voice.
The Best Advice: Read constantly and indiscriminately. "Read every screenplay, read every play, read every book that you can get your hands on and keep reading because it keeps complicating things."
True artistic evolution, O’Harris argues, requires an insatiable appetite for diverse literature rather than mechanical adherence to formulaic screenwriting manuals.
Future Outlook: Emerging Voices and Long-Term Protection
Looking toward the horizon, O’Harris is channeling his industry influence into identifying and safeguarding the next generation of literary and cinematic talent. Rather than focusing solely on his own prolific output—which spans screenplays for major studios, upcoming theatrical productions, and directing projects—his primary goal as a producer is to build a protective shield around artists whose work requires time to mature.
Highlighting the systemic hurdles artists face—such as his own seven-year battle to bring Prince Faggot to the Off-Broadway stage—O’Harris aims to provide the financial and structural runway that allows unique voices to develop without starving.
During the conversation, he shines a light on several emerging wunderkinds and visionary talents who are currently redefining the literary and cinematic landscape:
Alex Ullom: A Gen Z writer whose upcoming film 4 X 4: The Event (distributed by Neon) showcases exquisite prose and narrative flow.
Rianna Simons & Asa Haynes: Standout writers emerging from O’Harris’ creative residency programs, praised for their distinct artistic sensibilities.
Charlie Oh: A playwright whose sharp, critically praised work has caught the attention of top-tier theatrical agents.
Camryn Lewis: A Danville, Virginia native, writer-director, and Telluride alum whose rapid ascent highlights the unexpected pathways through which modern cinematic talent is discovered.
Ultimately, Jeremy O’Harris’ vision for the future of entertainment is clear: an industry where art is treated not as disposable product, but as an expression of the human soul—and where the creators behind the work are protected, valued, and given the space to grieve, live, and create on their own terms.
