Celebrities Are Super Cool
Playboy Australia|February 2019

At a time when the free press is under attack, we sent Broad City’s Paul W. Downs to execute the highest form of journalism: the celebrity profile

Paul Q.Downs
Celebrities Are Super Cool
As I sit at the bar at the Hearth & Hound in Hollywood, a hip restaurant my subject suggested because it’s helmed by a female chef, I can’t decide if I should get a drink or not. Maybe a drink will take the edge off, cool my nerves. I’ve done this kind of thing countless times, and yet somehow I’m nervous. I guess it’s not that surprising. It’s not every day I get to profile a bona fide multihyphenate. Paul W. Downs is a comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. And judging from his body, he could be a dancer. But I don’t want to drink if he’s not drinking, so I order a sparkling water and wait.

I don’t even need to look behind me to know he’s entered the room. People in the restaurant perk up. When I do turn around, I realise it’s because he’s waving to them, blowing kisses at random patrons. He doesn’t seem to know these people, but it doesn’t matter — that’s just how warm he is, how generous with his attention. Standing an impressive five-foot-nine, he somehow seems larger, more commanding.

“Sorry I’m late,” he says. “I was just driving back from canvassing in a congressional swing district up north.” Wow. How Downs finds time to volunteer is hard to imagine. At the time of this interview, he had just wrapped shooting in New York on the critically acclaimed Broad City’s fifth and final season, launching in January. Not only is he one of the show’s main writers, an executive producer and a beloved cast member (he plays Trey Pucker), this season Downs is adding “director” to his repertoire.

This story is from the February 2019 edition of Playboy Australia.

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This story is from the February 2019 edition of Playboy Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.