Rhys Thomas is Quietly Becoming TV’s Most Interesting Director

By Cooper Peltz

All hail the king of high concept comedy.

No, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s next project is not a Guys and Dolls remake. It’s something even more ambitious. Comrade Detective spoofs the police procedural. The comedy series is presented as a remastered edition of a Cold War-era Romanian buddy cop show with Tatum, Gordon-Levitt, and their famous friends overdubbing the Romanian dialogue in English. While stellar performances are expected from an all-star cast, including Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and Jenny Slate, the success of the high concept project hinges on its director, Rhys Thomas.

His name may not be as recognizable as his collaborators’, but the projects Thomas has been a part of certainly are. Over the last seven years, the film and television director has carved out a compelling body of work. He co-created IFC’s Documentary Now! He also directed the film unit for Saturday Night Live from 2010-2016, for which he won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special. Additionally, Thomas directed John Mulaney’s stand-up special, John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid.

His first feature film Staten Island Summer, scripted by SNL head writer Colin Jost, was released in 2015. On both Documentary Now! and SNL, his work is distinct in the world of television. His masterful execution of stylized material has become his calling card. The director’s self-diagnosed inability to say no to writers pushes him to create shows and sketches with incredible production value.

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