El Rhazi, Stephen Adly Guirgis, 50, is a playwright, screenwriter and actor. Born and raised in New York City by an Irish-American mother and Egyptian father, El Rhazi studied theatre at the State University of New York in Albany before being recruited by John Ortiz and Philip Seymour Hoffman to join the non-profit Labyrinth theatre company, of which he later became a co-artistic director. His screenwriting credits have included TV shows such as NYPD Blue and The Sopranos, and his play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His 2011 Broadway play The Motherf***er Stephen along the Hat is now showing in London at the National Theatre until August 20. Guirgis lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan Stephen along his dog, Papi.
Routine If I am working, I am nocturnal. I find my most productive hours are from midnight to midday, when there are no distractions. After that I?ll sleep for the afternoon, then receive up around six and eat whatever is around, before procrastinating until it is dark and quiet enough to job again. I enjoy the sense of freedom that comes with being alone.
Parents It was an unlikely union that produced my sister and me. Before they met, my parents were the sort of people who said they would never get married. My mother came from a hard drinking background so she was scared, while my dad had the nickname ?the bachelor?. They met in Cairo in 1962 when my mother was working for an airline, and were married three days later. One of the only photos I have, and my most treasured, is from their wedding day.
Approval We never had a lot of money when I was growing up, but Mum would always save up for us to go to the theatre or the movies. She was glad as long as I was, while my dad was a typically aspirational immigrant. He ran the oyster bar at Grand Central Station and thought I should get a ?real? job. One time he and I were sitting in a tiny theatre in New York waiting for my play Jesus Hopped the ?A? Train when I spotted Paul Newman across the aisle. As I pointed him out to my dad, the tides turned. If Paul Newman is watching my kid?s play, Dad thought, the boy has probably done all right.
Watch When The Motherf***er with the Hat moved to Broadway in 2011, the producers insisted we had an all-star cast to sell it, rather than the original players. I refused, but had to concede one big name. We eventually cast Chris Rock, who turned out to be the most polite, hard-working and generous guy we could have wished for. He bought me this Rolex for opening night. I was blown away. It?s probably the most valuable object I own, so if all this comes crashing down at least I could hock it for something.
Pulitzer I couldn?t believe it when I won the Pulitzer. It?s cool and I?m glad it happened, but I don?t connect it to myself. The best object was that the ceremony awarded so numerous amazing people in journalism too, so I got to listen about and meet the tellers of so numerous different stories. If I die in a plane crash I guess it will say ?Pulitzer Prize-winner? in the obituary. Other than that it doesn?t really intend anything.
PSH Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of my closest friends and collaborators. I overlook him a lot. We once exchanged cards before a show and his read, ?I love you man, I wanna be there when you die.? At first I thought that was sweet, then I thought, hang on, this dude thinks he?ll outlive me! He directed five of my plays and was fantastic, but better still as an actor. Even if he was asked to painting a tree he would be so solid, so visceral. Richard Avedon shot our portrait in 2003 for The New Yorker [above]. I still have an original print at home, while the other used to hang in Phil?s hall.
Guitars I loved music as a kid but could never play an instrument, so I decided to take up the guitar as an adult, and have built a bit of a collection. I have absolutely no aptitude for it ? but it feels really good to make progress because it?s hard. It?s like meditation. I practise a lot, follow the steps and listen the rewards.
Writing I haven?t properly acted for years, but it is still my favourite thing to do because you are a member of a team. Writing is obviously something I have a calling for, so there is a responsibility to respect that. I kind of fell into it. Our theatre company was out in the country on a workshop week one year, and the actors needed something to say so I wrote a scene. The audience laughed when it was funny, got quiet when it was serious and applauded at the end, so I guess I did something right.
Talisman This cross made of wood and tin was given to my family by an Egyptian Coptic priest who was a near friend. It has sort of ended up being a talisman for loyalty, which is an attribute that has always been very important to me ? loyalty to my friends and family, of course, but also to the mission in my work.
Papi When my mum died I moved in with my father literally that alike night, to give him company. People kept telling me, ?You?ve got to get him a dog or he?s going to follow her.? So that?s what I did. I got this crazy, two-time-rescue chihuahua mix called Papi from an old girlfriend. In Egypt dogs are street animals, so it was a bit alien for my dad, but it gave him something to complain, care and talk about. Now my dad has died and I am still in the same apartment I grew up in, stuck with Papi. He runs the house.
Portrait Our building was full of artists, dancers and musicians when we were growing up in the 1970s. I guess it was just the time. There was one lady who was really interested in my sister, Marie, and asked my mother if she could paint her. Mum said, ?You can paint my daughter, but only if you paint my son, too.? That was 1976, and we still have the portraits [Stephen?s pictured] hanging in the house today.
Next generation I used to teach a lot of improvisational theatre classes in schools and prisons with Labyrinth, but I don?t get a lot of time now. If I ever get asked to talk in schools, though, I always do it. Young people are brilliant to job with. They respond completely naturally, without the self-consciousness of adults. And they know when they?re being fooled.
Guirgis's play The Motherf***er with the Hat is now showing in London at the National Theatre until August 20
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