Today, we chat with Diego Lanao about his journey as a writer and how the Black List website became a part of his story…
What do you write?
I’m usually drawn to writing comedic scripts for television, especially romantic comedy stories. As someone from New York, you hear a lot of love stories. Plus, my father is a hopeless romantic and my mother is the realist in their relationship, so I was able to write down several hilarious scenarios that would occur between them. That being said, for plays and films — I’m a huge fan of creating dramas. I always like to pitch myself that for TV, I enjoy bringing the family together for a good time while in film and theatre, I split the family apart. But then again, I’m developing an hour-long drama script and currently writing a romantic-comedy feature, so who’s to really say? Most importantly, I’m super passionate about writing for diverse voices and pushing forth the idea that people of color experience life as any other human being. We can fall in and out of love, try to figure out life after college and struggle with our taxes without having to magnify our culture and ethnicity. I’m drawn towards creating diverse characters who are placed in environments where they’re typically not welcomed for the way they present themselves, but continue to stay true to their values and beliefs.
What would you love to write?
As a proud Peruvian American, I would love to find a way to balance my time with writing stories of major events that took place in Peru. The country is rich in historical and impactful moments and it would be awesome to invite the world to learn more about the country and its people through a visual medium — be it in film or television. The dream would be to cast and hire local Peruvian talent and crew, so that these stories could continue to be shaped and told through the country’s perspective.
What do you love to watch?
I go back and forth with what I love to watch — typically, if I’m writing a comedy, I’ll watch drama and vice versa. Currently, THE BEAR and SHRINKING have been amazing shows to watch if I want a blend of both the comedy and drama worlds. I’m a huge fan of ABBOTT ELEMENTARY and ACAPULCO for their ability to provide uplifting, comedic stories with heartfelt characters. I also just saw DUNE: PART TWO and GODZILLA MINUS ONE and I definitely think both are a must-watch for all filmmakers and cinephiles.
Name a dream project.
Ever since I was 16, I’ve played around with the idea of making a Carlos Santana biopic one day. Supernatural was the first music album that I remember listening to and his amazing music has stuck with me ever since. He’s spoken in the past about how he barely has any recollection of Woodstock and that he thought his guitar had transformed into a snake that he was battling off his arms. It’s stories like those that stick in my mind as I visualize what that can look like on screen.
That being said, I’m also into the idea of writing a spin-off feature film of ZOBOOMAFO (do you all remember the lovable, talking lemur who sings and eats garbanzo beans and mangoes?) I envision it as a fantasy adventure comedy film (in the tone of JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE) that would center on a trio of middle schoolers who find Zoboomafoo trapped in a zoo. When the lemur asks the kids to help him find the Kratt Brothers who were kidnapped, the trio learn that there’s more to the world around them than what’s found on their online devices.
Tell us your Black List story.
The Black List was where I submitted my very first TV pilot I’d ever written in May 2020. I remember rushing to my laptop when my evaluation was ready and getting that sinking feeling once I saw the number 5 appear on my screen. But after looking over the evaluator’s awesome thoughts and feedback, I felt encouraged to try again. The reader’s comments allowed me to see my writing from an outside perspective and they really helped me understand my strengths and areas that I needed to improve on. I went back to reading several scripts, took TV writing courses with Eric Linus Kaplan & Script Anatomy and had a writing routine from midnight to 4 AM (I highly recommend NOT doing this — sleep is super important!). My super talented friend, Dominic Colón, had been a recipient of the inaugural Latinx List (created to highlight up-and-coming Latinx screenwriters) and he urged his creative community to submit for the next round.
In December 2022, after nearly an entire year of rejections, I received the best email ever from Kate Hagen and Claire Austin-Kulat informing me that my rom-com pilot, THE RIGHT ONE ALIVE, had been selected for the 2022 Latinx List. (I still remember waiting an entire week before replying since I was sure that they had emailed the wrong Diego). Through this placement, I’ve been able to meet other amazing Latinx writers from my cohort, sign with my literary manager, Tom Drumm, and gain several more great, creative relationships. After two and a half years of receiving my first writing evaluation, I’d received my first industry placement for my writing — both from the same platform, where it had all started. I’ll always be grateful to The Black List and the amazing Latinx organizations (NALIP, The Latin Tracking Board, Remezcla and The Untitled Latinx Project) for partnering together to launch this important program to support and spotlight diverse creatives.
Cheers to you, Diego!
The Black List Interview: Diego Lanao was originally published in The Black List Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
