Podcast Summary: Baby, This is Keke Palmer

Episode: Do You Believe in Miracles? with Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari
Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Keke Palmer
Guests: Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari

Episode Overview

In this episode, Keke Palmer brings together the star cast of the upcoming comedy film Good Fortune: director/writer Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, and Seth Rogen. The group discusses their experiences making the film, the theme of "good fortune," the realities of modern gig work, and broader philosophical questions about fate and free will. The energy is fun, candid, and often hilarious, peppered with personal stories and thoughts on success, creativity, angels, and taking risks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gratitude and “Good Fortune” in Real Life

[01:17–02:37]

• Keke asks the guests what they feel most fortunate about right now.
  • Seth Rogen: “I'm enjoying this moment right now. Seeing you do this is wonderful. In my head, I was like, she's gonna snap into a whole different gear when we start this podcast. And then you really did, and it was fun to see.” (01:35)
  • Aziz Ansari: Proud of the film and grateful to work with his dream cast.
  • Keanu Reeves: “The opportunity to work with you...I feel very grateful to have worked with you and to be in your company.” (02:22)

2. The Film’s Theme: Comedy, Struggle, and Hope

[02:37–03:54]

• Aziz discusses his inspiration—seeing homelessness, the gig economy, and feelings of hopelessness firsthand in LA.
  • Aziz: “So many people... working two or three jobs just to get by... things have gotten difficult for so many people.”
  • The film intentionally shows two different responses to hardship: succumbing vs. fighting back and organizing.

3. Keanu's Take on Playing a "Guardian Angel"

[04:36–05:00]

• Keke asks Keanu about his comedic role as Gabriel, the quirky guardian angel.
  • Keanu: “It was delightful to have that [Bill & Ted] energy along with this... aspiring, hopeful, almost innocent, but also ancient character... out of good intentions, making poor decisions.”
  • Keke: “You give us drama, you give us action, you give us incredible comedy. Do you have a favorite?”

4. Belief in Angels and Divine Intervention

[06:04–07:35]

• Keke opens the question: do you believe in angels or guardian angels?
  • Seth: “I don't know.” Relates a story about seeing a convincing photo of a ghost at a dinner party. (06:47–07:02)
  • The group debates the difference between ghosts and guardian angels, with Keke using “Jesus loves me” as her go-to for spooky situations.

5. Staying Grounded Amid Success

[07:40–08:05]

• Keke asks Seth, who plays a wealthy, out-of-touch VC in the film, how he personally stays grounded.
  • Seth: “I won't assume I am grounded... But among Hollywood people, I am pretty grounded... I try to participate in life as a normal person... But, you know, I fly first class. You gotta be comfortable when you can.” (08:05)

6. Research for the Film: Gig Workers' Stories

[09:08–11:48]

• Aziz: Interviewed actual delivery workers and gig economy hustlers to make the film authentic.
  • Aziz describes how normalized sleeping in your car has become and shares a story of failing at Doordash himself.
  • “You don't realize how much of a jerk you are until you're put in that different context.” (10:12)
  • Keke notes the film inspired her to tip delivery folks better.

7. Money, Happiness, and Community

[12:08–13:53]

• The film problematizes the idea that money alone brings happiness.
  • Aziz: “Some of these people, if you just gave them 500 bucks, it could change their lives.”
  • Keke: “Sometimes the most fortunate thing or the richest thing you can have is your community.” (13:53)

8. Life’s Turning Points and Divine Luck

[13:53–15:21]

• Keke asks for life-changing moments that felt like divine intervention.
  • Keanu: “There's moments where maybe, you know, I didn't die.” (15:07)

9. Imagining Alternate Lives without Fame

[19:16–20:49]

• Keke wonders what Seth would do outside Hollywood.
  • Seth: “I'd probably be working in, like, a video game store or something... If I wasn't a successful actor and writer, I would just be an unsuccessful actor and writer... I have no other discernible skill set.” (19:16)

10. Breaking the Rules

[21:02–23:42]

• The panel reflects on defying expectations and embracing risk.
  • Keke says hosting, which she loves now, was something even her supportive mom doubted.
  • Aziz: “My whole journey to me makes no sense that it happened. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina... Someone told a young Indian boy... you're gonna be in a movie with [Keanu Reeves]... that's just not possible.”
  • Keanu: Relates being “against petty authority,” dropping out of school to pursue acting.

11. Creative Beginnings: Writing and Stand-Up

[24:12–29:05]

• Aziz and Seth both dropped out of high school to pursue entertainment.
• Seth recalls writing Superbad as teenagers: "We would skip school and sit in a parked car and smoke weed and write Superbad on a laptop computer together.” (26:36)
• Keke and Aziz talk about the path from stand-up to filmmaking.

12. Process of Writing & Authenticity

[27:58–31:32]

• Seth: "We slowly uncovered what elements those movies had...that allowed them to do the things that we liked."
• Aziz: Good Fortune’s story idea sparked from real conversations with people experiencing homelessness.

13. Turning Points in Projects & Iconic Comedy

[31:32–34:13]

• Aziz asks about the origins of “McLovin,” which Seth explains has always been part of Superbad since they were in their teens.
  • “A lot of the jokes we wrote in high school, which is crazy.” (32:54)

14. Pressure and Legacy

[36:35–38:45]

• Keke asks if having created iconic moments (e.g., Superbad, The Matrix) raises the creative stakes.
  • Seth: "The idea of really caring about what you do...that's been the only thing that's allowed me to make good stuff."
  • Keanu: Acknowledges the personal drive to keep making each film better.

15. Casting Insights from Good Fortune

[39:01–41:34]

• Initially, Aziz envisioned Seth as the angel and was searching for a “Jeff.” Eventually, realized Seth was perfect for Jeff.
• Bringing Keanu on board as Gabriel felt almost unimaginable to Aziz at first.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Seth Rogen on grounding success: "I won't assume I am grounded... among Hollywood people I am pretty grounded, but that's a pretty distorted baseline." (08:12)
• Aziz Ansari on authenticity: "You don't realize how much of a jerk you are until you're put in that different context." (10:12)
• Keke Palmer on community: “Sometimes the most fortunate thing or the richest thing you can have is your community.” (13:53)
• Keanu Reeves on divine luck: “There's moments where maybe, you know, I didn't die.” (15:07)
• Aziz Ansari on breaking out: "My whole journey to me makes no sense that it happened... it's wild to me, you know?" (21:56)
• Seth Rogen on writing Superbad: “We would skip school and sit in a parked car and smoke weed and write Superbad on a laptop computer together.” (26:36)
• Seth Rogen on effort: "The idea of really caring about what you do...that's been the only thing that's allowed me to make good stuff." (38:05)
• Keanu Reeves on casting surprise: “Keanu? Woohoo... Keanu Thompson. You're not talking about Keanu Reeves... He's never working with me." (40:30)

Fun and Philosophical Segment Highlights

On Fate vs. Free Will

[43:02–44:40]

• Seth would never want to see 10 years into the future.
• Keke speculates fate is like "having 10 different timelines; you can choose which one you want to get into."
• Aziz takes a pragmatic approach: “If you work hard and you’re nice to people, I think you’ll come through where you want to be.”

Lighthearted Game: “Good Fortune Says”

[46:15–50:14]

• Most useless superpower?
  • Seth: “That guy who stretches... Stretchiness. Mr. Fantastic.” (46:30–46:39)
  • Aziz: “Like, you have super vision, but it's just enough so you don't need contacts.” (46:43–46:52)
  • Keanu: “Crawl fast.” (47:26–47:30)
• Whose life would you swap with?
  • Seth: “I would be Kiki Palmer.”
  • Aziz: “I would switch with Seth.”
  • Keanu: “Here, I'm going Seth.”
• One food for life?
  • Seth: “Cheeseburgers.”
  • Keke: “Pancakes.”
  • Keanu: “Toasted peanut butter and honey sandwich.”
  • Aziz: “Tacos...it’s kind of a sneaky answer.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time (MM:SS) | Segment | |------------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 01:17 | What are you most fortunate about? | | 02:37 | Discussion of “Good Fortune” film themes | | 04:36 | Keanu on playing Gabriel, the angel | | 06:04 | Do you believe in guardian angels? | | 07:40 | Staying grounded amid success | | 09:08 | Aziz on researching gig work for the film | | 12:08 | Does money buy happiness? | | 13:53 | Value of community | | 19:16 | Alternate lives without fame | | 21:02 | Breaking rules and going against the grain | | 24:12 | Beginnings in writing/stand-up for the cast | | 31:32 | Iconic jokes and staying true to characters | | 36:35 | Does legacy increase pressure? | | 39:01 | Casting process for “Good Fortune” | | 43:02 | Fate vs. free will | | 46:15 | “Good Fortune Says” game | | 50:14 | Movie plug and closing remarks |

Closing Tone and Takeaways

The episode is a blend of warm camaraderie, comedy, sincerity, and social insight. The Good Fortune cast dives into the realities behind their art and characters, talking honestly about their personal struggles, career pivots, and creative motivations. The philosophical musings about fate, free will, and luck ground the conversation, while the lightning-round game and inside jokes keep things light and lively.

Final note:
Listen for authentic laughter, unfiltered stories, and a shared belief that passion, kindness, and a sense of humor are central to navigating both Hollywood and life. The episode effectively highlights why Good Fortune is more than just a comedy—it’s a story about the choices that shape us and the unseen miracles along the way.