Both Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked were huge hits, and director Jon M. Chu received a lot of praise from critics. However, there was a time in his life when he doubted himself to the point that he didn’t think he would ever succeed.
In a recent interview, the award-winning director talked about how much self-doubt he felt before his films became box office hits.
Jon M. Chu talks candidly about self-doubt as a filmmaker
The acclaimed director spoke to the audience at Canva Create 2026’s Building Worlds: From Script to Spectacle earlier last month, and got candid about what his career has been like so far. People reported that at the event, he spoke candidly about how, despite getting a lot of praise now, at one point in his life, he doubted himself to the point that he didn’t feel he would succeed.Talking about the same, he added, “When I said my movie list, I lit up, and I said Crazy Rich Asians. That was a big point in my life. I didn’t think I deserved to be in Hollywood. I was discovered and I was very lucky. And when you win the lottery, you think you actually don’t know how you got there. So you can’t actually win the lottery again.”He also added that he has a great team that supports him in his projects and work, explaining that they have stood by his side for a very long time.
To add more context, he said, “I was like, ‘No one’s going to watch this movie.'” I actually told my team, I was like, “I’m going to make a movie.” I’ll take five years, and I won’t make you any money. Fortunately, they were okay with it.”
How the Creative Process Works by Jon M. Chu
Moreover, during the session, he also talked about how he goes about his creative process and how imagination takes the front wheel on most occasions. He added: “It either excites me or it doesn’t, or I have to go on a journey to see if I connect with it. Other times I’m like, ‘I have to tell this story.'” Without his own filming process, the “Wicked” director said he had no basis for his story and that he couldn’t tell anyone how it would go.