Nazeem Hussain trades stand-up comedy for earnest family drama in new ABC series
The stand-up comic writes and stars in his first scripted drama, exploring fatherhood, identity and generational trauma.
Nazeem Hussain is known for provocative comedy that always ends with a laugh. Separated at Birth, his new ABC series, is different.
It's his first full scripted drama, and it sits in the uncomfortable moments instead of breaking them with a joke. The show stems from a personal crisis: when his first son was born in 2018, Hussain had an existential panic in the birthing suite.
He held his newborn and thought: "I've got to be funny for the next 18 years minimum. What the hell have I done with my life?"
That same year he separated from his wife, leaving him to reckon with single fatherhood and his own absent father. Hussain later remarried and has three more children.
The series explores parental responsibility, family dysfunction and the support systems that hold broken families together. It launches on ABC.
- 2018
- First son born
- Three more children
- Children from later marriage
- Urzila Carlson
- Co-star
- Nina Buxton
- Director
Why it mattersA major Australian comedy voice is shifting to serious storytelling, bringing his sharp perspective to universal struggles around parenthood and family trauma.
AustraliaA high-profile ABC series from an Australian performer who resonates with audiences across the country, exploring themes many parents face.
