George Khouri is a screenwriter who currently resides in Hollywood, California. His most recent work is a sitcom titled “Black Coffee,” centered around his hometown, Washington, DC. The pilot episode of Black Coffee premiered in the historic Laemmle Music Hall Theater of Beverly Hills, drawing a sold-out crowd.
During his years obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in English and Literature from the University of Maryland, George took upon a particular interest in African-American literature. He was heavily inspired by the work of Zora Neale Hurston; namely, her highly acclaimed novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” George was infatuated with her ability to maintain a cohesive story while incorporating such a broad range of characters. He closely studied the variation in dialogue between her characters. This theme is very much prevalent in the screenplay for Black Coffee.
Growing up, George’s favorite sitcoms were The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Jeffersons, Martin, and The Wayans Bros. He watched them religiously and strives to honor the positive black sitcoms that raised him through the creation of his show with a predominantly black cast.
George champions diversity. This was influenced by his mother’s career as an English as a second language teacher. George befriended many of her students who immigrated from Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and other regions. George proudly states that “our similarities are revealed only when we celebrate each other’s differences.”
While George’s greatest passion is writing, as reflected in his library of 300 written songs and philosophical “words of the week” regularly posted through his Instagram account, he has engaged the entertainment industry on multiple levels. Since 2012, he’s been the host of his self-developed podcast and radio show “Imperfect Gentlemen” which is broadcasted weekly on DASH Radio. Shortly after moving to Hollywood, George trained in acting and expanded into film. He’s guest starred on Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset, The Mindy Project, and Investigation Discovery’s Tabloid. George also gained international popularity through his Drake parodies on YouTube. His Hotline Bling parody has now surpassed 25 million views on YouTube and continues to grow.
When asked about his goals for the future, George enthusiastically shared that he would like to play a pivotal role in breaking racial stereotypes that are often projected in the media. He would like for the nation to see “DC behind the capitol,” a perspective that has been completely absent from television. He would like to unveil the diverse and vibrant Washington, DC that shaped his character. With the steadfast belief that people should appear “as they are” on television, George looks forward to contributing his writing skills to more shows.