Right before the pandemic hit, Lucia Aniello was getting ready to shoot the pilot for an HBO Max series that she and her husband, actor Paul W. Downs, and their long-time collaborator, Jen Statsky, had created and written and were producing. That didn’t happen because the world was put on pause, but they were lucky enough that HBO Max told them to go straight to series.
Right after Aniello and Downs got married in Tuscany last September, they rushed back to Los Angeles to attend the—their show had received a whopping 15 nominations. Aniello won for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and nabbed a second winged statuette—shared with Downs and Statsky—for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series before Smart stole the show, winning for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
There’s no denying that Aniello’s school of life has paid off. The second, also very highly rated season of picks up right where the story left off, with Deborah taking her new raw and real comedy routine—with tonal tweaks thanks to Ava—on the road to mixed results as her reputation in Las Vegas wanes and Ava’s life unravels.
These days, things aren’t slowing down for Aniello, who not only is a new mom but also has several ventures at various stages in the works with Paulilu Productions. Her and Downs’ recent mainstream success has allowed them to expand their reach and do other projects, including, a show created by Aniello’s little sister, Genevieve , about a sentient robot who’s extremely lifelike, a woman who is paired with her to help her become more human-like and their wild adventures.