“I had the real honor — because I get to direct an episode this season — of shadowing Pete Chatmon, who directed the Halloween episode,” he says. “So I really got to see it come up from the bones and it’s really fun. It’s really special.”
The actor, whose past accomplishments include writing for TV, film and comic books, plus creating music for various media, says he always wanted to pursue directing (his episode will air in 2026), though he’s well aware of the hard work that lies ahead.
“It is a very difficult job. It requires so much prep, so much nuance, some balancing, time management, problem solving, and in a vacuum, I think it would be a terrifying endeavor,” he says. “However, I have the benefit of working with the same crew for five years, bonding with them from top to bottom, and it’s a real feeling of everyone wanting to succeed. So I’m coming into an environment that wants to see me succeed, that is focused and committed to helping me succeed and vice versa. I watched Rose [McIver] do it last season. She was so good. I learned a lot from her, so yeah, I want the experience. In an environment that I know I can probably succeed in, hopefully I can take that experience and 1) have a better perspective on how to do my job as an actor better, and then 2) going forward in my career, maybe I’ll have the opportunity to step behind the camera and helm projects that I create.”
As for what, specifically, he learned from McIver during her directorial debut (Season 4’s “Ghostfellas”), Ambudkar notes his co-star’s time efficiency, in particular, as a key to her success.
“I learned preparation is key,” he says. “One thing I love about Rose, too, is she didn’t come in trying to direct anyone’s performance. She’s there to capture what she needs for the edit to deliver a 22-minute episode of comedy, and the trust that she had in her actors, her peers, that we would just bring it, was really nice. It felt great, and also, we were completely invested in giving her the best that we could.”
Looking forward to another Halloween “Ghosts” episode? Let us know in the comments.
