Jon Favreau's 2014 film Chef may not be directly based on a true story, but it remains an immensely personal film for the director - to the extent it is natural to wonder how much is based on his real life. A glimpse at some of Favreau's more recent directorial efforts may make Chef seem out of place in his filmography, but the opposite is true. The actor/director has found success in recent years with hit properties such as The Mandalorian and Iron Man, although Favreau did not direct Iron Man 3.
Favreau also directed the live-action remakes of Jungle Book and The Lion King. Much earlier in his career, he also penned scripts for indie hits such as 1996's Swingers and 2001's Made, which was also Favreau's directorial debut. Like Chef, both films featured Favreau in the leading role, and told the story of a man looking to fulfill his ambition despite his circumstances. Chef has emerged as the most memorable of the bunch (likely because it made audiences so incredibly hungry) but there is a personal connection tying these films together.
Chef began as a simple idea of Favreau's. He wanted to tell a story about a celebrity chef, but wasn't quite sure where he wanted the story to go. In a deeply personal move, Favreau decided to draw parallels between his own life as a filmmaker, and that of a chef. As a child of divorce himself, Favreau decided to make his protagonist Carl Casper a divorcee, expressing a lot of his own attitudes and emotions through Carl's son, Percy. Favreau also drew inspiration from his previous films for the locations in Chef. The movie takes place in several different cities across the United States, and Favreau felt especially drawn to Miami's Little Havana neighborhood after touring the area with Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr., who also has a role in Chef.
Working on Chef required Favreau to immerse himself in the world of cooking. He studied under celebrity chef Roy Choi, with whom he went on to host Netflix's The Chef Show. He also read books by popular celebrity chefs, including Anthony Bourdain. Through this research, Favreau discovered clear resonances between his own life and the story he was trying to tell. Ultimately, Chef is the story of a man who takes a step back from his involvement with large operations, and instead pursues something more intimate and rewarding. Carl finds greater purpose in his food truck, and Favreau finds it in the movie itself. Chef came in the wake of Favreau's long stretch working on the Iron Man films with Marvel. While he found undeniable success with the big-budget fare, Favreau had an opportunity with Chef to put his authorial stamp on a film in a way that he simply could not do with Marvel.
Favreau got his start in filmmaking with smaller, independent films. Chef, therefore, marked Favreau's return to his bread and butter. It may not be a true story, but it is still faithful to the director's broader experiences, and a satisfying reflection of his varied career.