Paradise on Hulu only truly ever saw the light of day because Dan Fogelman would not have made the show without Sterling K. Brown. That was the one condition that Fogelman had since day one.If Brown had said no to the project, the show would not have happened. Does this sound a little bit dramatic? Well, maybe, but that is exactly what Fogelman admitted while speaking to IndieWire.And honestly, it explains so much more about why Paradise feels the way it does right from the very start, as the creator built the entire concept around one person and didn’t want to compromise on the quality of the project.Dan Fogelman’s one rule for Paradise was simple: No Sterling K. Brown, no Hulu showBefore Paradise could even become a real thing, Fogelman had already made up his mind about how he wanted the show to work. He wrote the pilot, figured out the direction with his team, and only then thought about casting. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostBut the minute he did, it was clear. This story only worked with Sterling K. Brown (whom he had already worked with previously on This Is Us).While speaking to IndieWire, Fogelman said,“I started going, ‘Oh no, Sterling is not going to want to do another TV show with me.’”He also added,“I kind of got to a place where I told my wife, ‘If Sterling doesn’t want to do this — which I’m expecting — I think I’m not going to do it.’ I now only want to do it with Sterling.”That is not normal for a big Hulu project, because usually, shows move forward no matter what. However, here, everything depended on one answer that Brown would give.Even when he sent the script, Fogelman admitted that he was pretty nervous. He said,“I remember the phone ringing, and my stomach dropped a little bit… if Sterling says no, I might not do it.”And this was the foundation of the show because, without Brown, there was no point in continuing with the show.Why Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins changes everything about ParadiseThe reason this makes so much more sense is because you see how Xavier Collins’s character works on Paradise. He is not a simple lead. He is a Secret Service agent dealing with a murder that could break an entire system. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostFogelman knew that balance needed someone who could handle control as well as a lot of vulnerability without making it feel fake. That is why he did not want to risk a replacement.When Brown finally called him, the talk on the call was quick. Fogelman recalled,“Sterling called, he said, ‘Tell me where it’s going.’ And I told him where it was going. In the middle of call, he said, ‘I’m in.’”This basically green-lit the show. Fogelman immediately told him,“Come do this with me, this is your show, you’ll be a producer on it.”From there, Paradise was now a real project for Hulu.Having Brown as the lead gives the show enough stability even when the plot gets super intense or unpredictable.Paradise happened because Dan Fogelman drew a clear line and stuck to it. He was ready to walk away if Sterling K. Brown was not involved, and that level of commitment shows on screen.By building the show around the right lead instead of forcing one in later, the Hulu show avoided the usual weak spots, and this one decision ends up being the biggest advantage the show has.Stay tuned to Soap Central for more updates.