My favorite NEW comedian? I don't know how new he is, but every time I see Jim Gaffigan, I laugh and laugh. I love seeing him on TV, hearing him on comedy radio stations, guy just makes me laugh.

Of all time, Richard Pryor. At this moment, Brian Regan [2018].

Chris Farley as Matt Foley, inspirational speaker.

All time, Richard Pryor. That would be because he introduced me to a level of performance that was unlike anything I had seen or heard before. Specifically his albums. His voices and stories blew my mind. When I think about his bits, I think about his characters because I know what they all look like in my head. Because of him, whenever an artist like that comes along, I gravitate towards it. When Biggie Smalls's first album came out, I remember I felt like his music was like movies. There's a through-line to that level of genius in sports, movies, everything.

too many to choose from. I love watching Nick Griffin. More people should know who he is. Mike Vecchione too.

What happened, Victoria, was, I opened for Bill Cosby. I told him my dad was a big fan. He said he would have my dad backstage when he went to Ottawa where my dad lives. But my dad has been dead for 15 years. So he asks me for my dad's phone number, and i Just write some numbers down on a piece of paper. He was such a nice guy, I didn't want to say he was dead. So I did hear from Cosby after that, because Cosby is so nice, I told that story one time on Letterman and the next day at SNL I received like 200 things of flowers, and then about 2 weeks later I found on one flower way in the back a little card and it was from Bill Cosby and it said "I'm sorry to inform you from this, but your dad i...[Read more]

There are many people whose comedy I have enjoyed – Johnny Carson, Rodney Dangerfield, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld are some names that come to mind.

Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, Patrice O'Neal, Maria Bamford, Sarah Silverman, Louis CK (he funded my special), Andy Kindler, many more who I'll think of later.

I love so many comics. I love Maria Bamford and everything she does. I'm inspired watching Richard Pryor documentaries and his stand up obviously. Opening for guys like Brian Regan and Bert Kreischer taught me a lot. I think John Mulaney is brilliant. Dave Chappelle keeps putting out incredible hours. There's so many.

I'd have to say Dave Chappelle. He's brilliant and fun to watch. Patrice O'neal was one of the best live acts I've seen. His crowd work was amazing.

We’ve always had a strange friendship, but I don’t think it was ever as icy as people thought it was publicly. We just almost never talked about it. Like, "Let’s just not. We’re just not gonna agree on certain shit, so let’s just not." It was a valuable friendship above and beyond whatever work we did together. He’s an important part of my life. So I don’t think that will ever really change.

It was probably about 2009. I was getting a little bit of work in New York, but still day jobbing it, still nothing going for me. I was doing a comedy club and she happened to walk in on the one bit that worked. She came in the green room and said, “Hey, I like your vibe. I think we would work well together.” She was nobody at the time. I was like, “I’ll take any work I can get.” We took the train to Hofstra and had dinner with her mom. I was kissing her ass the whole time because she was a bigger comedian who was helping me out. We hit it off and she gave me a bunch of dates and that was it. We went all over the country. I watched her blow up, do TV shows, get on the Charlie Sheen roast, Co...[Read more]

Dino is one of my favorite people to work with. We connect on a very base and childish level and he's an amazing giggler. It's hard to find people who still giggle like babies at this age, Dino and Sandler (and me) are the best. It's hard to think of a single story because being around that guy is always fun and easy, so nothing jumps out. It's just one long, funny story.

I think comedians dating other comedians is great. But not if one is a hack and one is good. Or if they have a kid who's a hack.

Louis CK once told me to never let go of a bit. I tend to throw away a lot of ideas if they're not working, but now I think I'm going to go back to stuff I once believed in, and see if I still find it funny and can maybe re-shape it into something good.

My oddest fan encounter... I will grossly namedrop this and say that I met Steve Martin, who knew he was meeting me that night and had watched a couple episodes of the show and said he liked it, which was not odd, but like the coolest thing that's ever happened. And it's not like he came up out of nowhere - he knew he was going to meet me, and prepped for it.

Pendleton is exactly the way you would hope him to be if you're a fan of his work. Imagine being some kind of potion vendor in a fantasy world and one day a famous powerful wizard sends you a message that says "I enjoy your potions!" Then imagine that wizard invites you into his tower of sorcery and for a couple of years you get to help him and his sorcerer friends cast powerful spells that you sort of imagined were possible but had never witnessed yourself. Add two of the cutest pug-dogs on earth to the creatures living in the tower and That's what it's like working with Pendleton Ward.

Yes. Especially Jenna, Angela, Brian and Oscar. And Kate. And BJ.

He was. But he was also always a very good, diligent writer.

Tina Fey had probably the biggest influence on me other than my parents. She's just not afraid. I loved watching her work cause she was so brave. I was really scared when I got to 30 Rock, she was like "I don't give a fuck. Be you. If it's funny, it's in the script." and And watching 30 Rock, there's so much Tina there that it made me see how I should start being me more too. Started putting out more music and started not being as afraid to be me. Tina is a true gangsta. She don't give a FUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKK. I put her against any chick in the game. EDIT: "Against ANYONE in the game." She'd destory anything. If she started rapping, I'd quit. I don't want that.