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Posts - Page 63
Nick and I came up with Too Much Tuna in five seconds with Jessi Klein about ten years ago at a restaurant on 6th avenue called French Roast. We got a plate with too much tuna and we said "this is too much tuna."
Start a show. Host the show. at a bar or any space. then you have guaranteed stage time and you do other comics favors by giving them spots so then they will give you spots on their shows. also hang out a lot at comedy clubs.
I liked most things about Georgetown. I miss it a lot. I kind of liked that Birbiglia, Kroll and me and the Improv group were the only people doing comedy there. We had little competition.
Man, an easier question is what city don't you like. I love em all. I like to perform in what people label B and C cities. I like to go to places I've never been before. Meet locals, find out good spots to eat, what people like to do. Seattle, Vancouver, Portland are all great. Been trying to do a gig in Eureka, CA. I love the south. Texas. East coast is where I'm from. Midwest. Montana was amazing. Old cars in people's back yards. I saw a couple of cab over engine trucks. But it's all great. I love it all.
Billy Joe Dupree. Preston Pearson. Robert Newhouse. I liked all of those guys. I also liked the Cardiac Kids. I liked the New England Patriots growing up. Running back that wasn't on my team was Earl Campbell.
It's been a priceless experience with the people I've met in the writer's room, and that I learned how to write a script. It's just great to finally have something where I can actually write the lines. As you work your way up, you think to yourself (or lie to yourself) that you could write it better. And now I get to do that. It's been great.
The US had a huge head start and we have all these cultures in our cities thrown together. There's something about that. And the whole way this country was built. People have a romanticized version or the horrific truth of it. We're sort of like Poltergeist the country.
I like a milder cheese. You go deeper into the woods it becomes obnoxious. Like if cheese was a person it'd be a hipster. Avoid that cheese. Recently, the Cadillac! the king cheese! is parm or shredded mozzarella. It that cheese was a person it'd be like a good shit and it'd help you pack boxes and move.
Most of the major cities in their own way can be a little overrated because of tourism. Underrated cities are great. Chattanooga, places like that. Milwaukee is Chicago without the traffic.
Too many to list. Just depends on what part of my life. When I was a kid it was war movies and westerns. Clint Eastwood. Was a big Lee Marvin fan. In the modern era, post-Goodfellas, I would say No Country For Old Men. I think that's a perfect movie and I was not confused by the ending. I think Javier Bardem's character was a ghost, he was chasing the past. "You never saw me..."
Don't be afraid of life the way I was. Get married, start a family, you'll be fine. I waited way too long to do it and I have a lot of regret about that. It'll be the best thing you ever do.
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.
It was incredible. I have a movie coming out called The King of Staten Island. Steve plays my superior in a fire house. He was such a nice guy. We were trying to be respectful but eventually asked him a ton of questions about Reservoir Dogs. He's just one of those guys that can raise half an eyebrow and steal the whole scene. I've seen everything he's ever done. He's had one of the greatest careers in Hollywood. Amount of work and level of quality.
I think moving to LA was huge for my career. For those young people, eventually you go to either NY or LA. Listen to your gut. If you're in NY and think it's where you should be, you should be there. Don't believe the crap about NY. LA isn't full of plastic or phony people. I've met some of the best people in LA. If you hang in and work your ass off, you'll one day pick your head up and have made progress.
Get as much help as you possibly can. Relatives, a night nurse, anything you can afford. Doing it yourself is hard on everyone. Every other country seems to do it. You don't have to do it just the two of you. You're gonna be fine. Your natural instinct will kick in. Be selective in listening to other parents, don't listen to the negative ones, doom and gloom. It's a little rough the first three months but all worth it. Your kid will be a jerk if you let your kid be a jerk. It doesn't have to be as hard as all the assholes say it will.
I always loved stand up but didn't think it was possible. Hollywood seemed a zillion miles away. It wasn't until I was working at a warehouse and I met a guy who was on my level in stand up, we used to go out drinking and get a buzz going and watch stand up in the clubs together. He said to me one night, "Bill we're funnier than a lot of these guys." And he said one day he'd take a shot of Jack and get up on the stage and do it. And I thought if he could do that, I could too. I was emotionally beat down in my life at that point and just couldn't imagine it. But thank god he said that. I went after it and learned to speak up, instead of keeping quiet.
In the pilot when Bill is up in the tree and the big kids are throwing stuff at him. That happened to me and my best friend, minus the fireworks. We were hanging on and crying. That was just such a regular day back then. No supervision, no cameras, didn't even dawn on me to tell my mom what happened. There's also a scene when Kevin sneaks out of the house w/ his amp and guitar, and he falls on his face to save his gear. That was my friend Dave Kushner, it happened to him. He does all the music for F is for Family. He was the rhythm guitarist for Velvet Revolver, I can't believe I even know the guy! He landed face first and knocked all his teeth out. The next morning he drank a 40 through a s...
i think men are scared of giving the authority to women to make them laugh. it's a powerful position and sometimes my gender can be a little backwards when it comes to giving women a chance at driving the car, so to speak. but anyone who says women aren't funny needs to watch Natasha Leggero, Maria Bamford, Sarah Silverman and countless others.
stay where you are until you're PRETTY sure you're one of the best. THEN move when you're 90% sure you should move. it will always be scary, but that's the whole game. you do things JUST AS you think you MIGHT be ready... if you wait until they ask you to come it will never happen. be bold! believe in yourself! but listen to what comedy is saying back to you, your path could be a multitiude of things.
it all comes in seasons and waves. the best we can hope it when we are called on, we are in a creative season! and if we're not, sometimes that panic of a deadline is enough to snap me out of it. but it's all self love. if youre blocked, love youself anyway. it's a better strategy and will make it go away faster than being hard on yourself. take a nap! take a walk! take a drive! watch a movie! it's all writing. just in your subconscious
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