You may also recognize his name from a selection of your favorite productions including but not limited to: Drunk History, Dead to Me, Vice, Talladega Nights, Booksmart, Step Brothers, Don’t Look Up, Succession, Eastbound & Down, Tammy, Get Hard, Hustlers, Anchorman, The Big Short, The Other Guys, Land of the Lost—the list most certainly goes on.
How can comedy better unite around environmentalism?
With things as dire as they are, we need to unite and activate the community. A sense of humor is key to that. When we laugh together we share a world view. And a community can form. And most of all with the challenges ahead we need to keep perspective and not get overwhelmed. Laughter can’t happen when we’re overwhelmed. We need a healthy distance in order to find the humor in a situation. With community, perspective and humor we can do anything.
A quote about comedy that has stuck with you over the years?
“Treat the audience like poets and geniuses and that’s what they will become.” -Del Close
Del was my improvisational teacher in Chicago. He taught that audiences are far smarter than most people give them credit for. A lot of critics said Don’t Look Up wouldn’t play for a broad audience but that’s precisely what it’s done. People get the big picture. They really do.
Why did the general ask for money when the snacks were free?
I will never ever tell!