Janeane Garofalo Interview

Janeane Garofalo with Marc Maron

April 29-May 1, 2010

Comix Comedy Club

353 West 14^th Street

comixny.com

Actress-comedienne Janeane Garofalo has had a successful career in movies (Reality Bites, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, The Matchmaker), on TV (24, The West Wing), even onstage (Love, Loss and What I Wore). She also did a well-publicized two-year stint as co-host of “The Majority Report” on the now-defunct progressive radio network Air America.

A stand-up veteran of 25 years who returns to the stage at Comix from April 29 through May 1 with another former Air America host, Marc Maron, Garofalo spoke recently about her career in stand-up, acting onstage and how the internet has changed comedy.

Kevin Filipski: How do you enjoy working with your Air America alum Marc Maron?

Janeane Garofalo: It’s great, I do standup with him a lot. We do it separately, however, it wouldn’t be very interesting to sit down at a table and talk in front of a microphone like we did on the radio.

KF: You performed in the hit off-Broadway show Love, Loss and What I Wore. How did you do?

JG: I don’t know how I did—I enjoyed it, but I have no idea if I did well. The audiences were always very supportive—they always gave a good response, so I’m assuming I did OK. The material in the show I could not really relate to, because in my experience, clothes and fashion mean next to nothing to me. I also never had that kind of close relationship with my mom, but the play is about family-oriented emotional issues and clothing. No one in my family could ever be accused of being fashionable. I was asked to do the play, and I wanted to, I had friends who had done it and enjoyed it, so I saw it as an interesting challenge.

KF: Since you spent time on Air America bashing Bush, do audiences assume you’re going to be political when doing stand-up?

JG: Maybe, but I am not a political comic, per se. Unfortunately I’ve been labeled that internationally much to the chagrin of most audiences. I consider Bill Maher or Lewis Black political. I don’t have political material—I sometimes talk about it, sometimes not, and I have never labeled myself a political comic. I don’t want people to be disappointed or to stay way if that’s what they think they’re going to see. It changes from night to night how much I discuss it. I don’t have any hard and fast rules: there’s always something to discuss, whether it’s politics, media or culture, and it depends on where I go with my material.

KF: You’ve been performing for 25 years: what has changed about doing stand-up in that time?

JG: Have things changed in standup? Sure, as in every aspect of our culture. First, there’s a much more varied, diverse group of comics out there. There’s a chance for comedy on the internet, which has changed it in a huge way. You no longer have to rely on Johnny Carson for your huge break, as comics did years ago. There’s also a lot more age variation among comedians, and there are fewer comedy clubs around. For comedy, the internet is a good thing, because it gives people from all over the world the opportunity to express themselves and show their talents, especially for people who couldn’t get to New York or Los Angeles to be seen. That’s all to the good—and to the bad, I guess, would be the load of shit that gets posted online in all areas of life. With this great democratic medium comes a lot of bad things.

originally posted on timessquare.com

Comedian Rob Riggle

December 4 and 5, 2009 @ Comix
353 West 14th Street
comixny.com

Not many comedians start out as military men, but that’s the path Rob Riggle took on his way to becoming a comic performer and actor.

Probably best-known as a correspondent on The Daily Show for more than two years (he left late last year), Riggle served in the Marines, including stints in Kosovo and Afghanistan. He’s currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve.

In addition to The Daily Show, Riggle was in the cast of Saturday Night Live during the 2004-5 season, and has appeared in such movies as The Hangover and Step Brothers.

Riggle spoke recently about his careers in the military and as a comedian.

Kevin Filipski: How did being in the Marines prepare you for life as a comedian?
Rob Riggle: It probably gave me a thick skin because you need that if you’re in show business in any way, shape or form. You get told “no” a lot in show business. So the Marines taught me how to keep going, no matter what.

KF: Did the military brass have any problems with you becoming a comic while still in the Marines?
RR: No, there was nothing like that. When I was started my comedy career, I was still on active duty and I was here in New York. I had a seven in the morning until a five in the evening job, so I had evenings and weekends to myself. So, every night and on the weekend, I was taking classes, rehearsing, writing, being a tech for other people’s shows, anything to do with the comedy scene in the city.

KF: What was the response from your bosses and the other Marines you worked with to your career in comedy?
RR: For a very long time, nobody knew about it and, quite frankly, the Marines didn’t care. They’ve got a full plate of their own, with more important things to worry about, so they really don’t get involved with what I do with my free time. Recently, however, a lot of Marines have been reaching out to me, which I find gratifying.

KF: As a correspondent on The Daily Show, were you involved in the creation of segments and discussions with Jon Stewart, or was that strictly done by the writers?
RR: Absolutely—as a correspondent, I was definitely in on the writing process. When I was out in the field doing a report, a lot of that falls on me, since it was just me, the field producer and a cameraman. It’s whatever we could come up with. In the studio, that’s all the writers’ doing, but I got to stay and help and work out the verbiage between us so it sounds more natural.

KF: Aside from these upcoming shows at Comix, what else are you working on now?
RR: I’m developing a show with CBS, and I just shot a Comedy Central standup special a couple of weeks ago, which was a real blast to do. And right now, I’m making a movie in New York called The Other Guys with Will Farrell and Marc Walberg, which should be a fun movie. I’ve been working on that since late September, which is why I’m doing these shows at Comix, since I’m in town anyway. Comix is a wonderful club to perform at: I’ve been to a lot of clubs around the country, and it’s one of the best.

KF: How did your comic persona evolve, and who are your influences?
RR: I’m more of a storyteller in my comedy. I’m not a traditional “three jokes per minute with a punch line“ kind of comedian. Eddie Murphy was my idol, after I saw his concert movie Delirious. That was one of the first comic things I’d seen like that, and I thought it was amazing. I’m a fan of all kinds of comedians: after Eddie, there’s also Denis Leary and Bill Murray. It’s also a genre thing too, because I love the comedic acting which they all did as well as the stand-up.
originally posted on timessquare.com