I think a lot comes from having the experience of doing stand-up comedy. It allows you to figure out the psychology of an audience what things are funny and not.
The greatest way for people to experience a comedy is to go in not knowing anything about it. But because of marketing it's impossible. Marketing meaning that in order to get people to come you can't just go 'Hey there's a great movie - we're not going to show you anything from it but trust us!'
I think we're the only jokeless show on television. I mean really we have no setups and no punch lines. It's not a joke show. There are funny lines and funny moments but again the comedy is born of the human experience and awkward pauses are a great part of what it is to be human.
I went to drama school for four years at Carnegie Mellon conservatory training before television comedy. I was doing Shakespeare and Chekov plays. It's about delivering on the promise of a $100 000 education and taking the shackles off and trying the hand at my craft. I'm thrilled with what I've seen so far.
'Friends' was an education in intelligent comedic banter in intelligent vernacular. It was an education in scene study. It was an education in group dynamic. I came out of there with a master's degree in comedy.
I wouldn't feel satisfied being on set every day doing a romantic comedy - I'd be bored to death.
I don't know if there is a gene for comedy but my dad was a very funny man. He just didn't know it. He was a naturally funny character and when my brother and I would laugh at things he said and did he would say 'What do you think is so funny?'
Comedy was why I got into acting the first place. Peter Sellers was a huge influence on my wanting to act. I grew up with him and found him hysterical. The Pink Panther films were an inspiration from my earliest childhood days when I was watching them with my brother and my dad.
The problem with me as far as getting married and having a family is that my comedy is so important to me. So I don't know if I'll ever be as good a dad as my dad.
You can think of Hollywood as high school. TV actors are freshmen comedy actors are maybe juniors and dramatic actors - they're the cool seniors.
Comedy is so hard to do so it was very cool to do dead pan humor.
I just thought it could make a really cool movie. It's not that it's just a buddy comedy but it's all about two guys hating each other and towards the end they're good friends. I liked that these two guys were best friends from the very beginning and they're crazy.
Period costume films are fun to discover but they're not relatable. It's more 'Wow that's cool - did it really look like that back then?' Whereas with a comedy you're like 'Yeah that's me that's my friends.' No matter what I want people to relate.
I'm addicted to laughing. I go to see a lot of comedy shows. I'm addicted to playing really loud and obnoxious rock music in my car. I'm addicted to beautiful clothes and shoes. I just love gorgeous stuff and work hard to acquire pretty things shiny things. I'm addicted to shiny things!
Comedy may be big business but it isn't pretty.
If you play it straight it's funny - the best comedy is always played straight down the middle. The adjustment is understanding from the screenplay that a moment is hilarious.
You can't study comedy it's within you. It's a personality. My humor is an attitude.
I did this Super-8 film at art school called 'Tissues ' this black comedy about a family whose father has been arrested for child molestation. I was absolutely thrilled by every inch of it and would throw my projector in the back of my car and show it to anybody who would watch it.
The only honest art form is laughter comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away man. You can't.
What is comedy? Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.
In my early 20s I was so miserable doing construction I wanted something that paid money. I liked nice stuff. I liked cars and architecture and things that cost money. I wanted to not swing a hammer and make money... and not do stuff that was dirty. I attempted to get into comedy. I started to do stand-up but I wasn't very good at it.
All improv turns into anger. All comedy improv basically turns into anger because that's all people know how to do when they're improvising. If you notice shows that are improvising are generally people yelling at each other.
Well all comedy starts with anger. You get angry and its never for a good reason right? You know its not a good reason. And then you try and work it from there.
John was the smartest and most amazing comedian I've ever worked with. I think more than teaching me about acting or comedy he taught me about life and the love of people and respect of people.