Splitsider

 
Interviews

Talking to Jon Daly About 'Betas', 'Kroll Show', and Being Friends With Kenny G

by | December 3rd, 2013

As a longtime improviser, Jon Daly has entertained countless UCB audiences, been featured on sketch series like Human Giant and Kroll Show, and created such memorable Comedy Bang! Bang! staples as Bill Cosby Bukowski and Mall McCartney. As 30something programmer Hobbes on the new Amazon comedy Betas, Jon Daly has thus far purchased a robot vagina, carried around a frozen dead cat in a bag, and bared more skin than any given character on Game of Thrones. One of those sets of achievements may not sound as impressive as the other, but Daly imbues his burnout Betas character with genuine pathos, and has quickly established himself as the strongest [...]

Interviews

Talking to Omid Djalili About Returning to America, Taking Standup Seriously, and International Comedy

by | November 25th, 2013

British comedian Omid Djalili may be a familiar face to many Americans, but his standup hasn't been seen in the US in quite awhile. His last performance here was in 2005, when he taped a half-hour One Night Stand for HBO in 2005. He also appeared on Whoopi Goldberg's 2003-2004 sitcom Whoopi and the short lived 2010 The Paul Reiser Show, and he's equally well-known for his dramatic work, starring 2010's The Infidel and in a production of The Shawshank Redemption at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.

Now, he's returning to the US, with dates in the New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I got the chance to speak [...]

Interviews

Talking to Chris Lilley About 'Ja'mie: Private School Girl', Teenagers, and Why He Hasn't Moved to the States

by | November 21st, 2013

In 2008, Australian import Summer Heights High became an underground hit for HBO. Chris Lilley, who created, wrote, and starred in the show (as multiple characters), went on to produce another HBO co-production in 2011's Angry Boys. Now, he's returning for a third series on American TV with Ja'mie: Private School Girl, reprising his spoiled teenage girl character Ja'mie King from Summer Heights High.

All three shows, as well as Lilley's first Australian series We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year, are shot in a strict mockumentary format and feature Lilley playing all the main characters. I got to talk to him in New York recently about bringing [...]

Interviews

Dave Chappelle Gave a Rare Interview to a Local News Station in Minneapolis

by | November 15th, 2013

"I prefer the smaller venues [...] because you can kind of experience the crowd more, they can experience you more. I’ve always kind of preferred having it in smaller venues. I have friends who are comedians that are good at doing, you know, rock star-sized venues and they have the kind of act for it. But I like when you use the word intimate because I feel like that’s kind of what, ideally, it should be. I know this is not a very funny interview but I’m hilarious, you’re just going to have to take my word for it."

- Dave Chappelle sat down with his friend Reg Chapman, a [...]

Interviews

Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham Talk Comedy, Showrunning, and Fantasy Magazine Descriptions

by | November 11th, 2013

"When Mindy Kaling arrived to the Chateau Marmont 30 minutes late, she apologized profusely and began dabbing ice water on a badly skinned knee. 'I thought I hit an old woman in the Loehmann's parking lot,' she said, a flush of perspiration on her cheeks and forehead. 'Turned out it was a sack of trash with a shawl draped on it. Got so mad at it that I kicked it, and this happened.' She gestured to her knee."

- Mindy Kaling imagines the intro to her celebrity InStyle profile in this delightful interview conducted by Lena Dunham for the Rookie: Yearbook Two.

Interviews

Talking to Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland About Their New Adult Swim Show, 'Rick and Morty'

by | December 2nd, 2013

During Dan Harmon's Community exodus last year, he went and created another TV show, this one for Adult Swim. Called Rick and Morty, the new animated series was co-created by Harmon and Justin Roiland, and it premieres tonight at 10:30.

Based on a rejected pilot Roiland made for Harmon's monthly video competition Channel 101 in 2006 called "The Real Adventures of Doc and Mharti," Rick and Morty is a Back to the Future-inspired sci-fi comedy about a sociopathic scientist and his grandson going on wild adventures. I recently had the chance to talk to Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland about how the new show came to be, how they [...]

Interviews

Talking to the Lucas Brothers About Their New Fox ADHD Show

by | November 22nd, 2013

The Lucas Brothers are your typical law school dropout, wrestling nerd, identical twin brother standup duo.

You know.

They also happen to be very funny. After a strong debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon two years ago, the Brooklyn-based Lucas Brothers (Keith and Kenny) have officially arrived.

In addition to hosting a morning talk show on Comedy Central's digital arm, the Lucas Brothers have roles in the upcoming 22 Jump Street, and created and star in the animated series, Lucas Bros Moving Co., which premieres Saturday on Fox’s animated block ADHD.

I recently caught up with the brothers while on set filming in New Orleans to talk about [...]

Interviews

Talking to 'Eagleheart' Writers Jason Woliner and Andrew Weinberg About the New Season

by | November 20th, 2013

Adult Swim's absurdist Chris Elliott action-comedy Eagleheart returned for its third season last week. This year, the show's creative team (made up of creators/writers Andrew Weinberg and Michael Koman, and writer/director Jason Woliner) opted to turn Eagleheart into one long serialized story called Paradise Rising, covering Elliott's character Chris Monsanto's 10-episode quest to prove his innocence in the death of a fellow US Marshal.

I recently had the chance to talk to Andrew Weinberg and Jason Woliner about Eagleheart's shift in focus, why they don't like using comedic actors as guest stars, and how it's not the sort of TV show you can just have on in the background.

Interviews

Talking to Chris Elliott and Maria Thayer About Season 3 of 'Eagleheart'

by | November 14th, 2013

Eagleheart returns tonight on Adult Swim, with the season three premiere set to air at midnight. The fast-paced action-comedy, starring Chris Elliott, Maria Thayer, and Brett Gelman as a trio of US Marshals, heads into new territory this year as the show does its first-ever serialized plotline. Season three is one 10-episode-long continuous story called Eagleheart: Paradise Rising that's far more ambitious than anything the show's ever tackled in the past — and more ambitious than what most TV comedies are doing, for that matter.

I recently talked to Chris Elliott and Maria Thayer about Eagleheart: Paradise Rising, getting jealous of your costar being covered in fake blood, and how this [...]

Interviews

How to Make a Successful Web Series with Natasha Leggero

by | November 11th, 2013

On the spectrum of conceptual talk shows, Natasha Leggero’s Tubbin’ with Tash, which debuted last month on the YouTube channel JASH, is certainly one of the weirder ones, with its hot tub location possibly being the most conventional thing about it. Leggero is assisted by Moshe Kasher who plays her spa boy Pig Bottom, and the short-but-insane episodes have featured prominent comedians joining the host in her hot tub, which has led to memorable images like Reggie Watts twerking, Sarah Silverman using a tampon as a projectile, and Eric Andre getting naked, which is actually becoming business as usual for his talk show appearances.

I talked to Leggero recently [...]

Interviews

Talking to Mike Birbiglia About Retiring 'My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend' and What's Next for Him

by | November 27th, 2013

Mike Birbiglia isn't in love with standup comedy, and he's not exactly hot on the one-man show either. The workman-like storyteller says he's more interested in blending his favorite aspects of the two, as in his latest standup special My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, which came out on DVD, Amazon, and iTunes this week. In the show, Birbiglia offers his skeptical views on marriage as a through line to a series of stories on his own mortification and frustration in relationships, each executed with his self-deprecating wit and a surprising strain of earnestness.

I talked recently with Birbiglia about ending his 70-city tour of the show, the personal reactions of fans, and his desire to [...]
Interviews

Talking to Sarah Silverman About Her New Special, Her Favorite Standups, and the James Franco Roast

by | November 22nd, 2013

Sarah Silverman has been doing standup for over 20 years, but she's never released a televised standup special until now. She's done dozens of late night spots and a theatrically-released concert film (Jesus Is Magic), but Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles, which premieres tomorrow on HBO, is her first ever hour special.

In addition to filming We Are Miracles, Silverman has recently been keeping busy with a whole slew of different projects. She's playing a supporting role in Seth MacFarlane's next live action movie, starring in an HBO pilot called People of New Jersey for producer Lorne Michaels,  and releasing videos via JASH, the YouTube channel she's [...]

Interviews

Talking to Co-Creator Jody Hill About the Final Season of 'Eastbound & Down'

by | November 18th, 2013

After four years, HBO's Eastbound & Down ended its run last night. It was actually the second series finale for Eastbound, after co-creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill surprisingly brought the show back for a fourth season after ending it in season three last year.

I talked to Jody Hill last week about Eastbound's fourth season, the new HBO high school show he's working on with Danny McBride, and whether we'll ever see Kenny Powers again.

Interviews

Talking to Joan Rivers About Doing a Web Chat Show

by | November 12th, 2013

Louis C.K. has a great joke about how he connects with old ladies because they’re on their way out, so they just say whatever. He might have been talking about Joan Rivers, minus the “on their way out” part.

You can still rely on Rivers, who turned 80 this summer, to call bullshit on just about anyone and anything in Hollywood. Who’s going to stop someone who’s still one of the biggest names in comedy after more than 50 years in the business?

Amazingly, she might be busier than ever. Whether it’s through her show Fashion Police on E!, Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best on WEtv, guest appearances, [...]

Older posts »
-->