I like when people are very passionate about what they want to write about. Even if it’s silly, you can be very passionate about it.
I was in the recording studio when Pink was recording for a part of the gay rights anthem. It was just amazing to watch her perform. She’s just such an incredible singer. She so funny, and so smart, yet she’s doing it for this silly, silly song.
I hear Amy Schumer on Howard Stern, and I think, “I wish there was a movie that starred her, because she’s so interesting,” and then at some point I go, “I guess I have to get involved, because it’s not happening right now. Maybe I should help try to make that happen.”
I think there have been so many documentaries about pop stars, made by pop stars. It’s a new phenomenon. People making these movies where they praise themselves and show their own weaknesses. it’s all designed to make you love them even more.
If anything is leaking, I try to plug the hole.
If you make a bad movie about stand-up, then comedians will mock you for the rest of your life.
One of my fears is that I’m suddenly not going to be funny, but still think I am. That’s like my nightmare that I can wake up in a cold sweat from.
I start thinking about the next movie before it’s a success, so I can never have one moment of happiness or peace. I’m instantly thinking about the next one.
I’ve come to believe that the simpler the title, the better. Whenever I try to get cute with it, it seems to be a problem but if it’s just The 40-Year-Old Virgin, people seem to know what they’re in for.
If the movie’s not communicating, it’s not working.
Back then, you seemed like a crazy person when you were trying to push the boundaries of network TV. People looked at you, and they were offended by the fact that you didn’t follow the generic rules of what was expected on network TV.
I think it’s fun to have people see everything at once, and then I think certain shows are very well-suited to being on every week and being spread out over months.
My first writing jobs were writing Tom Arnold specials for HBO, so I love working there.
Some stories feel like they need more time or less time to tell. To not obsessively have to trim or add that final two or three minutes is very helpful, because you can just organically follow how the story feels.
Just trying to tell the truth about, you know, the struggle of – being alive is funny, it’s just inherently tragic and also hilarious – in a fun way and in a sad way. That seems to connect with people.
I literally cannot remember one joke.
I like to make movies the way people made movies in the ’70s, where they lived and died with these stories, and cared about them, and went to war for them, and they all said something they wanted to say.
I just try to be true to myself and write about things I’m passionate about. I think what most people don’t like about movies is they can tell that most movies are a product, and they don’t mean that much to the people who make them.
A lot of bands that are great disappear a little bit faster than they used to. They don’t get as much support for the long haul. You have to be pretty tough to hang in there.
I don’t think there’s that many great 90-minute comedies.