Carol Leifer
Carol Leifer
Carol Leiferis a four-time Emmy Award-winning American comedian, writer, producer and actress whose career as a stand-up comedian started in the 1970s when she was in college. David Letterman discovered her performing in a comedy club in the 1980s and she has since been a guest on Late Night with David Letterman over twenty-five times as well as numerous other shows and venues. She has written many television scripts including for The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live and most...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScreenwriter
Date of Birth27 July 1956
CityEast Williston, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I think what I would say to my younger self, and probably to younger, just starting-out writers is that a lot of times you're just afraid to put yourself out there, and it's uncomfortable because it's working up the courage to do something, to push yourself to do those things.
I'm always a big fan of if you approach somebody politely about something and you're not a nudge - you're just pretty honest and simple, my kind of philosophy is that I'm not afraid of 'no,' and that's way different than 'I won't take no for an answer.
Oh my God, Kennedy Airport - what a mess - all over you with those dopey security questions. 'Did you receive any gifts from any unknown persons?' Buddy, the last thing I got from an unknown person was in the 80's.
My stand-up act is very clean.
My father was the kind of guy who'd always say 'Throw out any subject and I got a joke on it,'
Oh, this is fun - went to a nude beach for the first time. Yeah, that's what I thought. You ever been to a nude beach? Thought it would be all sexy and hot. Oh my God, what a flubber fest! Everybody who shouldn't be naked is naked - didn't make me want to take off my clothes, made me want to take out my contacts.
Stand-up comedy - I love this job, and I gotta tell you, folks - knock wood - it's been working. 'Cause I was one of those kind of people, even when I had a regular job, I couldn't even call in sick right. You know, I was like, 'Hello? Yeah, I can't come in today. I have scurvy.
Time flies, though, huh? But I feel young. And do you know how I stay feeling young, ladies and gentlemen? I'll share my secret with you: I live in a senior citizen retirement community.
I never thought I was going to have children. I just thought after 45, that was it.
I feel I've always got to keep my stand-up because I never want to lose it.
I'm sorry I didn't have this revelation earlier. I sleep better and more soundly because I'm not participating anymore.
They're all sources of material. What I love about what I do, the more you talk about your life, there are so many people who have similar experiences.
There were very few women comics when I started out doing stand-up. But I always saw that as a great advantage.
There are so many opportunities that I could've gotten before if I had just took a little more of a risk.