Michael Showalter
Michael Showalter
Michael Showalteris an American comedian, actor, producer, writer, and director. He is a member of the sketch comedy trio Stella. Showalter first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. He co-wroteand starred in Wet Hot American Summerand he wrote, directed, and starred in The Baxter, with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux and Elizabeth Banks. Both of these movies featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTV Actor
Date of Birth17 June 1970
CityPrinceton, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
I knew that if I was going to write a book, I was going to have to read one, too.
One of the things that is always difficult about a collaboration is that you don't necessarily find the same thing funny. And so the challenge becomes, how do you tell the other person that you don't think something's funny? The best collaborations tend to be when you are willing to be told that. But there's also ego involved, and so there's a lot of frustration in knowing that you're writing something, and the other person, on some level, needs to think that it's funny.
There are comedians that I like. I think a lot of it, you just figure out on your own. It's definitely one of those things that you get good at by doing it a lot. But I like Jim Gaffigan. Patton Oswalt. Janeane Garofalo.
Many fans don't have the leisure time to track my every word. They're too busy brainstorming solutions to the economic crisis and winning Pulitzers.
I think comedians see themselves as people among people.
I went to college thinking of maybe pursuing a career in film criticism.
John Roberts is a Baxter. Have you seen his hair? It's parted with a snow shovel!
Michael, David and I get along very well, ... That is why we have been able to stay collaborating for so long. The State was a much more tumultuous collaboration, that was a lot of fighting, and a lot of people needing their way. We had 10 very strong opinions in there, very strong comedic voices in one room is too many cooks.
Jeff Van Gundy is a Baxter. Derek Jeter? So not a Baxter. Howard Stern is not a Baxter. And Bernie Kerik is not a Baxter.
I mean, do you really think Paul Krugman is checking his Twitter account every day to read what I write? Of course not. Every other day maybe, but not every day.
I'm not big on fat jokes. That's a little beneath me. I'm not a huge fan of making a joke - and as I say this, I'm sure I do it - completely at someone else's expense.
Their unifying characteristic is they're not romantic. They have this inability to recognize the simple romantic needs of their counterpart. They just never know the right thing!
Did you ever wonder about the guy left at the altar?
Every character is likeable and jarring at the same time,