Comedian

Steve Allen on putting together a comedy act and bombing on stage

Steve Allen on his first late-night show for radio - gradually talking more and playing less music and the show taking off as a comedy show; on the response he got to ad-libbing

Beatrice Arthur on comedy devices and originality in comedy

Ed Begley, Jr. on the "rules" of comedy, and on then-favorite comedians, and managers of comedians

Shelley Berman on writing for Steve Allen's Tonight show; on his first appearance on the show and realizing he was a comedian

Shelley Berman on when he realized he had become a comedian through his work at the Compass Players (which later became Second City) 

Shelley Berman on becoming a recognized performer and how it affected his performance as a comedian

Shelley Berman on doing stand-up comedy at the various clubs in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago in the 1950s

Shelley Berman on coming up with new material for his 22 Ed Sullivan performances; on not worrying about censors

Shelley Berman on playing both comedic and dramatic characters on TV

Shelley Berman on his advice to an aspiring performer

Shelley Berman on the type of performer he is, and on developing his early nightclub act

Shelley Berman on stand-up comedians using a stool, and various other props of the trade, and on the challenges faced by a stand-up comedian

Shelley Berman on the comedian Jim MacGeorge, and on his own poetry

Shelley Berman on the source of comedy in a script or situation, and on "teaching" comedy

Shelley Berman on the construct of comedy, and the difficulty in pinpointing what is funny or why people laugh

Shelley Berman on the importance in comedy of the audience relating to the comedian, and on the evolution of comedy in terms of explicit language

Shelley Berman on the importance of comedy in his life, and American life in general

Shelley Berman on his reputation for being difficult, and on the ups and downs of his life and career, including the loss of his son

Ken Berry on performing the physical comedy in F Troop

Lewis Black on his early interest in drama, and on becoming a comedian

Lewis Black on doing open mic nights at Catch a Rising Star in New York City

Lewis Black on working out his stand-up routine in front of audiences

Lewis Black on developing his comic persona

Lewis Black on the source of the anger in his comedy, and learning how to use the anger

Lewis Black on audience reaction to the evolution of his angry character

Lewis Black on doing political humor

Lewis Black on judging how far he can go with audiences

Lewis Black on whether comedy can be taught

Lewis Black on dealing with the business end of show business as a comedian

Lewis Black on longevity in a comedian's career

Eddie Brill on learning comedy

Eddie Brill on developing a comedic voice

Eddie Brill on comedians using blue material

Eddie Brill on learning from older comedians

Eddie Brill on comedians being born or made

Eddie Brill on dealing with the business end of show business

Eddie Brill on the comedian's relationship to their audience

Eddie Brill on auditioning, and on working with Aretha Franklin

Eddie Brill on writing jokes, and on the power of laughter

Eddie Brill on what he gets out of being a comedian

Sid Caesar on advice he has for aspiring performers

George Carlin on getting fired from the Copacabana and being relieved to finally leave mainstream comedy

George Carlin on the origin of his famous routine "Seven Dirty Words"

George Carlin on the evolution of his comedy

George Carlin on getting to write about the "freak show"

George Carlin on defining himself and his role as an entertainer and a comedian

George Carlin on his creative process

George Carlin on why he never gets tired of performing his routines

George Carlin on advice he gives young comedians: write it down and classify everything

Dick Cavett on the likeability of comics and the possibility of laughing at comics you don't like

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself

Margaret Cho on what she enjoys about comedy and why performing in front of an audience feels safe

Margaret Cho on what she learns from bombing on stage

Margaret Cho on how her act developed

Margaret Cho on her first comedy show/special after All-American Girl, I'm The One That I Want, and how comedy helped her at that time

Margaret Cho on the craft of comedy and her writing process

Margaret Cho on her comedic influences

Margaret Cho on her comedic influences

Margaret Cho on getting to work with her mentors

Margaret Cho on advice from other comedians that she's taken to heart

Margaret Cho on balancing serious topics and humor in her comedy; on cancel culture and on whether she's ever felt restricted in her comedy

Margaret Cho on the role of comedy in today's political climate

Margaret Cho on being a role model for Asian American female comedians

Margaret Cho on advice to an aspiring comedian

Margaret Cho on what she wishes she had known when she first started her career

Margaret Cho on advice for young women entering the industry

Irwin Corey on his brand of comedy

Irwin Corey on doing his signature pantomime act

Irwin Corey on the signature comedy of various performers

Irwin Corey on whether a person can learn to be funny

Irwin Corey on using comedy as a vehicle for social commentary, and on appearing in the play "Sly Fox"

Irwin Corey on using comedy to put across his political views

Irwin Corey on developing his comedic style

Irwin Corey on the importance of the audience when he performs

Irwin Corey on the business part of show business

Irwin Corey on taking comedy seriously

Irwin Corey on his attempts and desire to transition from comedy to drama, and on his involvement with the guilds

Billy Crystal on advice to an aspiring comedian

Bill Dana on advice to aspiring writers and comedians

Bill Dana on founding the American Comedy Archives at Emerson College and on the challenges of being a comedian

Bill Dana on comedians using situations and constraints to their advantage, and on the impatience of audiences

Bill Dana on learning to use humor as a weapon to disarm

Bill Dana on when he first learned he could make people laugh, and on attending Emerson College

Bill Dana on his early comedic influences

Bill Dana on what he's learned about the business side of the entertainment/comedy industry

Bill Dana on comedians stealing each other's material

Bill Dana on the source of his comedy, and his characters, and on Jonathan Harris as "Mr. Phillips" on The Bill Dana Show

Bill Dana on his answer to the question "What is funny?"

Bill Dana on the need for a performer to pay their dues

Bill Dana on his answer to the question "Was it worth it?"

Bill Dana on ethnic humor, and on the importance of good representation

Bill Dana on the importance of having a good agent

Bill Dana on the difficulties comedians face

Bill Dana on comedy being a difficult job, and on the most important quality of a comic

Richard Dawson on crafting his first act as a comedian and getting into acting

Phyllis Diller on her trademark laugh

Phyllis Diller on her advice to aspiring comics

Budd Friedman on advice to an aspiring comedian

Brad Garrett on his start in stand-up

Whoopi Goldberg on starting to gain traction as a performer in San Diego and starting to do improv

Shecky Greene on why he started in comedy, and on his earliest gigs

Shecky Greene on the relationship between laughter and depression

Shecky Greene on developing his comedy act, characters in comedy, and his role in creating the Comedy Store

Shecky Greene on doing dialects in his act, and on working for the mob

Shecky Greene on what he has gotten out of his comedy career

Shecky Greene on his comedic persona, and on appearing on Today with Katie Couric

Shecky Greene on surviving in comedy

Shecky Greene on the then-current state of comedy, and on Jewish comedy and the joys of performing

Shecky Greene on summing up his career

Dick Gregory on what comedy can do and cannot do for society

Dick Gregory on what he wanted to accomplish with this stand-up comedy, and on his early experiences with nightclubs

Dick Gregory on coming up with material for his act

Dick Gregory on defining what a comedian is

Dick Gregory on using his life experiences as fodder for his act

Dick Gregory on advice to aspiring comedians, and on profanity in comedy

Dick Gregory on comedians developing a technique

Dick Gregory on the role of the comic in society

Charles Grodin on his brand of comedy, and on figuring out he was funny

Geri Jewell on the first time she did stand-up comedy, and how she talked about cerebral palsy in her routine

Jerry Lewis on his father's influence on his performances

Rose Marie on comedy

Rose Marie on whether comedy can be learned

Rose Marie on dealing with the business part of show business

Rose Marie on what she learned from the great performers, including Milton Berle and Phil Silvers

Rose Marie on how she knows what's funny

Jackie Mason on performing live, and on the process of building his act

Jackie Mason on where his comedy comes from

Jackie Mason on using comedy as a way to impart knowledge or help people

Jackie Mason on developing his on-stage persona, and on his beginnings as a comedian

Jackie Mason on being careful not to offend or hurt people with his act

Jackie Mason on using the crowd in his act, and on his relationship with his audience

Jackie Mason on dealing with the business aspect of show business

Jackie Mason on the trajectory of his career

Jackie Mason on the importance of timing

Chuck McCann on learning comedy

Chuck McCann on his advice to aspiring comedians

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara on how they became a comedy team

Carlos Mencia on making a connection with his audience as a comedian, and the commonalities between people of different backgrounds

Carlos Mencia on the risks and rewards of doing edgy or racial humor

Carlos Mencia on aiming to inspire people, as well as make them laugh, though his comedy

Carlos Mencia on how comedy can heal divides, and solve problems in society

Carlos Mencia on his reaction to the notion of political correctness in comedy, and in life

Carlos Mencia on using "blue" material in his act, and how the choice of words can affect comedy

Carlos Mencia on comedians tailoring their acts to their environments

Carlos Mencia on being responsible to his community in his comedy

Carlos Mencia on having been accused of stealing jokes from other comedians

Carlos Mencia on advice to aspiring comedians

Pat Morita on getting his foot in the door as a comedian, and on knowing Flip Wilson in the early years

Pat Morita on tailoring his stand up act for television, and on using his Japanese heritage in his act

Pat Morita on starting to make the transition from comedian to actor

Jan Murray on how he came up with material for stand-up comedy routines

Jan Murray on how he came up with material for stand-up comedy routines

Jan Murray on comedians from different generations, recognizing the great comedians of each one, and the greatness and faults of comedians from the then-current generation

Jan Murray on becoming the host of Blind Date and on being the first comedian to host a live game show

Jan Murray on using isolated stories at the start of his routine to get the audience used to his persona

Jan Murray on learning to adapt his material to the audience when performing in Israel

Jan Murray on being a naturally funny kid and getting into comedy as a result

Jan Murray on entertaining in the Cavaliers Social Club early in his career

Jan Murray on getting his gig working in the Catskill Mountains

Jan Murray on getting his gig at the Melbourne Hotel and deciding to pursue show business

Jan Murray on performing for benefits and how it impacts a comedian's business

Jan Murray on providing feedback to Shelley Winters and adapting a routine they did together

Jan Murray on performing comedy as medicine

Bob Newhart on his comedic style and how it has and hasn't work on TV over the years

Bob Newhart on performing and writing comedy routines

Bob Newhart on advice to aspiring performers

Louis Nye on what drew him to comedy

Louis Nye on the value of humor

Louis Nye on bringing back Old Vaudeville in his characters

Louis Nye on his characters potentially being offensive and on working with Jack Benny, Bop Hope, and Jimmy Durante

Louis Nye on his process for learning dialects

Louis Nye on tools he learned for getting laughs

Louis Nye on the business of comedy

Louis Nye on the Pagliacci syndrome and the prevalence of depression among comedians

Louis Nye on his work in nightclubs and on Broadway

Louis Nye on how comedy has changed since he started his career

Louis Nye on advice to students about a career in comedy and on sacrifices he made to be in the business

Louis Nye on what drove him to be a comedian and on his career longevity

Louis Nye on people expecting him to be in character

Louis Nye on originality in comedy

Louis Nye on whether it was all worth it

Tim Reid on meeting and becoming comedy partners with Tom Dreesen

Tim Reid on developing a stand-up comedy act with Tom Dreesen; on honing their act

Tim Reid on addressing race head-on in his stand-up comedy act with Tom Dreesen

Tim Reid on the end of his partnership with Tom Dreesen

Tim Reid on comedians today that push boundaries and the power of comedy and storytelling

Tim Reid on learning a valuable lesson from Jack Benny about performing

Tim Reid on learning from those who came before and passing on advice to others

Paul Rodriguez on developing his early stand-up routine, and on being Richard Pryor's runner

Paul Rodriguez on being inspired by Richard Pryor to use his Mexican heritage and identity in his act, and on the language he uses in his act

Paul Rodriguez on the importance of comedians taking chances, and on basing his comedy routines around his life

Paul Rodriguez on dealing with agents and managers in his career, and on longevity in his career

Garry Shandling on being fascinated by comedians

Garry Shandling on writing George Carlin-style monologues and meeting Carlin

Robert Smigel on the "modern" type of "so bad it's good" comedy he was interested in early in his career; catching the comedy bug after performing and winning a comedy standup contest at NYU; "I was stung, I was infected"; on getting to perform at The Comic Strip in New York city; on his closing bit as Ronald Reagan (foreshadowing a later TV Funhouse sketch "The X Presidents"); on getting more gigs after that; on being a fan of comedy that "tore everything down and made fun of itself"

Robert Smigel on wanting to be a comedian since he was three years old

Robert Smigel on joining a sketch comedy program (The Players Workshop) at Second City in Chicago; on his love of Chicago and how the experience at Second City helped build his confidence as a comedian; on gravitating towards sketch comedy over improv; learning how to develop writing sketch comedy from the players at Second City like Dan Castellaneta; on his early sketch comedy ideas; on meeting Dan Crowley in Chicago and joining his comedy group (All You Can Eat) as his replacement; on Al Franken and Tom Davis, original writers from Saturday Night Live, coming to Chicago to see a show Smigel had created, "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom"

Robert Smigel on whether there is a disconnect between himself and his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" and how his identity merged with "Triumph’s" character; on his feeling "Triumph" has more irony and absurdity than an insult comic, which makes "Triumph" less biting or mean

Jerry Stiller on considering himself a comedian

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara on how they became a comedy team

Tracey Ullman on the role of comedy in the then-current political climate

Tracey Ullman on the power of comedy

Dick Van Dyke on learning from Phil Silvers and discovering his love of comedy and his "funny bone"

Jimmie Walker on dealing with disappointment and rejection in his career

Jimmie Walker on what he loves about stand-up comedy

Keenen Ivory Wayans on finding out about the Improv in New York and changing his life to move back to the city and become a standup; how it changed his approach to comedy

Keenen Ivory Wayans on the advice his mentor Chris Albrecht gave him about comedy; make it specific

Keenen Ivory Wayans on the "comedian's code" during his time at The Improv in New York; about stealing jokes

Keenen Ivory Wayans on his stand-up act then and now

Larry Wilmore on doing his early stand-up comedy routines and on doing improv

Larry Wilmore on his comedic influences

Larry Wilmore on his stand-up act

Larry Wilmore on transitioning from writing jokes for himself to writing them for other people, and on finding his voice as a comic

Larry Wilmore on considering himself to be primarily a producer, and on his kinship with standup comedy

Jonathan Winters on advice for creating characters

Jonathan Winters on advice to those starting out in comedy

Steven Wright on the first joke he ever performed and on unknowingly learning techniques by listening to comedy performances on the radio

Steven Wright on every comedian being a teacher and a student at the same time

Steven Wright on his delivery

Steven Wright on starting to tell jokes with longer setups, on pauses in delivery, and on waiting out a laugh

Steven Wright on a comedian's relationship with the audience

Steven Wright on his love of words when he was young

Steven Wright on his advice to anyone with a goal - take the risk

Steven Wright on how he creates his material

Steven Wright on advice to aspiring comedians

Steven Wright on the four things he would't talk about in his act and his rules for performing -- and when/why he would break his own rules

Steven Wright on his nerves when he first started doing stand-up -- on differences between being funny amongst friends vs. on a stage

Steven Wright on the challenges of starting out in stand-up

"Weird Al" Yankovic on his stage persona versus who he is in real life, and on making it in the music industry

"Weird Al" Yankovic on dealing with the business aspect of show business

"Weird Al" Yankovic on his longevity as a comedian

"Weird Al" Yankovic on performing for a hostile crowd early on in his career

"Weird Al" Yankovic on picking the songs he parodies

"Weird Al" Yankovic on how seriously he takes comedy

"Weird Al" Yankovic on advice to aspiring comedians and performers

"Weird Al" Yankovic on the challenges of being a comedian in the music industry

"Weird Al" Yankovic on how long the process of writing and recording his songs takes and on his parents