In sketch comedy, wear your character like a hat, not a suit of armor.

I had a fifth grade teacher who, as a very small way of trying to contain my class clown energy, gave me 10 minutes at the end of class every Friday to present whatever I wanted. A lot of the time, I did an Andy Rooney impression. I would sit at her desk, empty it, and just comment on what was in there.

If there’s one big thing you can take from Amy Poehler as a performer, it’s committing, full on.

I think I’m one of those guys who was sort of always in comedy. I thought of myself – and other people seemed to think of me – as funny from a very young age. I was a very young comedy nerd and I even did sketch comedy in high school and college. I wrote and shot sketches on video and acted in them.

I can’t say the connection is one I’ve made consciously, but quitting drinking allowed me to be less selfish. My wife would definitely say that one of the major benefits of me quitting drinking is that I have more time and focus for other people.

When you’re in front of an audience, you know if it didn’t work. I get very nervous and have a fear of failure that is much more profound than in the podcast world.

I think Comedy Central and probably all channels are on their way toward being apps accessible on whatever the Roku of the future is.

You ought to be able to wear your character like a Lycra bodysuit.

I write and rewrite and memorize, and then inject my performance with improvising and spontaneity, because if something feels too rehearsed, it’s not going to be fun.

I really enjoy just being an actor. It’s fun to be surprised by someone else‘s writing and to collaborate in creating a character and to leave all the hard decision-making to some other room full of suckers!

I love to play characters who are stuffy and nerdy who either then have a dark side or are pushed to a breaking point.

I am, like anybody else, full of contradictions and personality traits, and I don’t know which ones to speak from as a stand-up or what aspects of myself to ask an audience to identify with.

It’s hard for me to shut off my writer brain completely.

It’s so cliche, but I love the feeling you get from improv that anything can happen. The audience is already accepting that there are no props or costumes or furniture, so the performers can be anywhere doing anything; cut from underground to space, and it doesn’t matter.

I have a troubled relationship with Hunter S. Thompson, not just because he kicked me out of a bar but also because it’s become clear to me that he was not a good person.

There wasn’t a persona or an attitude that I could reliably write good stuff from.There wasn’t a persona or an attitude that I could reliably write good stuff from.

When you’re coming up with your philosophy and approach to performing comedy, you take special note of the things you disagree with as much as the things you agree with.

I never feel like I have anything. People can tell me a thousand times, ‘You’re the guy, you’re the guy,’ and I’m just like, ‘We’ll see when I’m on the set.’

It’s fun to play someone who seems evil and to reveal their vulnerabilities.