Ben Schwartz
A lot of the time, you're supposed to play to the top of your intelligence, as truthful as possible. But when you're on stage making people laugh, you're still acting. I think it helped me a bunch to go on stage two or three times a week.Collection: Intelligence
I never went to acting school, so improv was my training. Just being quick on your feet helps in everyday life.
At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I wanted to do this so badly. Then when I got a tiny bit of success, I was petrified that I was going to lose it.
I hope I don't get driven to the point where, to be honest, I'm never satisfied. I hope there's some part of me that can be content.
The perfect thing for me is to be on something I love, where I'm doing it and have enough money not to be poor, and I'm allowed to go on vacation.
Live-action is more fun for me, because you're acting with people. When you do voice-acting, many times you're not even in the room with the person that you're acting with.
I love just working. I love the idea of being a working class citizen.
If I play a video game, I have to get through the whole thing. Like, when the new 'Resident Evil' comes out, I have to sit and do the whole thing. It will consume my life. I'm at a point where I don't have much time to play around anymore, so I don't really get started on the games if I won't be able to finish them.
I love video games. When I was growing up, video games were very important to me.
I really was interested in doing something for a premium channel like Showtime or HBO, just because you get to really let loose. I think they let their storylines go wherever they want, and it's really a special place to work.
I really like the stuff that Showtime puts out. I think that 'Homeland' is phenomenal. I think 'Dexter' is amazing.
'The Simpsons' is still my favorite show. I have a really strong connection to it.
When I was coming up in high school, if you wanted to be in the musical it was during the winter, so I had to choose between playing basketball or being in the musical. And I ended up playing basketball.
It's funny: I put money into short films, and I put really good actors in it, and I write some stuff that's really funny, and I'll get, like, a million views. But to the right of me, there will be a video of a kitten that falls into a toilet bowl, and it's three seconds long, and it will get 25 million views.
I did a lot of short films online, so I come from that background where a lot of people see your stuff.
I think it's always super exciting to watch something before you can see it in theaters.
I love doing comedy. One of my favorite things in the world is to do 'Parks and Recreation'; a big fun character.
When I do the roles, when I'm in the room and auditioning, I'll ask the director if they're cool with me adding stuff, or just improvising while we're doing it. And I would say, like, 90 percent of the time, they say, 'Absolutely.'
Taking improv has helped every other aspect of my field.
Eight hours of sleep would be amazing. That would be the best. If I could just figure out that part of my life, it would be great.Collection: Sleep
When I got a tiny bit of success, I was petrified that I was going to lose it. I still feel it.Collection: Tiny
When you're acting on TV, you want to keep it real.Collection: Real
The anxiety of not knowing what my next gig is keeps me hungry.Collection: Knowing
I was very, very into animation when I was growing up. The Simpsons is still my favorite show. I have a really strong connection to it.Collection: Strong
When I first graduated college, I told my parents I'd try to pursue comedy for the first year or two, and if it didn't work out, I'd put my nose to the grindstone and try to find a job somehow. I went to UCB, and it clicked with me.Collection: Jobs
If you really want to be successful in the business, you have to make that your priority, above family and everything else. It takes up every minute of your life.Collection: Successful
It's so fun to play a character that has so many layers that people won't even know, until the next season.Collection: Fun
I love doing comedy. One of my favorite things in the world is to do Parks and Recreation; a big fun character.Collection: Fun
I love the idea of doing totally different types of guys for different projects. I love that I get to do this. It's so fun.Collection: Fun
I've never done a show for more than one season, in my entire life.Collection: Done
At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I wanted to do this so badly.Collection: Writing