Welcome to the very first edition of "Celebrity Fridays"! This week I sat down via the Internet with the stars of MTV's new sketch comedy show: "Human Giant". These stars would be: Paul Scheer(best week ever, upright citizens brigade, today show, late night with conan o'brien, school for scoundrels), Rob Huebel(upright citizens brigade, best week ever, curb your enthusiasm, late night with conan o'brien, arrested development, the awful truth), and Aziz Ansari(best week ever, premium blend, upright citizens brigade, school for scoundrels, new york noise). The show airs every Thursday at 10:30 on MTV and is extremely inventive and brings to the table their UCB backgrounds and unique style of humor and hilarious concepts with wit and delivery unmatched by any sketch show of our time. (Below the interviews I have posted a trailer for the first season of Human Giant to give you an idea of what these guys are all about in terms of their brand of humor.)
And now on to the interviews:
PAUL SCHEER:
1. How did you get your start in comedy?
When I was in High School I saw this group in NYC called Chicago City Limits, it was an Off Broadway Improv Show kinda similiar to "Whos Line is it Anyway?" and I was like, "I gotta do that." So I started taking classes with them and lying to everyone in my class that I was in College when I was only a Sophmore in High School. I dropped out for awhile then when I went to NYU I got back involved and got into their touring company which was amazing experience but then I saw UCB and I realized, "Wow! that's the improv and comedy I want to be doing." I started working with them and it was the best decision I ever made.
2. How did Human Giant come about?
Human Giant came about very organically. Rob and I had been improvising together for about 10 years with this group in NYC called Respecto Montalban (with Rob Riggle, Owen Burke, Chad Carter, Danielle, Schneider, Jack Mcbrayer, Jackie Clarke and Dannah Feinglass) and we met up Aziz who was blowing up on the NYC comedy scene as a standup and when Aziz started his weekly standup show at UCB "Crash Test" he was looking for co-hosts he could do bits with and Rob and I were his first 2 co-hosts. We made this short films based on the bits we created at Crash Test and then the popularity of those shorts on the internet got MTV interested in doing a TV show with us. It was really cool, because we are still a relatively new group.
3. What was the worst job you've ever had?
Passing out Compuserve CDs on Roller Blades during Rush Hour in Manhattan and I didn't know to rollerblade. But i couldn't take them off because I was being followed by a photographer who had to make sure that we were actually doing the job right.
4. I've seen you recently in Blackballed and School for Scoundrels. Any more film work on the horizon?
Yeah Actually I have a few films coming up. I'm going to be in a Sean William Scott Movie called, "Trainwreck, My Life as an Idoit" which should be pretty fun, I play this surly fishing boat 1st mate and then I have a small part in a new Lucy Lui comedy called "Watching the Detectives" where I'm just a film nerd (it's a really small part but we got to improvise so that was fun) and I just got word I'm going to be in a new Eddie Murphy movie called "Starship Dave" where I play a character that works in Eddie Murphy's ass. (It's important to note that Eddie Murphy in this movie plays a Starship and his insides are populated by an alien race)
5. Is your idea of Good Friday:
a)This is the day our lord died for our sins.
b)The rating for last night just came out and Human Giant's a hit.
c)Human Giant bombs in the ratings and gets shitcanned, but the sketck "The Illusinators" gets picked up for its own 12 episode season deal and movie contract.
All Good Responses but I'm going to go with D) REHAB
6. Whats on your iPod right now?
Right Now it just from DMX to the Cast Recording of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Musical Episode...So That.
7. Whats on your Tivo/DVR right now?
Lost, 24, Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, 30 Rock, The Office, Extras, Spaced, Heroes, South Park, and The Riches
8. A night on the town for you consists of...?
Me, Dabney Coleman, Bronson Pinchot and Ed Begley Jr. Shoot back Brews and Getting into Knife Fights with local tough guys.
9. If you were a tree, what type of tree would you be?
Christmas, because you only work for 25 days and the rest of the year, you are on vacation.
10. When you die, what do you want God to say to you at the pearly gates?
Can I have back my DVD of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle?
11. Any parting words of advice for the readers?
If anyone knows a good place to dump a dead body email me www.myspace.com/paulscheer
ROB HUEBEL:
1. How did you get your start in comedy?
I started taking improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade theater in NYC a million years ago. Then i just stuck with it. And performed all over NYC anywhere I could. And met other comedians along the way. And just always tried to keep writing and performing as much as possible.
2. How did Human Giant come about?
Me and Paul have been friends from UCB for like 10 years. We've improvised together for a long long time. We met Aziz a couple years ago and were big fans. We all started shooting short films together with Jason Woliner (our director) just to have and to show around NYC at comedy shows. Those things got on the internet and MTV saw them and wanted us to do a pilot. And kaplow..here we are.
3. What was the worst job you've ever had?
I've had a lot of shitty jobs. I used to pedal a pedi-cab in Charleston SC in 100 degree heat with fat tourists yelling at me. And I used to produce some crappy TV stuff before I did any stuff on-camera. Once I worked on a Martha Stewart Christmas Special. That was a bummer.
4. I've seen you on a few episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, what was it like getting to work with Larry David? Have you been asked back to reprise your role for the next season?
Man that was the best thing ever. Those guys are hilarious and superfun to work with. I made Larry laugh a few times and that was like the highlight of my whole year. I don't think I'm coming back next season. I probably died of herpes.
5. Is your idea of Good Friday:
a)This is the day our lord died for our sins.
b)The rating for last night just came out and Human Giant's a hit.
or c)Time Warner finally stopped running those goddamn Olive Garden Commercials!
Wow. I have a 2 part answer. Mostly part b...Human Giant gets good ratings. That would kick ass. But also part c will be great. I actually shot that fucking commercial 3 years ago when I was poor. I improvised all this funny shit that they cut out. So i'm left looking like a real douchebag. The good news is, I am having them pull it in 2 weeks. They had to re-negotiate the contract and I told them 'no thanks'. Then I got home and saw a huge pile of checks from residuals. Woops. Fuck it. I would give the money back in a heartbeat. It was utterly humiliating.
6. Whats on your iPod right now?
A weird mix of stuff. I like a ton of hip hop. But also metal. And some indie stuff. I just saw LCD Soundsystem last week in NYC. So damn good.
7. Whats on your Tivo/DVR right now?
I'm way behind on Lost. But I've also got a lot of The Office and 30 Rock. Our buddy Jack McBrayer is Kenneth on 30 Rock and just amazing. I also love The Daily Show, Colbert and Charlie Rose.
8. A night on the town for you consists of...?
Aziz and I have been drinking a lot of Jack and Coke in the East Village lately. But I just got back to LA and so I'm kind of re-integrating myself here. I perform a lot at UCB and like to go out nearby with my friends. If Aziz is in town we'll go out a lot and try to awkwardly talk to girls. We're so lame.
9. If you were a tree, what type of tree would you be?
I like those weeping willow trees a lot.
10. When you die, what do you want God to say to you at the pearly gates?
Hey buddy. You screwed up. But I'm in a good mood. Come on in.
11. Any parting words of advice for the readers?
Advice for your readers? That's a broad topic. I would say that Crest Whitestrips is a really great product. And avoid poison ivy. It's really itchy. And don't provoke a male Elk during mating season. He will fucking kill you.
AZIZ ANSARI:
1. How did you get your start in comedy?
I did standup in NY while I was in college.
2. How did Human Giant come about?
I started making short films with Rob, Paul, and Jason around the Summer of 2005. In December of 2005, we decided to formally call ourselves a group named "Human Giant" and continue making videos together.
3. What was the worst job you've ever had?
I was a dishwasher at one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook on your table. There's a shit ton of dishes in those places.
4. What was shutterbugs?
That was the first short we ever did. Huebel and I play cutthroat child talent agents. The new episodes we made for the show are pretty insane, and I'm stunned they're letting us put it on TV.
5. Is your idea of Good Friday:
a)This is the day our lord died for our sins.
b)The rating for last night just came out and Human Giant's a hit. or
c)MTV drops Human Giant after only 2 episodes, but signs "The Aziz Show" for a 2 year deal.
C.
6. Whats on your iPod right now?
LCD Soundsystem, Black Lips, Death Proof Soundtrack, Peanut Butter Wolf's Valentine's Day Mix, Eccentric Soul
7. Whats on your Tivo/DVR right now?
Lost, 24, The Wire, Colbert, The Office, Extras
8. A night on the town for you consists of...?
Probably getting blasted with Huebel and some other ding dongs in NY.
9. If you were a tree, what type of tree would you be?
A Palmetto tree? I'm from SC.
10. When you die, what do you want God to say to you at the pearly gates?
You were wrong fool!! HAHAHA! It's all good though, come on in.
11. Any parting words of advice for the readers?
Watch Human Giant, Thursdays at 10:30 on MTV. Just kidding. Um, I dunno, what is your website about? My cab is here! Always try to be on time, work hard, do well in school, gotta go! Bye!
MTV Human Giant Season 1 Trailer:
