An Important Interview on Important Things
With Demetri Martin
Raza Husain
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Local News
Demetri Martin is not your average comedian. He didn't get his start at a prestigious acting school or comedy troupe. His parents were not famous performers or industry executives. He is a Yale alumnus and NYU Law School dropout who happens to be very funny. This past week, I had the opportunity to interview Martin. I can honestly admit that I did not know what to expect, but I was definitely not bored.
From the very beginning of the interview, I did not feel like I was speaking to a television and film star. Rather, it was like catching up with an old friend. The son of an Orthodox Greek priest, he said that he watched his father's sermons every Sunday and saw them as light and comedic. It turns out that his first taste of public speaking was not on stage, but in front of his classmates as a candidate for class president. While he did enjoy his tenures in charge of his class, he confessed that it was more that he was able to get up in front of his class and speak, usually cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing while pitching his platform.
Where do his jokes come from? The answer is short and simple, "Personal experience. For example, I used to have this joke in my act about not being able to spell banana. Now, when I'm writing, I can't help but laugh when I forget how many nana's to put."
An avid musician, he can be seen playing a myriad of instruments on stage, some even at the same time. I asked him what influence music had on his comedy. Surprisingly, I learned that music in his act only started a few years ago, though he has been experimenting with chords and notes for some time. "I found that music punctuates the tone of the comedy," he said, "It helps to set the tone and mood; it makes it more fun." His love for music extends far beyond his comedy. An avid Beatles fan, his dream would be to one day release an album, albeit anonymously. When asked why, he replied that he wouldn't want people to know it was his if it was bad.
After spending most of his career as a stand-up comedian, he admitted that there have been some challenges transitioning to the small and big screens. When translating his material to television, he spoke fondly of the "box" he had to work with, and the difficulty he has in fitting everything in a single scene. A self-proclaimed procrastinator, he also professed that scripting material ahead of time was tough, especially for a kid that used to do his homework in homeroom. "That kind of stuff doesn't work on TV. The stage, scene and actors all have to be prepared in advance." He continued, "The worst part is when I think of stuff I left out. Really, the only person that suffers is me though because I know that I have something funny, but I can't just put it in."
After interviewing him, I genuinely believe that Demetri Martin might just be one of the most intelligent and down to earth people in comedy. He is the goofy kid next door that is always cracking jokes and is secretly the smartest person you know. Even with the challenges that he experienced writing his comedy for television, it is still the most entertaining half-hour of television you will find on a Thursday. "Important Things With Demetri Martin" returns for season 2, starting February 4 at 10 p.m. Tune in for a good laugh, you won't be disappointed.
From the very beginning of the interview, I did not feel like I was speaking to a television and film star. Rather, it was like catching up with an old friend. The son of an Orthodox Greek priest, he said that he watched his father's sermons every Sunday and saw them as light and comedic. It turns out that his first taste of public speaking was not on stage, but in front of his classmates as a candidate for class president. While he did enjoy his tenures in charge of his class, he confessed that it was more that he was able to get up in front of his class and speak, usually cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing while pitching his platform.
Where do his jokes come from? The answer is short and simple, "Personal experience. For example, I used to have this joke in my act about not being able to spell banana. Now, when I'm writing, I can't help but laugh when I forget how many nana's to put."
An avid musician, he can be seen playing a myriad of instruments on stage, some even at the same time. I asked him what influence music had on his comedy. Surprisingly, I learned that music in his act only started a few years ago, though he has been experimenting with chords and notes for some time. "I found that music punctuates the tone of the comedy," he said, "It helps to set the tone and mood; it makes it more fun." His love for music extends far beyond his comedy. An avid Beatles fan, his dream would be to one day release an album, albeit anonymously. When asked why, he replied that he wouldn't want people to know it was his if it was bad.
After spending most of his career as a stand-up comedian, he admitted that there have been some challenges transitioning to the small and big screens. When translating his material to television, he spoke fondly of the "box" he had to work with, and the difficulty he has in fitting everything in a single scene. A self-proclaimed procrastinator, he also professed that scripting material ahead of time was tough, especially for a kid that used to do his homework in homeroom. "That kind of stuff doesn't work on TV. The stage, scene and actors all have to be prepared in advance." He continued, "The worst part is when I think of stuff I left out. Really, the only person that suffers is me though because I know that I have something funny, but I can't just put it in."
After interviewing him, I genuinely believe that Demetri Martin might just be one of the most intelligent and down to earth people in comedy. He is the goofy kid next door that is always cracking jokes and is secretly the smartest person you know. Even with the challenges that he experienced writing his comedy for television, it is still the most entertaining half-hour of television you will find on a Thursday. "Important Things With Demetri Martin" returns for season 2, starting February 4 at 10 p.m. Tune in for a good laugh, you won't be disappointed.
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