Fort Lauderdale Magazine: Paul, your career has extended over four decades…from standup to a weekly series to films and writing. How do you decide what projects to take on?
Paul Reiser: I’m very content to not be busy, which is a nice luxury. So sometimes it’s a great script or it’s a great show that’s already ongoing, like “Stranger Things.” And sometimes it’s just wanting to go somewhere to film, like the movie “The Problem With People” that came out last year. I wrote that because I wanted to go to Ireland. So sometimes it’s location. And there’s always something that makes it worthwhile.
FLMag: So few balance humor and heart. Was this consciously developed over time or because your versatility and talent allow you to move so effortlessly? How do you do this?
PR: Growing up, my favorite movies, my favorite shows, my favorite actors were always naturally those people who could straddle both worlds. I think Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk and Alan Arkin were sort of my idols growing up. They were terrifically funny and heartbreaking when they needed to be and often in the same piece. That was something I was always drawn to. It wasn’t really an aspiration. I wasn’t trying to do that. The best stuff in life is on that fault line of funny and not funny. Whether it’s laughing, finding someone to laugh [with] at a funeral or something to cry about in a really beautiful moment. They do go on parallel tracks, and that’s the stuff that’s always interested me when we were doing “Mad About You”—the scenes and the episodes that we were most proud of were often those that were funny, and then 10 seconds later, really touching, and then 10 seconds later really funny again. That was a show I was very proud of being able to pull off.
FLMag: That was so hysterical and a joy for me to watch. I wish there were more like that today. How long did that successful series run?
PR: Yes, we were seven seasons, 1992 to 1999, and then six years ago, a one-time little revisit in 2020 we did all new episodes. Helen Hunt and I were very clear about never wanting to revisit or trying to recapture it, but when invited to do it, we thought it’ll be really interesting and fun to see what happened to these people 20 years later. We weren’t trying to pretend we were 30 years old anymore. What are these people doing now in their 60s, when their life has been altered and their plans haven’t all worked out? So again, it was finding the funny, and the not as funny.
FLMag: It’s a reboot of the series?
PR: Yes, it was sort of a revisit because we were trying to pretend that we’re the same people 20 years later.
FLMag: So stand up, comedy, acting, writing, producing: Was that range intentional from the start, or did you just begin with the stand-up and think that it would end there?
PR: That’s an interesting question. To be honest, when I started all I wanted to do was be a stand-up comedian. Sometimes, I had seen other comedians land a show or a movie role, but that wasn’t the goal. And then things happened, but a lot of them were accidental. I got my very first acting job in the movie “Diner” because I accidentally walked into the casting office, and so it’s sort of that kind of strange little happenstance. When “Mad About You” was offered, they invited me to create a show for myself, and my stand-up was all about that kind of material. I was newly married, and that’s where the show came from. When that took off, it wasn’t really until years later, maybe 10 years ago, that I finally got back into the stand-up. And it’s always been the thing that I love.
FLMag: So you would say that stand-up paved the path for your future.
PR: For sure, and I don’t get out on the road and [do] as much stand-up as I would like to, but I always welcome a change for me. I haven’t been in Fort Lauderdale for a few years and it’s always, always great audiences. I’m looking forward to being back.
FLMag: I know many people don’t know this about you—they’re not aware that you co-wrote the theme song for “Mad About You,” and you studied piano. Is that true?
PR: It’s all true, Deb.
FLMag: Why didn’t you follow the musical path?
PR: I was never really planning to. I was a music major, because I already played piano but wasn’t good enough to become professional. But I loved it, and in a weird way, it was actually an easy pass. I still play for my own entertainment. I’ve done some musical things, and I did an album of songs with this wonderful singer, Julia, that came out 10 years ago.
FLMag: You’ve been nominated for 11 outstanding nominations and Golden Globes for lead actor and executive producer for “Mad About You”, which I’m not surprised about as you had two iconic shows, “My Two Dads” and “Mad About You.” Both of them hysterical. I wish they made more shows like that today. Would you actually do another comedy show?
PR: Well, I’m actually working on one right now. I actually wrote a pilot script and we’re waiting to hear if we get to make it.
FLMag: So not a movie, a comedy weekly series.
PR: Yes, a weekly series. And the only reason we did it is because Deb in Fort Lauderdale was looking for new shows. So I said, let’s see what we can do to help Deb.
FLMag: [Laughs]. Who were you most fascinated and frightened to meet in person?
PR: Every girl since third grade has been someone to make me nervous. But one of the great things about “Mad About You” is we got to work with so many great guest stars. And we had people who were our idols. You know, we had Carol Burnett. We had Carroll O’Connell. We got Sid Caesar. We had Yoko Ono, who I was very anxious to meet. I would say, you know Mel Brooks. He was my idol. And the time that we had Yoko Ono on the show was a very wonderful but nerve-racking experience for me, because I just wanted everything to go right because I was such a big fan of John Lennon and Yoko. And what was funny is we ended up making that the gist of the episode. I was just falling all over myself to make things perfect for Yoko and we said, well, just make that the joke. So, that was a high point for me.
FLMag: What was one of the most unexpected moments on the set?
PR: I think one of the unexpected moments was when Jerry Lewis said, ‘Yes, I’d like to come on your show.’ Lewis was on in the very first season. Wasn’t our best episode, because that was our fault, but he was wonderful. I think that was sort of the behind-the-scenes moments, where we were getting to talk to these people and get to know them. Helen Hunt and I used to sort of pinch ourselves, and we never took it for granted. If you believe we’re sitting with Carol Burnett, we’re sitting with Rob Reiner. We met all our heroes. It was something we always appreciated.
FLMag: I’m really impressed with how you balance your comedy and drama in your work. How do you keep things so fresh all the time, or are they becoming stale now?
PR: [Laughs]. They’re stale, they’re all stale. Some things are meant to be funny, some things are not meant to be funny, and as an actor, that’s your job to do what the script requires. And like I said before, part of the fun is finding a light moment in what would otherwise be a serious scene, and sometimes also finding a touching moment in what is otherwise a funny scene. I like finding the little hidden nuggets.
FLMag: Well, comedy is so good for the soul and the heart and everything else. I mean, laughter is the best medicine.
PR: Well, you know, one of the great things that I’ve noticed the last few years about getting out to experience [comedy] that people are really relieved. They welcome it, especially since COVID-19, and politics has gotten so divisive, people are really more grateful than they used to be. People are appreciative of having an evening where they can just laugh and be together. It’s a very communal thing—hundreds of people sitting in the same room together, laughing at the same things that we all share. And I never thought of it in those kind of of terms. What feels good about it is that we’re all in this together, and people welcome the chance to spend the night laughing together.
FLMag: Looking ahead, what would you still love to do professionally or creatively that people might not expect from you?
PR: I still kind of want to play shortstop for the Yankees, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’m letting it go. I think I’m past my due date, and also, I have no skill in that area, so those two factors pulled it back for me. I’ll be honest, there are always people that I say would be fun to work with. But nothing is burning in me that I feel if I don’t do that, I will not have lived a complete life.
FLMag: So, you’re a happy man that’s done it all right.
PR: Up until this interview I was [laughs].
FLMag: [Laughs] Well, wait a minute…what did I do to change that?
PR: No, no, you asked very good questions.
FLMag: I wish you the very best of continued health and success.
PR: Thank you. I appreciate your time.
WHAT: Paul Reiser
WHERE: The Parker
WHEN: February 25 – 7:30pm
TICKETS: parkerplayhouse.com
Paul Reiser is set to attend the 40th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Screening “The Problem with People” on Tuesday, February 24, 7:00pm (Reception) and 7:30pm Screening at Savor Cinema with Q & A.
