Businessweek Extra - Paul Reiser

as they say in the modern day content business. And you know, we caught him at home as everyone is, and he had something to say about his family and a really fun conversation, including a call back to your favorite monk. There's a whole of the world. And it's funny. You know, my kids will say that, what do you think we're gonna be able to go? Not only don't I know, nobody knows. Don't remind him and and m and me. This is the first time going through this

for all of us. So there is something comforting in that, as as as lost in the as uh as hard as it is and challenging and scary, it's like we're all going through this together, and uh you know, the best we can do is let's be smart and cautious and and uh and wait. So you know, I the part about staying home, uh doesn't bother me. I gotta be honest. I I like that part. I don't like not working. I miss and I don't like how many things that the world is suffering as much as it is.

But in terms of you know, my motto is, you know, how do you you know? What about being stuck inside? I said, you know, I've been outside before. I didn't enjoy it that much. You know, Yeah, inside is so much. Uh, I enjoy it. I enjoy it. I luckily I like the people that I'm locked in with. So that's right. It makes a difference. If you like your family, it's a lot easier. I'm just gonna say, because people feel different. You had people read sort of redescend on your home? Right,

read what redescend on your home? People? Your nest is no longer empty? Oh yes, yes, yes, the nest is full. It is chock full and ready to kick people out. Might not even be the kids we might be leaving. We'll just leave them, so you enjoy the empty net. No, you know, my my son was on school back east and he came home. Um and uh, I kind of like that. Uh, you know, he's restless and he's it's it's like, yeah, now now you know, I don't see him anymore. By the way, he's upstairs. He comes out

for feedings. That's about it. It's sort of like having a lizard. If he needs to be gets some nutrients and some water, you will appear. Otherwise he's just upstairs somewhere. But I'm you know, and we're all trying ways to be creative. And I'm doing a couple of writing projects. And you can still write, uh with the presumption that the world will return to some normalcy within you know, within hopefully not the near too far distant future. And what what's your I was I was about to ask you,

just like your kids, what's your best guests? But I mean, what are you hearing from? Talk to my kids, They yeah, exactly what what are you hearing from? You know? Producers, director, as you work with you know, partners, because you have so many sort of irons in the fires, and it changes, you know, it changes so frequently. You know, one show that was up and went in March and went down and they have not given any indication of going back. I was going to do a film that was going

to be this fall. That is now they've pushed to the beginning of the year. And for a minute a few weeks ago. You know, it's interesting like all of this when you hear things like you want to go wait a second, is that something you heard somebody some other idiots say, or if you actually know something you know and so I go, well, I hear that's such and such show they're gearing up ready to go in July, and you go okay, And then then you know, we've had a spike in the last week or there's gone

back up. So I think all bets are off and let's let's beat this thing um or move all moved to a country. We're all moving to New Zealand. I think they figured it out. They figured out and they won't be having us. By the way, you know, we've been asking everybody considering the last fourteen weeks, in the last three weeks coming out of Minneapolis. You know, the role of leaders, the role of people even like yourself, you know, entertainers, comedians, folks who have platforms. You know

what we can all do to kind of make things better. Yeah. Well, you know, as I said before, that there is something um, somewhat comforting in that this is universal and we are all in this together, and you know, and and uh. In terms of the virus, I mean, it certainly doesn't exempt anybody. It's like, oh, don't don't infect that guy, he's on tv UM, you know. So it's just we're all figuring this out together and all sweating through this together.

And and yeah, all voices that are constructive and productive are welcome. And and I I I feel personally like I part of the reason I never really get into politics. It's like I feel like I will just get so overwhelmed and passionate that will be remarkably inarticulate and uh and and rather than sort of jump into any conversation, I think what I've felt was a more efficient ways. It's just sort of too forward and retweet and point the light to people who are saying things much more

articulately and eloquently than than I could. Um, there's a lot of a lot of smart, helpful people out there doing doing great work. But yeah, you know, there also is the the the risk of overload. There was so in this world we live in, everybody can talk twenty four hours a day and it's hard, too hard to pick through it a lot of times. But yeah, there are there are some very articulate and eloquent and voices out there and they should be heard more well, And Paul,

I do that to that I'm not one of them. Well, you can't say that someone who writes as much as you have your books. I'm just you know, you know what you're doing. By the way, I'll tell you what I'm still stuck on. I'm very about you. Yeah, but you said you have I do. You said you have a man about you mug. You know what I thought was in the five ten minutes I was off the air listening to the news. What I thought we had mugs? You did, But I don't have a mug. It's a

perfect it's your logo. I have to go to your house and have coffee at your house to experience that you are welcome anytime. It's it's met about you. The logo on the front and the back says you've got to be a little crazy to be in love. And I have to say, yeah, I just never never saw that in my life. I have no idea. I never heard that slogan good for them, good for you A piece at I know, I feel like nothing, no, but

he sends nothing. But it's very it's very sweet. I drink my coffee out of a Stephen Colbert mugs that was part of the swag bag that I did two years ago or something. So every day I go, I think of Steve when I drink my coffee. Well, I just say that show. I just have to say, because my husband and I were newly weds and and they were just seen after see we just look at each other and it was we could they relate to it? It was really adorable, So it was you know, it

was it was all written from truth. And I always hold people I'm not smart enough to make anything up, so I can only talk about what actually happened to me. So that show, you know, luckily, But and as I find when I'm when I when when stand up comedy still existed, when I, you know, doing my stand up, it's like I only talk about what happens to me, and the audience is laughing because they're going, oh, thank god, it's not just us. This guy, this guy has the

same problem at home. So you know, there is again the universal you know, there's there's uh, there's a great comfort in having company on the ryde Um. But yes, so that's uh and part of anyway, Yes, give me a question, and I will well, I do wonder. I mean we we were sort of you know, bouncing back and forth between Carol and me and our producers about like, I mean, this is a career that has endured in

many ways, and I do wonder. You know, one of the main things that that you have done, Paul, it seems is you know, shift very successfully to you know, this whole new world of distribution, specifically um with Netflix, and you know, really leveraging that platform in many ways. And I do wonder what, you know, sort of sort of how you did that, whether that was intentional, whether it was just material coming to you. I well, I

don't I don't think I did anything that clever. The world change and you go where they're having where are they making shows? Okay, let's go there. Um, So it wasn't a conscious choice of Hey, I'm going I see the Wave of the Future and it's on Netflix. Um, you know, but you did pick good material. I mean, I will say, there's a lot you can do. That's the only thing you can do is be selective and

say do good things. And I've been lucky and sometimes I was able to create things, and and often I just got luckily invited into sing things, you know, stranger things called and I went, well, that's not something I have to think about too long. Yes, please? Uh And

Kaminsky Method, you know, it totally happened by accident. I had seen the first first season of Kaminsky Method, and Chuck Laurie, who created it, I know for thirty years, and I I from his first job, and I called him just to tell him, you know how great it was, and I thought it was so terrific. And I jokingly, this is why I don't take a lesson from this kids, because this doesn't work like this often. But I jokingly said, well, why don't you and I do another show like that?

Come on? That's come on. Two guys sitting in a car complaining I can do that all day. And he chokingly but not joking, he said, do you want to be on this one? I went okay, And apparently he had this role in mind where I play the old guy that dates Michael Douglas's younger daughter and uh in a month later, I'm in the bald makeup and padded and aged up and playing with Michael Douglas and Ellen Arkans Sara Baker doing this lovely show and it's, you know, kind of a dream gig, to be honest, well a

dream gig, and there's Emmy buzz around it. And first of all, we were all as a team. When we're planning this morning and talking about our show, We're like, you haven't running, you haven't want to Emmy, who do I talk to? Is that? Well, we're gonna we're calling you, make a call. But you know what, maybe because there are mugs about you, There are mugs about you, you deserve an Emmy mugs. Yeah, a lot of guys what Emmy's don't have gram does Kelsey Grammar have a mug exactly?

But seriously, you're really good. I'm going to make that pretend it was by choice, so that even if I wore two. It's crazy that I'm being nominated for Kamisky, which that they're talking about it, but I don't imagine that I will be nomin But if I were, I'm gonna say I'm not interested anymore. I'm gonna play hard to get. I'm gonna make that my theme. You think that wise, Just do what my mom taught me. Yes,

thank you please, yes, thank you please. Okay, I'll take it, and I'll tell them that the nice people with the mug told me it's such a fun show. And I'm so tickled to be honest, so that people would talk talking about that. It's uh, it's icing on top of the gravy, on top of the cherry. All right, Well, when you know that happens, or whatever next great thing happens, you'll have to come back. And when you win, you

have to say. I have an Emmy, and Carol Master said, I also have a mug, and that's all I ask. I'll tell you what. If this happens, I will bring the Emmy to you. You can hold it, and if you let me hold the mug, there you go. I'm just going to tell you this is recorded. This is being recorded, so I'm going to call you on it. All right, Paul, no problem, I understand. I meant that, and I will show up. I'm a man of my word.

That's comedian Paul Riser. He's you know, Jason. He's a comedian, he's an actor, he's a writer and author, multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, American Comedy Award and nominations. Believe it or not, he's never won an Emmy, so we'll see if he gets one for the Kaminsky Method. Um, it's really fascinating. But man, just talking to him, one of my favorite chose was met about you back in the nineties. So it was just fun to catch up with him, and you know, he liked the rest of us is stuck

at home. To get his observations on that was really fun. He really is your it in on that mug. I can't wait for the Emmy for mug handoff. That's going to happen when it all comes together and we're all back to some semblance of normal. You've been listening to Bloomberg Business Week Extra, be sure to tune into Bloomberg Business Week Radio Live Monday through Friday at two pm Wall Street Time. I'm Bloomberg Radio. I'm Carol Masser, and I'm Jason Kelly. This is Bloomberg