Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids and The Office episodes, shared stories from his early days in stand-up comedy.
In a candid conversation on Sony Music Entertainment’s Dinner’s On Me podcast, Feig, 62, recalled competing with comedy legends like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Robin Williams at iconic venues like The Improv.
“I was in the era of when Jay Leno was out there and [Jerry] Seinfeld was out there and, you know, and I, and Robin Williams, I mean, yeah, I got sabotaged by Robin Williams a couple of times when I was finally got to be a performer at The Improv,” Feig shared.
Although Feig was making progress, he wasn’t yet a top act. “So you’d kinda have a later spot,” he added.
Feig remembered one evening when Williams unexpectedly took the stage, derailing his own chances.
“I remember like once, it’s my time to get up and there’s a full audience. I was like, so excited and they come up like, ‘Oh, you know Robin just wants to get up and do a quick set first.’ I’m like, ‘Well cool,’ ” he recalled. “He did an hour and he finished it. Everybody left except for one woman who was waiting for her husband to come back from the bathroom.”
Despite early setbacks, the film maker went on to achieve success, directing 14 episodes of The Office and earning two Emmy nominations and a Directors Guild of America Award.
Before wrapping up the conversation, Feig teased his latest project, A Simple Favor 2, revealing it’s “almost finished.”
