Wayne Federman: Comedy Renaissance Man
Wayne Federman is an actor, producer, writer, historian, and stand-up comedian. He currently teaches level two stand-up history and performance at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts.
Federman attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he studied with legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. He has appeared in numerous television programs and films, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Crashing, Silicon Valley, Shameless, Community, Transparent, The X-Files, Documentary Now!, New Girl, Step Brothers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Legally Blonde, Funny People, 50 First Dates, and The House.
As a thirty-year veteran of stand-up, Federman has his own special on Comedy Central, appeared multiple times on The Tonight Show, tours nationally, and appears locally at The Hollywood Improv, UCB, LARGO, and Dynasty Typewriter. His critically acclaimed three-volume stand-up compilation, The Chronicles of Federman, was released in 2016 on ASpecialThing Records.
Federman is also a comedy and cultural historian, having written articles for Vulture, Splitsider, and The Atlantic. He’s appeared on multiple episodes of CNN’s The History of Comedy and co-produced the the Emmy-winning HBO Documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. Federman also co-hosts, writes, and produces the popular podcast: The History of StandUp.
His new book is, The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle.
Federman is an Emmy-nominated writer and has also received three Writers Guild nominations. He was the head monologue writer on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon over its first season. He has also written special comedy material for Seth Rogen, Mel Brooks, Key and Peele, Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Andy Samberg, The Muppets (Statler and Waldorf), Bob Newhart, Megan Mullally, and Fred Armisen.
What prompted you to write The History of Stand-Up?
It actually began decades ago, in high school, with my nerdy interest in radio comedians from the ’30s and ’40s. In college, at NYU, I wrote term papers on Johnny Carson’s early career and the films of Jerry Lewis. Then, around 2014, a few of my stand-up history articles got published in Splitsider and Vulture magazines. And not too long after that, I started teaching at USC while also co-hosting a podcast entitled, The History of Stand-Up. So, all these streams, through all these years, led to the writing of the book.
How did you find the experience?
Writing The History of Stand-Up was challenging. I’m more of a re-writer than a writer, so the text kept getting revised and revised. It took much longer than I anticipated. But I loved drawing connections. How Will Rogers is connected to Chris Rock. Or Fred Allen is connected to Albert Brooks. Through all the eras of stand-up: lecture tours, vaudeville, burlesque, revues, radio, records, nightclubs, TV, coffeehouses, comedy clubs, and now the internet.
What was the most surprising thing you found in your research for the book?
I was surprised and amused by the fact that, at almost every year in the past, I found a quote along these lines… “we need to laugh now more than ever.” People were saying it in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. Good times, bad times, it didn’t matter.
What inspired you to pursue stand-up comedy?
Oh, as soon as I found out that stand-up comedy was a job — I wanted to do it.
It’s one of the great professions on the planet. You work for seventy minutes, create laughter, get to be a big shot, and also get paid? It’s not surprising so many people want to try it. I still love it.
How does your Judaism impact your comedy and/or your life?
Well, I’m very proud of the fact that I was part of the first group of comics who toured Israel, right after the 2nd Intifada. No show biz acts would travel to Israel at that time. It was supposedly too dangerous. But Gary Gulman, Dan Naturman, Avi Liberman, and I decided it was the right thing to do. So, we all went. That gig kicked off a recurring stand-up tour of Israel that continues to this day. In fact, there’s a wonderful documentary about those tours called, The Land of Milk and Funny.
You used to play hard rock tunes on the electric ukulele. How did that come about?
Playing Hendrix and Zeppelin tunes on the ukulele was my big closer. I always liked comedians who incorporated music in their act. I was inspired by performers like Victor Borge, Pete Barbutti, Steve Martin, Albert Brooks, Kelly Rogers, and especially Roger Ray. I even got to play international ukulele festivals in the early 2000s. But ultimately, I wanted to use the piano. So good-bye ukulele and hello Baldwin and Yamaha.
In 2010, you were part of the last comedians to tour and perform for U.S. combat troops throughout Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. How did you find that experience?
Performing for our soldiers and sailors was an honor. I’ve had a very cushy life. I’ve never served in the military, but I have a profound appreciation for the troops that sacrificed so much so I could live this satisfying life. Interesting fact, the first notable American to do shows for the troops on foreign soil was a comedienne named Elsie Janis. She entertained the boys in France during World War I, twenty years before Bob Hope and the USO began sponsoring tours. She was known as the “Sweetheart of the AEF” (American Expeditionary Force).
You wrote for Vulture Magazine about the enduring impact of Richard Pryor’s 1979 concert film. How did the film affect you?
I’m still amazed that the content of a full-length motion picture was just a comedian doing his act on stage. It was also evidence of how far stand-up had developed. When you think of early vaudeville comics as funny ethnic characters doing knock-a-bout routines and then, 60 years later, to witness what Pryor achieved — it’s staggering. I really believe that all of modern stand-up comedy lives in the shadow of that film.
In your early years, you were a rock drummer, a ventriloquist, and a sports broadcaster. Were you planning a professional career with any of those?
Those were all done primarily during my days in high school in Plantation, Florida.
I really liked performing and they afforded me an opportunity to try different disciplines. Point of clarification: I wasn’t really a “rock” drummer, I played standards at weddings. But the ventriloquism led directly to my stand-up career.
What’s it like teaching stand-up performance and history at the University of Southern California?
Teaching stand-up comedy is a mixed bag. Some students are mildly curious while others have real passion and dedication. You can’t really teach someone to be funny but you can create a supportive and fun environment where they can get try stand-up for the first time. Plus, I share a few helpful performance and writing techniques that I’ve picked up over the years. Nothing we do in class is as valuable as getting up on a real stage, in front of strangers, and trying to get laughs. It’s like swimming, at one point, you have to get in the water.
How did this connection come about for you with basketball player Pete Maravich?
Pete Maravich’s life is one of the most compelling stories I had ever heard. It’s Shakespearian. So I co-wrote the authorized biography of “Pistol” Pete Maravich with the hopes of maybe one day making a biopic. The book took five years to complete. I still get a kick out of watching Pete Maravich highlights.
How was your experience producing a web series for Don Rickles?
That was the very last project Don Rickles did before he died. I only wish we could have done the show a few years earlier when he was in better shape. But being in the room as Rickles interacted with Martin Scorsese, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Judd Apatow, Amy Poehler, Billy Crystal, was a sight to behold. In fact, we had other confirmed guests on the production board when he passed. Man, I loved that guy.
You were head writer for the first season of NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. How was that?
Writing for Jimmy Fallon was an absolute blast. The guy is ridiculously talented. He can do straight news jokes, silly jokes, accents, act-outs, impressions, plus he can sing, dance, and play the guitar. So, whatever we threw at him, he could easily handle. Plus, I got to write with some really talented stand-ups like Morgan Murphy and Anthony Jeselnik. Also, as a comedy nerd, we taped the show in studio 6-B in Rockefeller Center. Which is the same studio where Milton Berle did the legendary Texaco Star Theater.
How important is music in your career and in your life?
Music is a passion for me. I play the piano most every day. I also have a beautiful set of drums. I really like popular music — my taste runs from Stephen Foster to Max Martin. I’m now beginning to dabble into Beethoven and Mozart but, because I’m a self-taught piano player, I play easier “versions” of those tunes.
You performed at over 200 colleges. How are those shows different from club or TV performances?
I learned a ton playing colleges. Some of the shows were spectacular. Others were a struggle just to get the crowd’s attention. Early on, I had to perform what was known as “nooners” Those were daytime shows usually done in the quad or the cafeteria. Nooners were a real challenge because you were basically interrupting some poor kid trying to eat or study.
Do you have a favorite performance or show from all the acting work you’ve done?
Certainly, one of my favorite shows was performing stand-up at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Besides all the great country artist that have graced that stage — John Phillips Sousa did concerts there. Sousa! That’s beautiful.
On television, it’s probably my role as Dean Weinstock on Curb Your Enthusiasm. And in films, maybe a tie between the Blind Guy in Step Brothers or the Harvard admissions board guy in Legally Blonde.
How have you managed to avoid the lure of overindulgence in drugs, sex, and alcohol?
When it comes to alcohol. I’m just lucky. I have unsophisticated taste buds so booze (even beer) tastes bad to me. Plus, I like being mentally clear. But there is a downside to my under developed taste buds — I still eat lots of fast food. Speaking of which, have you tried the Chicken Chalupa Supreme at Taco Bell?
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of show business?
Music, playing basketball, documentaries, sports, and film history.
What did you do during the pandemic?
Besides writing the book, I reduced my Coca Cola intake. I firmly believe that Coke is the greatest beverage ever invented but it was time to cut back. We had a nice 55-year run.
What remains on your bucket list?
Playing Carnegie Hall is still a goal. But I don’t have a bucket list — instead I created a non-bucket list. These are things I don’t want to try before I die. Here are just a few examples: bungee jump, compete in a hot dog eating contest, free solo, act in pornography, waterski barefoot, eat live roaches, shoot heroin, or listen to a Steely Dan album.
Any advice to young aspiring comedic performers?
Get up on stage. I’ll also echo something that Steve Martin once said, “Be so good that they can’t ignore you.”
Is there anything that folks would be surprised to know about you?
I spoke on the telephone with Irving Berlin, I completed the NY Marathon, I’ve been in Lithuania but not France, I wear the same shoe brand that I did in the 2nd grade (Converse All Stars aka “Chucks”), I wrote jokes for Statler and Waldorf, my favorite Beatle is Ringo, and I’m a former member of ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts).
Is there anything you’ve never been asked in an interview that you wish you were asked?
Who was the first celebrity you saw in person? In 1966, I saw Soupy Sales at the Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was promoting his classic film, “Birds Do It.”
