An Interview with Leo Allen.
Leo Allen is a smart, intellectual comedian who manages to effectively create humour from areas that other stand ups may find more difficult. Whether that be through his witty, acerbic stand up or his writing; having written on Saturday Night Live (with comedy partner Eric Slovin) for three years, as well as being credited co-creator on the hilarious John Benjamin Has a Van (in which he also frequently seen on screen), Leo Allen brings a unique charm and persona to an industry that is saturated with the mundane. Here we talk about, amongst other things: how he got in to comedy, what his writing process is and the aforementioned John Benjamin Has a Van.
The Humourdor: What was the genesis of you getting into comedy?
LA: I moved to NYC with the vaguest of aspirations of becoming a comedy writer, with no idea of what to do or who to talk to - so I started performing.
H: You were in a duo, Slovin and Allen, how does performing in a duo compare with solo? Is there one you prefer?
LA: Well, in a duo, in your mind you can blame the other person if things aren’t going well. Somehow bombing in a duo actually feels worse, because you have to stick with it more than with a standup bit that isn’t going over well. I like them both, but its much harder to arrange a schedule for two people than one.
H: What’s your writing process like?
LA: If I have a deadline that I’m getting paid for, I’m pretty good at getting it done. When I’m writing for myself, I’m much more of a procrastinator. I always experiment with different ways of generating material.
H: You host “Whiplash” at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, what does being host involve? How did you get started doing this?
LA: I started because the people at the UCB asked me to take over that show when Aziz Ansari moved. As a host, I feel that my job is to set the tone with the audience that this show is a place for performers to legitimately try out new things. I do try to make sure the tone is good for the performers. But, it also helps that we consistently have literally the best standup comedians in the world every single week.
H: Do you prefer writing or performing?
LA: I like both, and hate them both. I do feel that one really helps the other.
H: You wrote for Saturday Night Live, which a lot of people have horror stories about, what was the experience like?
LA: Most of the time, you sit around and people tell you horror stories about things that happened before you got there. Then around 4 am, you start to write the sketches you wish you’d written on Monday night like a responsible person would have.
H: How did you get involved with Jon Benjamin Has a Van? What does the H stand for in his name?!
LA: In October of 2009, Jon Benjamin sent me a cryptic email, and later that same evening we I met at a bar and talked about what the show could be. Then he told me he’d ‘forgotten his wallet’, so I ended up paying the bar tab. So I guess the H stands for ‘has no wallet’.
H: You’ve written for a lot of shows created by other people, is it ever hard to write for comedians who have a distinct style, like Demetri Martin? Would you ever consider doing your own show?
LA: It’s actually much easier to write for people who have a distinct style - they’ve done the hard work by setting the template. Also, there’s always a collaboration when you write for someone, so it will always be tweaked to fit their style even more. I would consider doing my own show if anybody asked me, or if I ever had a thought of something that would be interesting that only I could do.
H: Do you have any advice for aspiring comedians/writers?
LA: The only real advice is to keep making stuff, performing, and writing. There’s no secrets, shortcuts, and I personally have never really had a “Eureka” moment. All other advice is just procrastination from doing that.
