SNL's Fey gives comics their due
The AVClub has an interview with Tina Fey in which she acknowledges the art form:
AVC: Did you ever do stand-up?
TF: At a very amateurish level in Chicago. Very safe open-mic nights. More like coffeehouses than actual comedy clubs. But I really admire stand-up, and I think I would have loved to learn how to do it. I think it’s terrifying and thrilling. A really cool thing to do. It’s a dying art, in a way.
AVC: It’s sort of a distinct art form from being a comic actor. There’s a great Mitch Hedberg joke about how when you get really good at comedy, they want you to be an actor. “You’re a really good chef. Can you farm?”
TF: Right. It’s a separate, special skill. And so many people get into it just to get opportunities as an actor. That’s why, when you look at people like Colin Quinn… that’s their art form. The art form they want to master and are so brilliant at. That’s what I think is cool.
Special thanks to sharp-eyed reader Rick Guerra!
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Reply to: SNL's Fey gives comics their due
Is she suggesting that Colin Quinn can’t act? I think what she and Hedberg are touching on is commonly known as the Peter Principle which states that people are promoted to their level of incompetence.