David Steinberg
David Steinberg
David Steinbergis a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was one of the best-known comics in the United States. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more than 130 timesand served as guest host 12 times, the youngest person ever to guest-host. Steinberg directed several films and episodes of television situation comedies, including Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Designing...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth9 August 1942
CityWinnipeg, Canada
CountryCanada
I started writing this feature comedy in New York - a Chris Farley vehicle. The script was decent. When I got to LA, I met some new friends in film school and had them read my script and give me notes.
And it was a huge emotional thing to leave the law and become unemployed - to be a student again.
My father was a rabbi and had a little synagogue in Canada, so I'm from Canada. I left there at 16.
Comedians talk to other comedians the way jazz musicians can talk to each other.
I rewrote it and I took all your notes. Read it again, that kind of persistence paid off.
The interesting thing about improvisation is you're making something up in front of the audience. Now music helps you out a little bit because you have an instrument that'll separate you from the audience.
I don't really dissect comedy. Nothing kills off humor more than overanalyzing it.
The odd thing about comedy is that the more personal you are, the larger the audience.
Great Canadian comics are often outsiders and insiders at the same time. That's a great perspective for a comedian.
The worst thing that can happen to a comedian is to do a documentary on your life and you're watching it with an audience and there's not a laugh.
When I started, you didn't make a lot of money by being a comedian. You didn't get a lot of respect.
Your relationship with an agent has got to be mutually beneficial. If you can't help their careers, then they're not going to be interested.
On 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' it takes almost a year to get 10 shows written. It always reminds me of my old yeshiva days, where you used to sit over a piece of Talmud and analyze everything that was going on.
In comedy, looking back is more important than looking around at your contemporaries because they are too much influenced by the same time period as you are.