DEADLINE: How are you feeling, with your new hour about to premiere?
SAM MORRIL:I feel pretty good.
DEADLINE: What makes you feel that way?
Sam MorrilMatt Salacuse
MORRIL:I had way more time to tour with this one.
Last time, I rushed it a little bit; also, it was just a weird time.
DEADLINE:Is there an underlying theme toYouve Changed?
What were you thinking about with this one?
I think its awesome, but its just not how I write.
Im learning to write in chunks a little more; Ive become a little more obsessive.
I think its because of my ADD; I think most comics have ADD.
Its like your mind has to wander a lot, but then you become weirdly obsessive on certain topics.
At least thats how I am.
So Ill find something that Im hooked on, and thatll get me a few minutes of material.
In this Amazon special, I dont know if its themes as much as structure.
I will start with usually either relationship jokes or something thats kind of unifying.
You kind of do whatever you want, once you prove it.
But I think any social commentary, I want to be usually at least 10 minutes in.
I want to earn it.
DEADLINE: Do you have a favorite joke from this special?
MORRIL:Theres a long story about my friend Chase that I think is just fun.
I love stories that emerge from weird nights.
I love stories that are a bit reckless and that my stupidity led to something positive.
I kind of romanticize nocturnal, questionable choices.
DEADLINE: Remarkably, at age 37, youre nearly two decades into your comedy career.
What inspired you to get into stand-up?
MORRIL:I was a fan.
I remember I went to Comic Strip, which was the club I started at.
I remember seeing Bill Burr and Kevin Brennan there, and they crushed.
Then, I saw Patton Oswalt and Dave Attell at Carolines.
Those were big ones for me.
I talked to them after and they were both really nice.
Hes still at the top of his game, but he really was also in the zone then.
I think he was doing the album that becameSkanks For The Memories, so it was just rapid-fire brilliance.
To see that live was like, wow.
It blew my mind that someone could do it this way.
To me, it was everything I loved about comedy.
DEADLINE: Hes been one of your biggest influences?
MORRIL:And supporters later in life.
Hes so supportive of me and has been such a good friend of me.
DEADLINE: How did you get your start on stage?
MORRIL:My first set was at 18 years old.
I didnt go hard my first couple years because I didnt understand what it took.
There was some immaturity there, but Im 37.
Ive got to hand out the flyers, Ive got to get on stage.
DEADLINE: What went into finding your voice as a performer?
MORRIL:Theres no blueprint, really.
If there was a class to teach it, man, that person would probably be doing pretty well.
But I think with any form of entertainment, its usually through trial and error.
I think thats big.
What has podcasting done for your career?
MORRIL:Its helped my reach and audience, but its hurt my stand-up.
I really would love to never do a podcast again if I could.
And maybe thats the case, maybe not.
But I didnt get into comedy to be a radio-punch in guy.
I dont like that.
I want to write screenplays and act not be an actor, but act in my stuff.
And I want to make movies and TV shows.
Its going to happen.
It might take me another couple of years, but I have stuff in the works.
I wrote a movie with Mark; were shopping that, and I think its really funny.
People couldnt even watch it, so that drove me crazy.
I wasnt like, Wow.
They gave out a bunch, and I thought I should have gotten one.
Then, for the second hour, I only got it because Amy Schumer produced it.
I dont think they wouldve given me an hour otherwise, and same goes from Mark Normand.
I dont think they were particularly interested in us until we had that.
As for Netflix, I was pretty damn late on Netflix, too.
I dont think I was on any of them early.
I was like, I want this to look awesome.
MORRIL:I couldnt spend what I spent on this on YouTube.
It wouldve been too much money.
My YouTube one is very minimalist and simplistic, and I think it works for it.
But also, I think now YouTube is oversaturated.
I think theres always going to be problems.
Joe List got demonetized on YouTube; so did Fahim Anwar.
I cant say the word c**t?
Im not saying I want to, but Im writing for the algorithm.
Youre now policing language, and I think its really dangerous for comedy and comedy specials.
That upsets me, that thats the way were going with social media.
DEADLINE: What are the other biggest challenges of building a career as a comic today?
Writing is really, am I getting better?
I always look ahead.
Am I getting better at comedy?
Is this hour better than the last one?
I think this one is, and I think my pace is better.
My friend is very critical of me, and I like it that way.
You have confidence in the bits.
I think that comes with writing a certain way, but also believing and trusting your audience.
I trust that theyre going to get what Im doing.
You and Mark Normand, for instance, have launched your own whiskey, Bodega Cat.
Has it been exciting to find areas like that to expand your reach?
But we could never do that.
And then I was like, Why?
Because I think it reminds them of their friends; its two friends just having a few drinks together.
Now, were with a new guy, and hes hustling for us.
I mean, were at the Comedy Cellar.
How crazy is that?
This is pretty cool.
DEADLINE: Tell us more about your ambitions looking ahead.
What are the next rungs on the creative ladder for you to climb?
MORRIL:Its hard to say.
I love movies so much.
I mean, the 60s and 70s in Hollywood was such a cool era for me.
DEADLINE: I could see you in a noir.
MORRIL:Thank you, man.
I mean, thats the special.
Literally, the note was, Make me look like Elliott Gould inThe Long Goodbye.
I just think he was so cool in that movie.
Great book, too.
I always find a joke is almost like justice.
Youve found a way to put a thing into words that makes sense.
Theres a lot of humility.
I always thought that great comics would kind of play down their intelligence.
So, I always love movies.
I do want to make some.
And that worries me.
Like, I dont like getting notes for my act.
Thats why I dont do late-night anymore.
Ill do it, but I dont like doing late-night sets because they give you too many notes.
I love comedy, so I dont want to sacrifice what I think funny.
Its literally all I have, is comedy and a whiskey company.
Those are the two things.
