NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 When asked in a recent interview if he鈥檒l always want to do stand-up, Colin Quinn joked that he鈥檚 tired and can't do it forever. Then the 63-year-old comedian launched into the 鈥渕agic鈥 he feels onstage when getting a laugh, and sheepishly admitted he鈥檒l probably never give it up.
Quinn has embarked on his eighth one-man show, playing now through Feb. 11 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in New York. He鈥檚 previously performed on TV, including 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥 and 鈥淕irls鈥 and in movies like 鈥淭rainwreck,鈥 and is the author of several books, but stand-up keeps pulling him back. Known for his observational humor, Quinn shines a light in his new show on the way we communicate in person and online, and spoiler alert: It鈥檚 not always pretty.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the comic explains his process, his advice for younger comedians and how so-called woke culture has changed comedy. Answers have been shortened for clarity and brevity.
AP: You connect how small talk has evolved into people posting online. What does that say about us?
QUINN: The internet is obviously our life. I鈥檓 always thinking about 鈥榃hat does it mean? What is so important?鈥 For most people, it鈥檚 attention and opinion. You know, like those are the big things that matter on the internet 鈥 you鈥檙e giving your opinion and getting attention. I鈥檓 always looking for little definitions of everything because I feel like that鈥檚 another thing in comedy, when I鈥檓 defining things. If you鈥檙e having a conversation, in the middle of it, just stop and go, 鈥榃ait a minute. What is a conversation?鈥
AP: Many fellow comedians revere you, do you ever give them advice?
QUINN: I couldn鈥檛 give advice. They know better than me what they need to do. They鈥檙e the ones that are鈥 cutting up clips and throwing it out. Like, I鈥檇 be like 鈥楬ey, try to get on Letterman.鈥 They鈥檙e like, 鈥榃hat? He doesn鈥檛 have a show anymore.鈥 Or, 鈥楬ey, try to get a sitcom,鈥 (laughs). The only advice I could ever give is if you鈥檙e not writing new stuff a lot, you鈥檙e going to stagnate. It鈥檚 almost like the opposite of musicians. Musicians, with a few exceptions, the first couple of albums are their best, and then they just kind of can鈥檛 really capture that magic. With stand-up, you can鈥檛 rest. Nobody鈥檚 gonna say 鈥減lay your hits!鈥 you know, very rarely. So you have to keep writing. The more you do it, it gets easier that you know what direction to focus on when you鈥檙e writing. But you have to keep working at the same pace your whole career. There鈥檚 no coasting in stand-up.
AP: How has woke culture affected your comedy?
QUINN: There鈥檚 so many subjects that people will not laugh at. So if you even identify 鈥 not just make a stereotype 鈥 if you identify anyone鈥檚 ethnicity, the room tightens up. There鈥檚 a lot of little subtle areas, some good, most bad, in my opinion, that it affects鈥 It鈥檚 not all of comedy, but it鈥檚 definitely it has a big effect, you know?
AP: You鈥檙e friends with Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer. What鈥檚 it like when you go to dinner?
QUINN: Nobody鈥檚 really fighting for attention, but everybody鈥檚 being funny the whole time, of course. I mean, that鈥檚 our thing, you know what I mean? Like, that鈥檚 what we do. It鈥檚 hard to really say what it looks like, but鈥 we did a few weeks ago and it was just hilarious. And Amy鈥檚 baby son was there, Gene. It鈥檚 just like throwaway lines, but it鈥檚 not big and gregarious laughs. It鈥檚 more like a series of sarcastic or snotty remarks to each other.
AP: You have other gigs but keep coming back to stand-up. Will you do it forever?
QUINN: It鈥檚 not what I want to do forever, I鈥檓 tired. I say that because I have all these other projects I write and stuff. But I have to say, when I鈥檓 on stage and I鈥檓 talking to some crowd鈥 when there鈥檚 something going on, you鈥檙e like 鈥業 can never have this in other parts of showbiz I鈥檓 so lucky.鈥 Or something happens in the news and I make a little joke and then everyone laughs. You just you feel so grateful 鈥 especially after COVID when we didn鈥檛 do it 鈥 you feel just gratitude. So, yeah, I guess it鈥檚 easy to walk away because I鈥檝e been doing it forever. But there鈥檚 something that鈥檚 kind of a magic where you鈥檙e just lucky to be one of the people that can do it. Yeah, I probably would never give it up.
