Find your Funny
I had to do a comedy scene for class once, it wasn’t working and I was asked by my teacher to 'find your funny'.
I nodded solemnly and told her that I absolutely would work as hard as I could to find my funny. It prompted a deep, deep analysis into who I am, what my type is - where I fit in the zeitgeist of popular culture - and finally I realised I could find my funny by being like the characters I enjoyed watching!
"I'm more of an Andy Samberg in Brooklyn 99- No, I'm a Ty Burrell in Modern Family- Wait, I'm actually a Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean- Pfft, no way, if I’m being honest with myself I am Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy- STOP, I'm really more of a..."
You get the picture. I think they call it 'Paralysis by Analysis'?
Ha. I didn't feel paralysed, I was so jacked up with all these sweet comedic ideas that by the time I had to do the scene I had successfully convinced myself that I was nothing like those actors, and I was my own type and that type is boring and non-funny so I'd better just give up.
However, I persevered, because I realised my actual problem was that I didn't really know comedy. So I devoted hours into studying the intricacies of comedic writing and how to play the beats of comedy perfectly for maximum laughs.
It came time to do the part again, and I tell you, I hit those comedic beats perfectly.
Triplets, extended triplets, turnarounds, extended turnarounds, playing the opposite, extended playing the opposite. I hit 'em all so good.
But no one laughed. I was devastated. I barely even watched the other scenes, and when they got laughs I just felt sick to my stomach.
I got home from class, looked in the mirror (a la Jake Gyllenhall in Nightcrawler) and told myself;
"It's fine. I’m fine. I'm a dramatic actor after all. I'm more suited to serious roles. So I'll stick to Chekhov, David Fincher and I’ll do a that scene from Good Will Hunting next week".
I put on the most serious face I could- BOY was I serious- and suddenly I couldn't help but laugh.
After a few guffaws I stopped myself, embarrassed. I HAVE TO BE SERIOUS. I laughed again.
I realised my teacher hadn't said "Find your funny".
She had said "Find yourself funny".
Comedy is serious, but to do comedy, you cannot take yourself seriously. Learn to laugh at the things that would normally upset you and see the humour in tragedy. You will develop a lightness and presence perfect for comedy.
There's a great quote: "A comedian draws a picture of the world, the closer you look, the better you draw".
Comedy, even more so than drama, is paring back all the layers of what it is to be human until we are bared to the world, naked and afraid. And most of the time, that is actually really funny - but you have to see and experience that side of the world first in order to access it. Make a fool of yourself. People will laugh.
Now, I'm not yet a comedy master, but practicing humility and reminding myself that I don't have to be serious all the time hasn’t just helped my comedy acting, but my life too.
P.S: Please, please study how comedy works, it will only help you. Just don’t think you can get by with only technique!
P.P.S: If you’re still struggling to make sense of my disjointed writing style, this simple quote by the late and great Robin Williams sums it up better than I could in 120 pages.
