

#Ben schwartz movies and tv shows how to#
It ended up being like 20 jokes.ĭave has a specific rhythm and learning how to write jokes for it was such a training ground. Eventually I got one on, and soon after that I got a bunch on. I asked for the same opportunity, they said no a couple times in row and then finally they’re like ‘Send in some jokes.’ So I did, and they thought they were funny. “The way that works is you write a bunch of jokes and you only get paid if one gets on. “One day I learned this other page was gonna freelance jokes for Letterman,” he says. He took improv classes and became a page at David Letterman, hoping to become funny enough to be discoverable. Hustle and Discipline, 2004Īfter college, Schwartz surrounded himself with entertainment and comedy. (As do Jane Fonda, Rose Byrne, and Timothy Olyphant, who round out the cast.) As the movie hits theaters, and House of Lies gears up for a fourth season, Schwartz talked to Co.Create about balancing writing and acting jobs, and the respective merits of the wrong hair and the right letterhead. The ensemble dramedy stars Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and Connie Britton, who all know a thing or two about gaining traction on TV. With acting in mind from the start, the Upright Citizens Brigade-groomed improviser had to navigate through the world of commercials, novelty books, and failed pilots in order to get here.Īlthough he’s had roles in many films before, Schwartz has never been in as pedigreed cinematic company as he is in This Is Where I Leave You, which opens September 19. His pathway to show business was paved with the kind of hard work that’s frowned upon by his breakout character, the lovably incompetent Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Recreation.

In the past decade, Schwartz has gone from being a page at Late Show With David Letterman to starring in the Showtime series House of Lies and writing screenplays for Seth Rogen and Anchorman director Adam McKay.
