April 10, 2025 • 15 mins
Sometimes doing nothing tells you where you need to go. A frank episode about putting comedy on pause while pursuing acting opportunities, featuring audition stories, a serendipitous mentor discovery, and why Maine's comedy scene deserves more attention.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Starting Stand-Up in Maine
podcast, where we discussstand-up comedy and my
ill-advised attempt to get goodat it.
I'm David Walton, professor ofnothing at the Stanford School
of Medicine.
I have no discernible skillsexcept to pretend to play
doctors, lawyers and idiots ontelevision and film.
Today's episode we discuss whyI didn't get Jack squat done all
(00:24):
week.
Oh man, that's rubbish.
(00:53):
That's rubbish, that's rubbish.
What do I have to report?
A big settle.
One thing I listened to lastweek's episode and I listened to
the set quote unquote.
That I did at the end and Idon't think I'll do it again.
I there's a lot of reasons whyI.
I had this experience where Iwas like I just don't like the
(01:14):
person who's talking and Icouldn't figure it out if it was
because I was misrepresentingmy relationship with my dad.
He doesn't talk like that David.
Like he doesn't talk like thatdavid, like he doesn't talk like
that and and I don't mess orfuck with him like that.
The one thing I would probablykeep, which is interesting, is
(01:34):
like this shame about being anactor, but when, from an
audience's point of view, ifthey know that you're a
quote-unquote successful actorwho's like recognized on TV a
lot and you're talking about.
You know how shameful it is tobe an actor.
It's like I don't think that Ithink that plays probably in LA.
(01:55):
It doesn't play in Maine.
It's sort of like a nuancedthing that you have to know
about how actors like, how likewhat actors are really like.
You know this idea of likewearing makeup and stuff.
How sad it is and I, I loveacting.
I think the big news, which isit's a long time coming and fuck
(02:17):
it.
You know it's been a long time,um, since I've had a good
script sent to me and I got twothis week that were just so good
.
Uh, little house on the prairieremake, and then this uh pilot
called seven sisters that'sgoing to be on fx.
(02:38):
It's going to be awesome.
And you know you get thosescripts and these the good
scripts.
These are the hardest things toget because you know usually
get those scripts and these thegood scripts these are the
hardest things to get becauseyou know usually you'll audition
and like you'll be like god, II wonder who they're who, who
won it?
And then it's just like ryanreynolds and you're like what,
(03:00):
why?
Why did I audition?
I mean, that's a bit of anexaggeration, but usually it's
some.
You know the good projects.
It's just some huge star comesdown and does TV, but they're so
good that it didn't matter.
I just poured myself Like Inever, and I wonder if the
standup work ethic and just, orwhether I was just so thirsty to
(03:23):
do my first love, which isacting, and it just launched me.
So I got these scripts, Iworked really hard on them and
then I watched the audition.
I was like, oh no, like I thinkI forgot how to act, it just
was bad.
And then that led me down thisroad where of course I was like
(03:46):
I'm not gonna do a stand-uppodcast anymore.
I gotta do an acting podcast.
Because you know it's like gowith your strengths, like you're
starting this thing which youdon't have a natural affinity
for.
I mean, you can't.
Even you still probably haven'twritten a joke yet Like a
proper joke.
And you're like six months in,like what are you doing?
(04:08):
And so I was like but you knowhow to act, so why don't you do
an acting podcast?
So then I Googled actingpodcasts, you know, to see what
was out there, and I found thisone.
It's called the Working Actorby Jeff Seymour, and I just like
, and it was like the mostpopular one, and I clicked on it
and he had a website and hejust rocks this five minute
(04:32):
monologue straight to cameraabout why all acting classes
suck shit.
And I listened to this man dropthe fucking hammer and I was
like I need to talk to you and Iimmediately bought his book on
(04:55):
Kindle.
It's called the Real Life Actorand it sort of articulates all
these frustrations I have andwe're going a little inside
baseball here on acting.
But I've been taking actingclasses since high school, since
freshman year of high school,so eight years of schooling,
(05:16):
then drama school in London,then summers at the Actors
Center in New York veryprestigious like NYU Juilliard
Yale teachers, and then variousclasses throughout LA, private
coaches, all this stuff.
So I've I've done a lot.
I've read a lot of acting books.
You know you're always lookingfor your method, your way of
(05:37):
doing things and everybody'squote unquote method, which is a
misused term, but everyone hastheir different way of doing
things.
You know Michael Fassbender,supposedly.
You know good hog, good-sizeddick.
He um an amazing actor.
I don't think they'recorrelated, um, but he he does
(06:02):
these amazing performances andyou'll see interviews in like
right before he does thisincredibly emotional scene with,
like a southern accent as likea slave owner.
He's like joking around, fullynormal Michael Fassbender, and
he just clicks in.
It's just like.
And then you got DanielDay-Lewis, for example, who's
(06:22):
staying in character the entiretime.
Two amazing actors, twoextremely different styles and
vibes and methods, and they'reboth methods.
Daniel Day-Lewis is thetraditional method actor, right,
but Fassbender's got his methodgoing.
(06:47):
So, anyway, my point isFassbender's just as much method
as Daniel Day-Lewis is what I'mtrying to say.
He's just figured out whatworks for him.
So, anyway, jeff Seymour, I readhis book and I start applying
it to this audition I got andthen my wife goes away.
I get another audition forLittle House on the Prairie
(07:13):
remake on Netflix, which isgoing to be great.
I think the pilot's so good andI was like shit, maybe Jeff
does coaching.
Maybe Jeff could read with him.
Go to his website.
Sure enough, click on the link,just shoot Jeff a C-note.
(07:37):
Like 18 hours later I'm chattingwith Jeff, whose book I've just
torn through, who I discoveredbecause of this podcast and
having some weird intrusivethought that I should be doing
an acting podcast Googleperplexity, jeff Seymour's
(07:58):
website.
Read his book.
Now, speaking to him, him thatis in a two-day span, in 48
hours I go from no idea who JeffSeymour is to now him making my
audition so much better, somuch better, and re and
reigniting my love of acting andrealizing that I can get better
(08:26):
on my own In a you know, Idon't have to go to class and,
like, sit through four hours ofscene study to hone the skills.
So I've got a new dailytraining regimen for acting so I
can get my zhuzh again and Ican couple it with this, which
(08:50):
is connected and can help, Ithink, and it's always good to
have different creative projectsgoing and different muscles to
exercise.
This is all to say.
I haven't done shit for stand-upthis week.
Nothing, not one moment, hasbeen dedicated to stand-up
(09:12):
because it's been dedicatedcompletely and totally to acting
and that is a-okay.
And if it's not okay with you,well, well then, I'm so sorry,
I'm so sorry.
No, I think it's nice, it'sbeen a nice break and it's
(09:36):
allowed me to kind of reflect.
It's six months in here, we'resix months into this thing, and
it's allowed me to reflect andrealize that I think I'm
definitely toning down on theneurotic side over analysis of
(10:00):
my process and what I'm doingand I'm going to.
I've got a nice pipeline comingof main comics.
I really want to get main comicsexposure and I want to help the
main comedy scene becauseMaine's awesome and there's a
(10:23):
lot of talented people here andstand-up is a super fun way to
spend a night.
I mean, especially at our age,it's like we've done everything,
like we're not in our 20s wherewe're just trying to like get
blackout and hook up.
Like what are you going to do?
Another dinner with friendsEnough?
(10:44):
You've already spoken to thesepeople.
You know what they're going tosay.
Stop talking and go laugh at acomedy club.
Let's get main comedy cookingand let's get these people.
Let's get their lives exposed.
Let's get their stories outthere.
(11:04):
All the podcasts are about allthese famous people.
Let's get these young guns.
Who knows, maybe I'll get someinterviews of guys that will be
massive soon in five years, whoknows?
But we're going to cook man,we're going to get some Maine
comedy Starting stand-up inMaine.
(11:24):
It's time to jump in, all right.
So that's all I got.
When you don't do anything,there's not much to report.
It's just that I'm probablygoing to be throwing out
everything I've ever done tojust bring in room for new.
I think holding on and tryingto no, I mean, I'm still going
(11:49):
to do that 10-minute set, I'mstill going to get stuff, but
I'm going to get connected tothis community in Maine more
deeply and hopefully showcase alot of talented people.
(12:10):
And if you've been listeningfor six months, I think this
will be fun Because you'll belike, finally, finally we get
some other people to listen to.
Good lord, good Lord, all right, hey, this has been fun.
Took me a while to figure outwhat to talk about today,
(12:30):
because maybe when I'm 85, I'llrelease the unreleased tapes.
Good Lord, it's been a weirdnight.
Put the kids to bed at 9.
Pm it's 11 15.
And I've been recording nonstopand finally just discovered
what I wanted to talk about.
Sometimes that's the way ithappens.
(12:51):
I'm wishing you oh my gosh,it's April.
The masters is on.
Uh, this is just so much goodsports.
If you love sports, I am.
So I just want to get electivesurgery and not move for the
next four days.
Maybe I could fix my Cro-Magnumbrow.
(13:13):
Something's happening, and it'sbecause I have to watch these
self-tapes, you know which is anawful thing where you do an
audition and then you've got tochoose the thing you did that's
best to send to these people whoare going to reject you.
But I've been looking at myeyebrows and I already had a
(13:37):
sort of crow magnum brow, justgenetically.
I don't know, neither of myparents do, but uh and anyway
the there's a falling down, likeyou know how rocky gets hit in
the eye and the whole eye weldshut, um when drago and he's got
(13:57):
to get it cut, like I'm likehalfway there where I'm just
getting rocky eyes just becauseof the, I think, gravity on my
Cro-Magnon brow.
So, yeah, maybe next year,masters, this time next year, I
can get some elective surgery.
Maybe I'll go to Korea orsomething where they do it right
(14:21):
.
Thailand, yeah, hit me up, dm meif you know any good, uh, cheap
elective surgeries who can helpwith Cro-Magnum brow.
I mean, it's not even for, uh,you know, looks, it's just so I
can see.
Yeah, all right, I love you.
All right, I love you.
(14:47):
I wish you so much peace, Iwish you so much joy, I wish you
so much adventure, I wish youlots of gentle lovemaking and
one session of really fucked upshit, new stuff, stuff that just
feels like it's right on theedge of dangerous and illegal
Dirty.
(15:07):
Just one, but the rest of thetime very connected, very loving
.
Okay, let me know how it goes,thank you.
Welcome to the Starting Stand-Up in Maine
podcast, where we discussstand-up comedy and my
ill-advised attempt to get goodat it.
I'm David Walton, professor ofnothing at the Stanford School
of Medicine.
I have no discernible skillsexcept to pretend to play
doctors, lawyers and idiots ontelevision and film.
Today's episode we discuss whyI didn't get Jack squat done all
(00:24):
week.
Oh man, that's rubbish.
(00:53):
That's rubbish, that's rubbish.
What do I have to report?
A big settle.
One thing I listened to lastweek's episode and I listened to
the set quote unquote.
That I did at the end and Idon't think I'll do it again.
I there's a lot of reasons whyI.
I had this experience where Iwas like I just don't like the
(01:14):
person who's talking and Icouldn't figure it out if it was
because I was misrepresentingmy relationship with my dad.
He doesn't talk like that David.
Like he doesn't talk like thatdavid, like he doesn't talk like
that and and I don't mess orfuck with him like that.
The one thing I would probablykeep, which is interesting, is
(01:34):
like this shame about being anactor, but when, from an
audience's point of view, ifthey know that you're a
quote-unquote successful actorwho's like recognized on TV a
lot and you're talking about.
You know how shameful it is tobe an actor.
It's like I don't think that Ithink that plays probably in LA.
(01:55):
It doesn't play in Maine.
It's sort of like a nuancedthing that you have to know
about how actors like, how likewhat actors are really like.
You know this idea of likewearing makeup and stuff.
How sad it is and I, I loveacting.
I think the big news, which isit's a long time coming and fuck
(02:17):
it.
You know it's been a long time,um, since I've had a good
script sent to me and I got twothis week that were just so good
.
Uh, little house on the prairieremake, and then this uh pilot
called seven sisters that'sgoing to be on fx.
(02:38):
It's going to be awesome.
And you know you get thosescripts and these the good
scripts.
These are the hardest things toget because you know usually
get those scripts and these thegood scripts these are the
hardest things to get becauseyou know usually you'll audition
and like you'll be like god, II wonder who they're who, who
won it?
And then it's just like ryanreynolds and you're like what,
(03:00):
why?
Why did I audition?
I mean, that's a bit of anexaggeration, but usually it's
some.
You know the good projects.
It's just some huge star comesdown and does TV, but they're so
good that it didn't matter.
I just poured myself Like Inever, and I wonder if the
standup work ethic and just, orwhether I was just so thirsty to
(03:23):
do my first love, which isacting, and it just launched me.
So I got these scripts, Iworked really hard on them and
then I watched the audition.
I was like, oh no, like I thinkI forgot how to act, it just
was bad.
And then that led me down thisroad where of course I was like
(03:46):
I'm not gonna do a stand-uppodcast anymore.
I gotta do an acting podcast.
Because you know it's like gowith your strengths, like you're
starting this thing which youdon't have a natural affinity
for.
I mean, you can't.
Even you still probably haven'twritten a joke yet Like a
proper joke.
And you're like six months in,like what are you doing?
(04:08):
And so I was like but you knowhow to act, so why don't you do
an acting podcast?
So then I Googled actingpodcasts, you know, to see what
was out there, and I found thisone.
It's called the Working Actorby Jeff Seymour, and I just like
, and it was like the mostpopular one, and I clicked on it
and he had a website and hejust rocks this five minute
(04:32):
monologue straight to cameraabout why all acting classes
suck shit.
And I listened to this man dropthe fucking hammer and I was
like I need to talk to you and Iimmediately bought his book on
(04:55):
Kindle.
It's called the Real Life Actorand it sort of articulates all
these frustrations I have andwe're going a little inside
baseball here on acting.
But I've been taking actingclasses since high school, since
freshman year of high school,so eight years of schooling,
(05:16):
then drama school in London,then summers at the Actors
Center in New York veryprestigious like NYU Juilliard
Yale teachers, and then variousclasses throughout LA, private
coaches, all this stuff.
So I've I've done a lot.
I've read a lot of acting books.
You know you're always lookingfor your method, your way of
(05:37):
doing things and everybody'squote unquote method, which is a
misused term, but everyone hastheir different way of doing
things.
You know Michael Fassbender,supposedly.
You know good hog, good-sizeddick.
He um an amazing actor.
I don't think they'recorrelated, um, but he he does
(06:02):
these amazing performances andyou'll see interviews in like
right before he does thisincredibly emotional scene with,
like a southern accent as likea slave owner.
He's like joking around, fullynormal Michael Fassbender, and
he just clicks in.
It's just like.
And then you got DanielDay-Lewis, for example, who's
(06:22):
staying in character the entiretime.
Two amazing actors, twoextremely different styles and
vibes and methods, and they'reboth methods.
Daniel Day-Lewis is thetraditional method actor, right,
but Fassbender's got his methodgoing.
(06:47):
So, anyway, my point isFassbender's just as much method
as Daniel Day-Lewis is what I'mtrying to say.
He's just figured out whatworks for him.
So, anyway, jeff Seymour, I readhis book and I start applying
it to this audition I got andthen my wife goes away.
I get another audition forLittle House on the Prairie
(07:13):
remake on Netflix, which isgoing to be great.
I think the pilot's so good andI was like shit, maybe Jeff
does coaching.
Maybe Jeff could read with him.
Go to his website.
Sure enough, click on the link,just shoot Jeff a C-note.
(07:37):
Like 18 hours later I'm chattingwith Jeff, whose book I've just
torn through, who I discoveredbecause of this podcast and
having some weird intrusivethought that I should be doing
an acting podcast Googleperplexity, jeff Seymour's
(07:58):
website.
Read his book.
Now, speaking to him, him thatis in a two-day span, in 48
hours I go from no idea who JeffSeymour is to now him making my
audition so much better, somuch better, and re and
reigniting my love of acting andrealizing that I can get better
(08:26):
on my own In a you know, Idon't have to go to class and,
like, sit through four hours ofscene study to hone the skills.
So I've got a new dailytraining regimen for acting so I
can get my zhuzh again and Ican couple it with this, which
(08:50):
is connected and can help, Ithink, and it's always good to
have different creative projectsgoing and different muscles to
exercise.
This is all to say.
I haven't done shit for stand-upthis week.
Nothing, not one moment, hasbeen dedicated to stand-up
(09:12):
because it's been dedicatedcompletely and totally to acting
and that is a-okay.
And if it's not okay with you,well, well then, I'm so sorry,
I'm so sorry.
No, I think it's nice, it'sbeen a nice break and it's
(09:36):
allowed me to kind of reflect.
It's six months in here, we'resix months into this thing, and
it's allowed me to reflect andrealize that I think I'm
definitely toning down on theneurotic side over analysis of
(10:00):
my process and what I'm doingand I'm going to.
I've got a nice pipeline comingof main comics.
I really want to get main comicsexposure and I want to help the
main comedy scene becauseMaine's awesome and there's a
(10:23):
lot of talented people here andstand-up is a super fun way to
spend a night.
I mean, especially at our age,it's like we've done everything,
like we're not in our 20s wherewe're just trying to like get
blackout and hook up.
Like what are you going to do?
Another dinner with friendsEnough?
(10:44):
You've already spoken to thesepeople.
You know what they're going tosay.
Stop talking and go laugh at acomedy club.
Let's get main comedy cookingand let's get these people.
Let's get their lives exposed.
Let's get their stories outthere.
(11:04):
All the podcasts are about allthese famous people.
Let's get these young guns.
Who knows, maybe I'll get someinterviews of guys that will be
massive soon in five years, whoknows?
But we're going to cook man,we're going to get some Maine
comedy Starting stand-up inMaine.
(11:24):
It's time to jump in, all right.
So that's all I got.
When you don't do anything,there's not much to report.
It's just that I'm probablygoing to be throwing out
everything I've ever done tojust bring in room for new.
I think holding on and tryingto no, I mean, I'm still going
(11:49):
to do that 10-minute set, I'mstill going to get stuff, but
I'm going to get connected tothis community in Maine more
deeply and hopefully showcase alot of talented people.
(12:10):
And if you've been listeningfor six months, I think this
will be fun Because you'll belike, finally, finally we get
some other people to listen to.
Good lord, good Lord, all right, hey, this has been fun.
Took me a while to figure outwhat to talk about today,
(12:30):
because maybe when I'm 85, I'llrelease the unreleased tapes.
Good Lord, it's been a weirdnight.
Put the kids to bed at 9.
Pm it's 11 15.
And I've been recording nonstopand finally just discovered
what I wanted to talk about.
Sometimes that's the way ithappens.
(12:51):
I'm wishing you oh my gosh,it's April.
The masters is on.
Uh, this is just so much goodsports.
If you love sports, I am.
So I just want to get electivesurgery and not move for the
next four days.
Maybe I could fix my Cro-Magnumbrow.
(13:13):
Something's happening, and it'sbecause I have to watch these
self-tapes, you know which is anawful thing where you do an
audition and then you've got tochoose the thing you did that's
best to send to these people whoare going to reject you.
But I've been looking at myeyebrows and I already had a
(13:37):
sort of crow magnum brow, justgenetically.
I don't know, neither of myparents do, but uh and anyway
the there's a falling down, likeyou know how rocky gets hit in
the eye and the whole eye weldshut, um when drago and he's got
(13:57):
to get it cut, like I'm likehalfway there where I'm just
getting rocky eyes just becauseof the, I think, gravity on my
Cro-Magnon brow.
So, yeah, maybe next year,masters, this time next year, I
can get some elective surgery.
Maybe I'll go to Korea orsomething where they do it right
(14:21):
.
Thailand, yeah, hit me up, dm meif you know any good, uh, cheap
elective surgeries who can helpwith Cro-Magnum brow.
I mean, it's not even for, uh,you know, looks, it's just so I
can see.
Yeah, all right, I love you.
All right, I love you.
(14:47):
I wish you so much peace, Iwish you so much joy, I wish you
so much adventure, I wish youlots of gentle lovemaking and
one session of really fucked upshit, new stuff, stuff that just
feels like it's right on theedge of dangerous and illegal
Dirty.
(15:07):
Just one, but the rest of thetime very connected, very loving
.
Okay, let me know how it goes,thank you.
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