10 minutes with... Paul Reiser

Punchlines at the Paramount! 11-time EMMY®-nominated actor, writer, and comedian Paul Reiser comes to the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont

There are few entertainers with a resume as rich as Paul Reiser’s. A beloved fixture of television, film, and stand-up comedy for more than four decades, Reiser has become a familiar presence across generations. His most memorable roles range from the neurotic romantic in the hit sitcom Mad About You to the corporate villain in Aliens; the sweetly conflicted Dr. Owens in Netflix’s blockbuster series Stranger Things to the sardonic showbiz veteran in Hulu’s Reboot. On July 24, Reiser returns to his stand-up roots with a one-night-only performance at the historic Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont. It’s part of a national tour that follows the release of his comedy special, Life, Death & Rice Pudding—an hour of wry reflections on marriage, aging, and the absurd poetry of everyday life. The special and live set both capture what Reiser does best: turning the small stuff into something memorable and entertaining. Of course, stand-up is just one piece of a remarkably versatile career. In recent years, Reiser has also co-written the bestselling memoir What a Fool Believes with music legend Michael McDonald and starred in the Irish indie film The Problem with People. Whether he’s collaborating with GRAMMY® Winners or duking it out with Demogorgons, Reiser remains a master of timing—both comedic and creative. 

Sherman: What made you return to the stage—and perform Life, Death & Rice Pudding—at this point in your career?

Reiser: I always intended to do stand-up. Everything else in my career was sort of an accident. I got busy with Mad About You, then I was happy to stay home with our kids. I ended up not being on stage for 20 years. I avoided taping a special, because once you tape it, you burn the material. But I had been out of the limelight for so long, I felt like I had to put something on the record. Especially with younger people saying, “Oh, I didn’t know he does stand-up.” I thought, “No, no, that’s what I do!”

Sherman:: Your material is drawn from everyday life. How do you filter what makes it into your act?

Reiser: The most personal is usually the most universal. If I’m talking about marriage or aging or parenting, someone in the audience goes, “Yep, that’s me too.” One of the best compliments we got on Mad About You was people saying, “You must have cameras in our bedroom!” That’s how I knew it was hitting. I’m pretty private, though. I only share what I’m comfortable with. Although I do have one bit in the show based on a falling out with a friend – and he’s coming to see the show next week. So, we’ll see how that goes.

Sherman: You’ve been discovered and rediscovered by multiple generations—from Diner to Stranger Things. Do people engage with you differently depending on when they first encountered your work?

Reiser: Absolutely. People my age have grown up with me—we got married, had kids, and watched them grow up at the same time. So, there’s this kinship. Younger fans who know me from The Boys or Stranger Things—they just go, “Hey, you’re that guy!” and that’s the extent of it. But I see them at shows. Teenagers show up because their parents brought them—and they’re like, “That’s the guy from Netflix.” It’s all cumulative. One audience doesn’t cancel out the other. It builds.

Sherman: You joined Stranger Things after it was already a huge hit. What was it like stepping into something already so big?

Reiser: I love creating my own work, but I also enjoy just showing up and playing a role in someone else’s world. The Duffer Brothers actually named my character in the first draft, “Dr. Reiser.” I thought that was a lovely compliment. The show was already a global phenomenon, so it was an easy “yes.” I just thought, “Don’t bring the show to a halt—keep up and swim alongside them.”

Sherman: You co-wrote What a Fool Believes with Michael McDonald. What was that experience like?

Reiser: It was the first time I wrote something I wasn’t involved in creatively beyond the page. I was just there to help him tell his story. I learned not to fight for jokes. If it didn’t feel right to him, it didn’t belong. He has this open-hearted collaborative spirit from working with so many musicians. And in the process, we uncovered a real story.

Sherman: Let’s talk music. You trained as a pianist and even co-wrote the Mad About You theme song. Does music still factor into your life?

Reiser: I’ve always played piano. Lately, I’ve been going back to pieces I always wanted to learn—just the good parts! I had a studio in our old house where I could play anytime. We moved, and now everyone hears me. One day my wife asked, “Why is everything you play so sad?” I said, “It’s not sad—it’s emotional.” I love Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Sibelius. I’m drawn to melancholy. 

Sherman: You’ve made people laugh for decades. Who makes you laugh?

Reiser: I’d go back to the old stuff—the Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks. These days, Nate Bargatze is great. So are John Mulaney, Kathleen Madigan, Sebastian Maniscalco, Taylor Tomlinson. Marc Maron is doing amazing work. But honestly, I try not to watch too much. Either I think, “That’s so good, I’ll never top it,” or, “I just wrote that and now I have to scrap it!” So sometimes it’s better not to look sideways.

Sherman: What’s your philosophy on missed opportunities?

Reiser: I’ve had things I loved that just disappeared from streaming services—The Problem with People, There’s Johnny. I thought with streaming, stuff would just live forever. But if your window expires, it’s gone. It’s frustrating. But I don’t have regrets over stuff I turned down. Tom Hanks beat me out for something once, and I thought, “Yeah, I’d cast him too.”

Sherman: So, what advice would you give your younger self?

Reiser: Don’t worry so much. So much of what you stress about doesn’t matter. A few years ago, I canceled a trip to Italy with my wife to do a film I didn’t really care about. I regretted it. I said, 

“Never again.” Don’t postpone joy.

—JOSHUA SHERMAN 

For tickets: 

paramountvt.org