Comedian and actor Steve Martin is known for his quick wit and clever observations. In a recent MasterClass, he shared some of the wisdom he’s learned over the years about how to be a successful comedian.
Here are some of the highlights and tips for future comics:
1. Be yourself. “The key to being funny is to be yourself,” Martin said. “People who try to be funny end up being phony, and audiences can see through that.”
2. Don’t be afraid to bomb. Part of being a successful comedian is learning how to handle rejection and bombing in front of an audience. “It’s all part of the game,” Martin said. “You’ve just got to pick yourself up and move on.”
3. Be prepared. One of the keys to being a successful comedian is preparation. Martin recommends doing as much research as possible on your topic and practicing your routine so that you’re confident when you go on stage.
4. Talk about comedy. “If you’re at the very beginning of even thinking about being in comedy or being in show business or performing, I would get with your best friend or your smartest friend, and start talking about comedy,” Steve explains. “I don’t mean for a lunch, for an hour. I’m talking about days, days, into the night.” This is a great way to build confidence and to learn how to generate material. You’ll start pitching jokes to each other, learn how to phrase things, and when to pause. “You’ll be surprised at where you end up five days later from where you began. You’ll already be more sophisticated and more knowledgeable about yourself.”
5. Study your influences. Steve learned a lot about comedy by studying his favorite comedians, like Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello, and Steve Allen. “Also, there are so many people in my life who influenced me who were not famous comedians they were just funny,” says Steve. “There’s so many funny people that you pick up things from. Little attitudes. You can really gather comedic style by just being aware of the people around you and the professionals who have learned how to shape their comedy into something substantial.”
6. Share the laughs. Stand-up comedy isn’t the only way to be funny—many comedians work on sketch or improv shows with a large group of comedians. Steve’s recommendation when doing group shows is to let other performers get laughs, too. “If you’re even around a laugh it’s also reflecting on you,” he says. “It’s the greatest feeling.” When you work with other comedians, don’t be afraid to share the spotlight. Think of the performance as a team effort.
7. Think about your context. “When I was performing in the late ’60s and early ’70s,” Steve explains, “the climate was very political. … If I played a college all I had to do was mention Richard Nixon and the place would uproar with funny. [For my routine] I had really long hair, and I had turquoise jewelry and kind of a hippy look.” Steve knew that the hippy routine was funny with audiences, but one day he had a thought: maybe audiences were craving some laughter that wasn’t political. “That was probably the most important moment of my professional life, that understanding,” Steve says. “I cut my hair, and I shaved my beard, and I put on a suit, and suddenly by doing nothing to the act rather than being at the tail end of an old movement I was at the front end of a new movement.” That’s his recommendation for young comedians: ask yourself, “What is the state of the nation? What could I do that would be unique and unusual?” Steve says, “It doesn’t even have to be that unique, just a slightly different statement.”
8. Record your ideas. If you’re having a hard time coming up with new material, Steve says that the best place to look is all around you. “Remember you are a thought machine,” he says. “You have 1,000, a million thoughts a day. Just learn to observe them a little bit, and say, ‘Oh is that an idea I could use.’” Record these ideas someplace, and you’ll soon start seeing how to piece them together into comedy material. “A million things happen to you every day,” Steve says. Take advantage of them.
9. Perform. In Steve’s experience, performing a show is the best way to become a better comedian. “Do it every opportunity you can,” he says. “You just have to get out there and do it. That’s the thing that’s going to mean the most.” If a show doesn’t go well or if you have a few hecklers, that’s okay. “Don’t be depressed by bombing failure,” Steve says. “Just the sheer amount of performing and the sheer amount of failure is honing you. You’re learning something.”
Are you ready to take the first step towards a comedy career? Explore Jeff Zaret to uncover invaluable tips for future comics. Don’t miss out on the wisdom shared in this post; it could be your ticket to a brighter comedic future! Start your journey now, and remember, laughter is the best medicine.