Paul Feig Says Robin Williams ‘Sabotaged’ Him Throughout Their Stand-Up Days

Paul Feig remembers how he and Robin Williams have been as soon as rivals on the stand-up comedy circuit.

Talking to Jesse Tyler Ferguson in an all-new episode of Sony Music Leisure’s Dinner’s On Me podcast printed on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Bridesmaids director, 62, recalled a time earlier than his fame when his profession was virtually “sabotaged.”

“I used to be within the period of when Jay Leno was on the market and [Jerry] Seinfeld was on the market and, you recognize, and I, and Robin Williams, I imply, yeah, I obtained sabotaged by Robin Williams a few instances once I was lastly obtained to be a performer at The Improv,” Feig mentioned of his early days on the comedy membership franchise that originated in New York Metropolis in 1963.

Based on Feig, although he was getting his foot within the door, he nonetheless “wasn’t one of many principal guys” throughout this time. “So that you’d kinda have a later spot,” he added.

Subsequent, Feig shared how the late actor reportedly blew his possibilities one night. 

“I keep in mind like as soon as, it is my time to stand up and there is a full viewers. I used to be like, so excited and so they come up like, ‘Oh, you recognize Robin simply needs to stand up and do a fast set first.’ I am like, ‘Nicely cool,’ ” Feig mentioned.

“He did an hour and he completed it. Everyone left aside from one lady who was ready for her husband to return again from the toilet,” he added. 

Though issues might not have gone as deliberate for Feig that night, he did discover success later. 

Through the dialog with Ferguson, 48, Feig recalled a life-changing second when a challenge he’d been engaged on was inexperienced lit. 

“It was big, I imply it was life altering,” he mentioned of NBC buying Freaks and Geeks, including that he was in London when he obtained the excellent news.

“I keep in mind I used to be on the tube and had this little pocket book and I wrote within the pocket book, I feel I am about to get every thing I’ve ever needed out of my life in my life,” the Jackpot director defined. 

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“And it was similar to, I could not imagine it as a result of I have been struggling for thus lengthy. So, it was nice. I keep in mind when the primary episode got here out, the critiques have been unbelievable. They have been simply glowing, glowing critiques.”

Feig went on to direct 14 episodes of The Workplace, and earned two Emmy nominations and a Administrators Guild of America Award for his work on the sitcom.

Earlier than ending the dialog, Feig shared that his newest challenge, A Easy Favor 2, is “virtually completed.”