David Steinberg

Silences are the most underrated part of comedy.

When I talk to Steve Martin, he's joyful when he talks about comedy.

I don't really dissect comedy. Nothing kills off humor more than overanalyzing it.

The thing about stand-ups is you can't really get good unless you're failing in front of a large number of people. That makes stand-up comedy unique: you need a tremendous amount of reserve within you to take the rejection from the audience, and without it, you can't do anything.

I started writing this feature comedy in New York - a Chris Farley vehicle. The script was decent. When I got to LA, I met some new friends in film school and had them read my script and give me notes.

We were the guys on the other side. It was hilarious.

I used to have a theory actually that, if you've had a good childhood, a good marriage and a little bit of money in the bank, you're going to make a lousy comedian.

And it was a huge emotional thing to leave the law and become unemployed - to be a student again.

Great Canadian comics are often outsiders and insiders at the same time. That's a great perspective for a comedian.

In comedy, looking back is more important than looking around at your contemporaries because they are too much influenced by the same time period as you are.

Here's the rule that I set for myself, and I believe it - even on a show like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm': the more personal you are, the wider your audience.