The first segment of this episode is a conversation with Wendy Liebman, a woman who has been making me laugh for years. Wendy reminded me how much fun we have talking to each other—a lot of fun. Comedians talking about comedy is boring; comedians trying to make each other laugh is fun. I am pro-fun.

A few years ago I made a pilot (trial first episode of a TV show) for CBS. I asked my friend David Mamet whom I should cast, and he said “America’s best character actor is David Paymer.”. So, the cast included Paymer, Marcia Gay Harden, Jane Adams, and Robert Klein. The dialogue in the scene you’ll hear is between me (reading the role of Paymer’s dad) and Paymer—a guy who, like me, is smaller-than-life as an actor. The audience was made up of studio and network executives, writers, and cast members. One of the executives was Gene Stein. He was the guy who championed this show.

And finally, you hear about my fear of overstaying my welcome in comedy. Thanks for listening, and please let me know what you think by writing to me.

Featuring: Wendy Liebman, David Paymer
Music: Mike Shapiro, Billy Novick, and Guy Van Duser