Lily Tomlin…I used to watch reruns of Laugh-In and she was always my favorite part. She’s this very unique talent and the way she does things has been a very big influence on me.
BARON VAUGHNLily Tomlin…I used to watch reruns of Laugh-In and she was always my favorite part. She’s this very unique talent and the way she does things has been a very big influence on me.
BARON VAUGHNSometimes I have young comics that ask me, “What should I do when I meet an agent or a manager and they ask me stuff?” And I say, “Well, they always usually ask, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years, 10 years, 15 years?’ And it’s good to have an answer for that.”
BARON VAUGHNI am afraid of abandonment, and, if you will, in a really existential way, being exposed as a fraud. Everyone’s afraid of it, and I definitely am. This is a fear that motivates. Oh, and heights. And getting stabbed.
BARON VAUGHNSometimes you’re not getting the laughs you want or at the place you want but that doesn’t mean it’s not funny. It means you haven’t explored it enough.
BARON VAUGHNThe thing is that where I want to go isn’t necessarily tied to what’s going on there politically, but I think Vietnam is a really beautiful country. I think Thailand is also really beautiful.
BARON VAUGHNI’m working with a lot of legends who are brilliant who are people I’ve looked up to from a very young age.
BARON VAUGHNThe Middle East is gorgeous, but again, politically, I would not want to go there.
BARON VAUGHNI just got diagnosed with tendonitis which is such an insulting diagnosis. Just point to my shoulder and say “old.”
BARON VAUGHNThere’s a difference between a sense of humor and a sense of funny. A sense of humor is knowing what makes you laugh and a sense of funny is knowing what makes other people laugh. The journey of comedy, in a sense, is negotiating those two worlds.
BARON VAUGHNThe audience is not your boss. They are your collaborators and when you collaborate with someone you don’t have to listen to everything they think or say.
BARON VAUGHNI read recently that I was born in Arizona. I wasn’t born in Arizona. I was born in New Mexico, but I can understand why people might confuse those two Southwestern desert states.
BARON VAUGHNOne time I was really close to Steve Martin. I was too afraid to actually go talk to him, but I’ll count that as meeting.
BARON VAUGHNIf you’re driving down the street, you keep the neck forward. So that way you can clear out the lanes.
BARON VAUGHNI think Batman Returns is right for riffs. I love it but it’s the ultimate Tim Burton movie. There is so much that happens that’s crazy and there are a ton of things to riff.
BARON VAUGHNAs you go on you realize “Okay I know how to get laughs but am I saying things I want to say? Am I writing jokes that I like?” You get to a point that is that so you move on.
BARON VAUGHNEvery laugh is not equal. They come from different places. That’s sort of the challenge I go towards, making sure the laughs are for the reasons I want. It becomes a back and forth dance with the audience.
BARON VAUGHN