Paula Pell has been a head writer for Saturday Night Live for seventeen years and has also written for 30 Rock AND has also done some work on movies like Bridesmaids. You might also know her as Pete's wife, Paula, on 30 Rock. She also happens to own a wonderful horse named Verbena who lives in the barn where I worked! She was nice enough to give me this interview! Isn't this exciting you guys!
K: Hi! How are you? I'm so sorry this has
taken me so long to send you these questions. By the way, I saw your interview
on Rookie and it was so good!!!!
P: Thank you! I loved doing that. I
love talking to younger girls because it’s too late now to give myself advice on
some things.
K: How did you get to be the Funny Lady
you are today?
P: My parents and sister were always
very funny and still keep me laughing. If you laugh in a family you can get
through anything. Life is hard but also great and laughing is a good reminder of
that. I was a huge ham when I was little. I was a good student but a big class
clown too. I loved to make people laugh for as long as I can remember. Humor
helped a lot when I moved to new schools twice in my childhood. When I made
someone laugh I connected easier and faster with them. It’s like a magic
wand.
K: How did you break into The
Business?
P: I was always in theatre and wanted
to be an actor professionally. I worked a lot of jobs (performing at theme
parks, regional theatre, doing commercials, etc.) and everything was an
important step towards where I ended up.
K: What did you study in
school?
P: I studied theatre, music and art. I
loved drawing and singing but I knew my heart was mostly in performance. I got
my degree in theatre at University of Tennessee in 1986. I did do some writing
too, but mostly for myself and pieces I was performing and some short stories. I
never thought I would end up writing as a career but I am so glad it happened
this way. I still perform sometimes and always will but it’s so amazing to write
and create whole worlds of people and their stories that make people laugh and
cry.
K: Were you really a musical theater
goddess? What are the odds that we’ll see you on Broadway some day? What is your
favorite musical? Were you in all of the musicals in high school?
P: I was most definitely not a goddess
but I’ve always adored it. Being onstage harmonizing in a musical is pure heaven
for me. When I rehearse a musical sketch I’ve written for SNL I get such an ache
and wish I was up there singing too! I would love to do Broadway someday. I
always played the character roles and now that I’m getting old enough to look
the part maybe I’ll do it sometime! My favorite musical is probably Sweeney Todd
(one of my dream roles is to play Mrs. Lovett) I love so many
musicals.
K: What is like getting to be around
people who are so funny and famous – like Tina Fey for example - and you, of
course- all the time? Is it empowering or a little nerve wracking?
P: I’ve been at SNL for 17 years so
most of the famous people came there as young eager unknowns. Watching their
talent propel them to being so successful is very exciting to watch. They are
still themselves and to me are friends and not famous people. Every so often I
will be nervous to work with a host if I have always admired them (like Robert
Deniro). It’s empowering to write something for a host you love and they score
with it. It is one of the best things when you work at SNL. I’ve made many
professional and personal connections with people who host and it’s really nice
now, because I’m writing movies and I could write a script for
them.
K:How do you come up with fresh material
all the time? Your Twitter is stock full of gems. How do you keep firing those
puppies off?
P: I love writing on Twitter because
it’s such quick little comedy morsels instead of a whole script, which can be
intimidating. Too bad it doesn’t pay or I would do it every day in my PJ’s with
my cats and dog on my lap! With sketches and longer movie scripts there is more
prep and outlining, but with anything I write I just have to get in a mode of
letting my mind flow freely and funny ideas will hopefully and eventually start
coming out. So many ideas come from the world around me too. If I see or hear
something/someone that makes me laugh it gets the brainstorm going. I love
writing from a character perspective. I picture who that person is and then it’s
easier to think of what they say and how they are funny.
(Check out her Twitter HERE. It's the best.)
K: What do you think the odds are of Tina
Fey reading your interview on my blog?
P: She is a super busy lady and is in
the last month of doing 30 Rock but maybe I can slip a copy of it in her
sandwich. ☺ That’s the best way to contact me also, put a note in my food. Just
don’t let it stick to the cheese.
K: Do you have any inspiring advice for
people trying to follow their dreams?
P: These are the biggies from my
experience:
-BE YOURSELF- the only way you’ll
find success is to write/perform with your unique voice. No one can ever be
you.
-BE BRAVE- There are a lot of
experiences in the arts that can feel crippling, because when you get rejected
you can get in your head that they are personally rejecting you (everyone’s
biggest fear) You have to be strong in those times and be able to shake it off
and say “it wasn’t meant to be” and take what you’ve learned and keep
moving.
-BE PRODUCTIVE- If you write, write
a lot, even if it isn’t good. Have others you trust read it and keep improving
yourself. Whatever you want to do you must do it all the time and find classes
to do it where you are being critiqued so you can see how it affects those who
read it. That doesn’t mean you change things you love, it’s just important to
become used to criticism and notes and open to making things better and better.
In the professional world you will have to do that every day. There is no room
for being defensive or having hurt feelings.
-BE JOYFUL- Create from a place of
joy. Start out writing about what you know and love and feel something about.
That will fuel your creativity. Just like so many careers in the arts, writing
can be very hard and you have to love it or it will be a hard road. Life is way
too short to not do what you love and what makes you feel alive and
happy.
-EXPLORE- Look into the many corners
of writing. You may find a specific form that you love so much. I am turning
fifty in April and I just started writing movies this last two years. It’s so
much fun to push myself into different forms of writing because it makes my
world feel new and energizing.
-DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS-
This is a big thing with girls. The minute you start comparing yourself with who
someone is and what they do, you focus on who you aren’t and what you don’t do.
That’s when doubt comes in and you can’t find your voice. Stay with yourself.
There is great stuff to find there!
K: Who or what do you find most
inspiring?
P: I find anyone who knows how unique
they are and keeps doing what they love to be inspiring. Careers in the creative
arts are full of ‘no’s’ and that can take you down. When I see people get back
up again and again and succeed it makes me feel good. I used to be a big people
pleaser and I worried way too much about how I was affecting others. Now I am
still a caring person, but I spend more time being honest with myself and the
world about what I want and need, and it has paid off. There is a lot of hard
work involved but when you succeed it’s a lot of fun and so worth
it.
(I don’t mean money success either-
although it’s important to make sure you can support yourself. I mean the
success of doing something that makes you thrilled!)
Thank you Katherine for asking me to
share my thoughts! Keep on blogging and writing girl!!!!!!
xoxoxoxo
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
