Paul Reiser’s quick wit and that mischievous glint in his eye has captured audiences since his breakout role in the 1982 hit film Diner.
On the heels of that success was the role of Detective Jeffrey Friedman in the Beverly Hills Cops franchise (1984, 1987, 2024) with Eddie Murphy, whom he met in the early days doing stand-up in New York City comedy clubs. In 1986, Reiser landed the villainous role of Carter Burke in James Cameron’s Aliens, then followed that up with roles in such films as The Marrying Man (1991), Bye Bye Love (1995) and The Problem With People (2023) which he co-wrote, starred in and produced.
Reiser’s star skyrocketed in the TV sitcom world with Mad About You (1992-1999) which he co-created and co-starred in with Helen Hunt, who he has remained friends with for the past 20 years since the show ended. Reiser is an accomplished musician and co-composed the show’s theme song. “The Final Frontier.” In 2019, he and Hunt reprised their roles in a reboot of Mad About You.
Reiser continues to be a major player in Hollywood with his role of Dr. Sam Owens in Stranger Things (2017-present) and he is taking on animated comedy with the series Long Story Short, which will premiere this August on Netflix.
Even with so much on his plate, Reiser loves returning regularly to his stand-up roots. So, catch him at The Paramount in Huntington on July 26 with the multitalented musician Adam Ezra opening the show.
It was a pleasure talking with this clever comedian, actor, and composer recently for the Press.
Do you have a connection to LI?
Yes, it feels like home. I grew up in the city, but I love coming back to Long Island where I had a couple of friends I was jealous of when I was growing up. Wow, you guys have air conditioning and parking spots! That was the height of luxury and everything’s funnier for me in the New York area. I feel more comfortable and the audience is that much more attuned.
You have said that stand-up is your favorite thing to do over films, why?
On a minute-to-minute basis, it’s the only thing that’s really gratifying. Films are great, but it’s a very different timetable. It takes months to write a screenplay, then you have all the steps of getting it fully realized. You have to get somebody to produce it, to fund it, and then you have to cast it. Stand-up is not easy but it’s simple.
Do you really think stand-up is simple?
It’s uncomplicated. You think of something funny, you write it down, you say it to people and then you go home. You don’t have to wait six months to find out if you’re a hit or if something is funny. You don’t have to run it by 15 different people to get approval. There’s a simplicity to it and it’s immediate.
What are some subjects that you like to talk about?
I tell people I’m not smart enough to make anything up, so I talk about my life, my wife, my marriage, my kids, the joys of getting older and just airing my particular complaints out. But what’s great about live stand-up is when the audience laughs, it’s because they go “Oh, man, you sound like me.” That was always our litmus test for Mad About You too. I think the reason that we succeeded was people related to us.
How do you know if something is funny?
It’s a lot of experimentation. I go to the comedy club here to try stuff out. I love that it’s a work in progress, never really complete, and changes nightly. I enjoy that constant search.
What can you share about your upcoming Netflix animated series Long Story Short?
It’s created by the guy who did BoJack Horseman, a funny, bizarre show. It’s got a great cast and I’ve never done an animated film. It’s sort of constructed like the show This Is Us in that it goes back and forth between generations of the same family and you see something in the present and then 20 years ago and 10 years ago. It’s bold comedy, but also very touching and sweet.
How did you and Helen Hunt originally team up to do Mad About You?
I was writing the pilot and had in my head an idea of who the woman should be, but I didn’t have anybody in mind for the role. Then my wife and I went to a dinner party where I met Helen. I was enchanted. I thought she was funny, charming, lovely and quirky. As my wife and I walked out, I said how about her as you. She said I think she’d be great. We hit it off right from the start, so we were able to be believable as a couple. It was kismet!
How was it to revisit Mad About You with the reboot after 20 years?
That was surprisingly fun. When we were asked if we would do it, we first thought, why risk opening up something that ended so well? Then we thought it would be fun to work together, but what’s the story? We decided the fun would be it’s 20 years later, these people are different. Life didn’t work out exactly the way they planned and that adorable little baby turned out to be quite a handful. Helen and I would get together regularly, but we haven’t been with the whole cast in 20-something years. The day we first sat to read the script, it felt like we’ve been gone a weekend, not two decades, and they duplicated the set. It felt like going back to your childhood home. It was a very comfortable and rewarding journey. We’re both glad we did it.
How did you become part of the Stranger Things cast?
Apparently they had this role they were writing and imagining me. After the first season premiered, I got a call and they wanted to meet with me. They didn’t share too much about the character. I said, is he a good guy or bad guy? They said we don’t know. Still, it was a very interesting challenge to play a character that you don’t know. It was the easiest decision. Somebody says here’s the biggest show on the planet, would you like to join the cast. Yes, please, that would be fun!
How did it feel to step into Stranger Things when it was already popular?
That first day I thought it’s going to be like high school. I don’t know where to sit for lunch and I’m going to be by myself at the loser table. But they were all so nice. Everybody was so welcoming.
You worked on The Problem with People with your son, Leon. Do you have other projects lined up to do with him?
Yes. In The Problem with People, Leon was a production assistant. That was his first real job. Then we did a comic book together called Aliens:What If…? Marvel Comics put out a whole series of What If. The premise was, what if my character from Aliens had lived, where would he be now? And now we’re writing a pilot together.
Is there a final thought that you would like to share with readers?
Yes, I have a feeling the show at The Paramount is going to be the zenith of my career and perhaps of all performance art. To miss it would be nuts! So, go get a ticket before they run out.
