411 Movies Interview: Comedian/Actress Whitney Cummings of Made of Honor Posted by Tony Farinella on 04.19.2008
411's Tony Farinella sits down with Whitney Cummings for an exclusive interview about her role in the Patrick Dempsey flick Made of Honor!
Whitney Cummings is a stand-up comedian and actress living in Los Angeles. She performs comedy all over Los Angeles and the country. You've probably seen her before on such shows as Last Call with Carson Daly, Chelsea Lately, VH1's Best Week Ever, What About Brian, and a whole lot more. She's currently in the new Patrick Dempsey movie, Made of Honor, which hits theaters on May 2nd. In my interview with Whitney, we talked about her stand-up career, what it's like being a female comedian, relationships, and a whole lot more. I hope you enjoy my interview with Whitney.
TONY: In addition to being an actress, you're also a stand-up comedian. How does that work out for you? Do you actively seek out film work, or do you sort of fall into certain roles?
Whitney Cummings: A little bit of both. I do have an agent and I do audition and I do go out for things. But, yeah, being a stand-up comedian, when you're performing so much, opportunities do tend to sort of come to you, which is great. But I think that also when I go in and audition for something, if someone hires me for a job, it could have something to do with the fact that I'm a comedian. And that always helps.
TONY: How would you describe your character in Made of Honor?
Whitney Cummings: Patrick Dempsey plays the lead man, and his best friend is getting married and he plays the maid of honor and I play her buddy and her bridesmaid. So I'm sort of the sweet, supportive buddy to Michelle Monaghan, who is the actress in the movie. I'm a little quirky and a little neurotic.
TONY: Just like real life, right?
Whitney Cummings: Well, yeah ... I'm not a little quirky and neurotic, I'm a lot quirky and psychotic.
TONY: You didn't need to use any method acting I'm guessing. (laughs)
Whitney Cummings: No. (laughs) I had to pull it back.
TONY: What did you learn from being around so many unique actors on set?
Whitney Cummings: That's a great question. Patrick Dempsey is an absolute dream. He is such a pro, and he's so good. He's so on his game. He's incredibly confident and charming and professional and conscious of other actors. He listens and respects the actors and respects the writers and directors and really does what is expected of him and exceeds that with his charm and witty quips. So that sort of balance of professionalism and sticking to the script and doing what the writer needs and doing what the director needs and what the camera guy needs, but also adding his own personal charismatic touch. It's really interesting, because I realized, "Oh, you can do both. You can appease the director and writers, and you can also do your own thing and add your own sort of personality to it and your own sort of magic touch." And that was an interesting thing to learn, because I came in a little intimidated, and I was like, "I'm just gonna do exactly what they wrote and give them exactly what they want. I'm not gonna try any funny stuff or try to be goofy or silly or add my own stuff." And he sort of taught me that you can do both. And, also, the amount of respect and love that he gave to the people who were off camera, because those are the ones who really take care of you: The lighting guys and the camera guys. And they are so special, and they are such a big part of your performance, and I immediately saw how loving he was to them and respectful, and I was like, "Hmm, that is what makes a movie star. Someone who treats the crew well." So that was very helpful.
TONY: What kind of research did you do on all of the anxiety and anticipation surrounding the wedding process?
Whitney Cummings: I did a lot of Googling, and I went to Barnes and Noble and got all these books, because I don't know the difference between a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. I mean, there's just so much shit to get married. It's a god damn nightmare. So I did learn about all that stuff, and I got all these little bridal planning books and bridal magazines and stuff and did research. And it is a pain in the ass. But it is a wonderful, beautiful, and very glamorous process, so it was really good to sort of learn about what is expected of the bridesmaids and what they organize and the fittings and the dressings. So I did go out of my way to learn a lot and be prepared for the process.
TONY: I was watching this special on TV a couple of weeks ago, it was hosted by Lewis Black, and they talked to a number of female comedians about how hard it is to be a female comedian, because so many men have a hard time finding humor in what women talk about. How have you dealt with the stigma that surrounds a female comic?
Whitney Cummings: After every three or four shows, someone comes up to me, and they're like, "Wow! You are so funny. I mean, I didn't think you were gonna be funny." Because I know so many funny women and great female comedians, that it's not necessarily a preconception .... it's just society is less willing to accept it. The things that are funny to us normally, which are people falling on their faces, people falling down a flight of stairs, people getting drunk and passing out in an alley, and people hurting themselves. These are all things we find funny, right? But all of these things, society is less likely to accept women doing. If a guy falls down the stairs, it's hilarious. If a woman falls down the stairs, it's scary.
TONY: It's awkward as well.
Whitney Cummings: It's awkward. It's like, "Shit, are you OK? That's not funny." But a woman getting drunk and passing out in the alley, that's sad. If a guy does it, it's hilarious. So I think that a lot of things that are typically funny on a man are just plain scary on a woman. So there's a lot of boundaries and things that our minds can not really wrap our head around, as far as allowing women to be irresponsible and in pain and all these things. I mean, audiences are less likely to accept that. Maybe it's just biological. We don't want to see women get hurt. We don't want to see women have alcohol problems. We don't want to see women fall down the stairs, whereas guys, when they do it, it's sort of funny. So there's that sort of social boundary. But, also, the life of a comedian is hard. It takes a lot of endurance and late nights, and you don't really get to have a social life. It's funny, because people say, "Women aren't as funny." And I'm like, "No, women are just as funny; they're just smarter. They don't want to have this kind of life. They get out of it when they realize that they're gonna have no social life and they're never gonna get any sleep and they're gonna have to deal with drunk hecklers all the time. They just have a little class, so they get out of the comedy game." But it's very easy to dismiss women for not being funny, because there are less women in comedy, and I think it's a combination of a lot of things. The life is very hard, and you have to sacrifice a lot of your social life and a lot of your femininity. It's not that you even have to be funny, you have to be tough.
TONY: It's funny, also, because when a woman is really vulgar in her comedy, people are like, "Oh, she's so trashy." But when a guy is vulgar, he's hysterical.
Whitney Cummings: A guy saying last night I got drunk and had sex with a girl and I don't remember her name, that's hilarious. When a woman does it, she's a slut. There is kind of a double standard that you have to tap dance around.
TONY: In terms of the entertainment industry, you have two of the hardest jobs, because as an actor, you have to go on auditions, and as a comedian, you have to stand up in front of a bunch of strangers. Emotionally, how do you handle it?
Whitney Cummings: If I didn't have comedy, I don't think I would be able to, because it can be psychologically confusing and frustrating to be going on auditions all the time and not getting jobs. And so many talented people don't get jobs every day. Not because they aren't brilliant and good, just because they're not right or they need someone taller, shorter, famous, less famous, or younger or older or the director is dating the actress. There's so many variables that are out of your control and it can make you crazy, but stand-up is really sort of the solid, stable, and most consistently rewarding thing in my life, and I do it every night and whatever happens during the day can't faze me, because I have my emotional support system from stand-up. The problem with doing movies and TV is people get to tell you when you work. You don't work until ten people say yes, you can get to have this job. So many people have to say yes in order for you to get a job. So many people have to agree on you: Eight guys, two women, the studio, the network, the casting, the producers, the director. So many people have to say yes, and it's so hard. But with stand-up, nobody gets to tell me no. I get to do it every night and be creative. People who are artists, the hardest thing about not working is not fulfilling your need to entertain people and do that. It's a very sort of real need, so, thankfully, I'm able to get that fix every night with stand-up. And what do you do when you're an actor and you're not working? It's very hard to fill your time, and that's when people sort of tend to go crazy. But stand-up is such a full-time job and keeps me so busy that I'm consistently entertained and challenged and get to be crazy. So stand-up is really what keeps me sane.
TONY: In your career, you have worked on a number of different television shows, movies, and talk shows. What have you learned about getting your name out there and keeping it interesting?
Whitney Cummings: I love that. As far as comedy is concerned, there are no short cuts. You just gotta do the work. It's that simple. Do the work. That's it. As far as secrets I've learned or things I've learned, if you do the work, it will pay off. And if you do the work, you will be good, and if you do the work, you will get everything you want. And Jerry Seinfeld in one of his interviews said, I'm paraphrasing, someone asked him, "What do you tell comedians who need some advice on how to make it big in the business?" And he just said there's no advice, there's no short cuts, there's no magic secret, you just do the work and love what you do. And I think that's something that's really important, which is so dorky, and people say this and you just want to shoot them in the face, you have to have fun with what you do, especially when you're an entertainer. If you're not having fun, the people you're entertaining will not have fun. Because I try to be so serious and ambitious and I work so hard, sometimes I forget that I have the best job in the world. I mean, it is so much fun, and sometimes I'm so serious about it, and I just forget that this is the most fun thing in the world.
TONY: Why do you think What About Brain was taken off the air? I interviewed Amanda Detmer last year, and it seems like the show had quite a following.
Whitney Cummings: It's so funny, because people loved that show. It was like a cult hit. People really loved it. I had a great experience on it, and everyone was delightful. Barry Watson is who I worked with for the most part, and he is such a pro. I think what it was ... it was an hour show that's kind of like a 7th Heaven or one of those dramas, but it was also funny and soapy at the same time. And I think it was a really innovative format. And there's really no rhyme or reason to why shows do well anymore. It's such a crapshoot, because I see so many brilliant shows get canceled, whether it's Arrested Development or Friday Night Lights. And then shows that I think are really mediocre, they have been on eight years and go on forever. So sometimes you have to accept the random crapshoot that is TV.
TONY: How has L.A. treated you so far?
Whitney Cummings: You know what? I am such a geek; I love L.A. It's been so rewarding and amazing, and it's such a comfortable place to live. And, also, to me, I'm gonna be happiest wherever I'm able to be the most creative and work. Because L.A. offers the kind of work I wanna be doing and the opportunities for work, it's the best place on earth for me, because it's able to provide those opportunities. And, also, it's filled with so many creative people and so many wonderfully talented people, and it's so great to be around that. And there's also a lot of douchebags and a lot of fucking garbage and there's a lot of shitheads and idiots, but there are shitheads and idiots .... can you write shitheads and idiots? (laughs)
TONY: Of course!
Whitney Cummings: Am I doing Howard Stern? (laughs) There's a lot of douchebags in L.A., but there's a lot of douchebags everywhere. Go anywhere, and you'll find douchebags and assholes and shallow people and star fuckers. I mean, you find them everywhere, and it's not just L.A. I think the people that come and complain about L.A., that's the problem with L.A. The people that complain about it. And every time someone complains about it and says, "New York is so much better than L.A.," well, you know what? There's a flight leaving in an hour, just get out on that plane and go back to New York and stop complaining. Just be happy where you are. You can make any place happy.
TONY: You mentioned earlier in this interview how it's so hard to have a normal life when you're a stand-up comedian. How do you make it all work? How do you make time for your friends and family and your dating life?
Whitney Cummings: It's definitely a complicated life, but as long as you try to have a little bit of balance. Dating is hard, because every night, starting at 7:30, I'm out doing stand-up, so the kind of the people I can date is very narrow. It's either other comedians, strippers, or poker players. That's really all I got. (laughs) That's a pretty classy group of people, huh? You just have to make it a priority. For me, traveling so much is great, because I can take friends with me or go visit my family and schedule a time to do stand-up where my family lives and whatever. I try to just have as much balance as I possibly can. But I'm not used to a really stable life, so this is actually perfect for me.
TONY: For you, personally, where does your comedy come from? What motivates you?
Whitney Cummings: I think mine is gonna be relationships. I focus on that a lot. And then silly things like culture and ironic cultural things. I just try to find comedy. I'm working on a bit right now about weddings and how stupid it is to get married and stuff like that. And that's something that fascinates me. I try to focus on that. I'm not a very political comedian, although I might evolve that way. It's starting to get really crazy, and this election is making me insane. That might change very soon.
TONY: You just mentioned relationships. Do you think you need to be with someone who is in the entertainment industry because they understand what you go through on a daily basis?
Whitney Cummings: I love that that's the way you put it, because most people are like, "You should date someone who is not in the industry." No, no. That's crazy. For me, I have to date someone who has the same vocabulary that I do and sort of understands what it's like to do what we do. I think that dating a comedian is sort of a danger zone, but I don't think I could ever date someone who is not in the business, because I find them sort of boring, I dunno.
TONY:: Would you ever want to do your own TV show? I love Chelsea Handler's show, and it's great to see female comedians with their own shows.
Whitney Cummings:: Yeah, absolutely. I don't know if I would want it in the form of a talk show, though. Maybe. The way that Chelsea's done it is really smart. She's really been able to make it really funny and good and been able to do sketches, and she brings comedians on. I think that is something that would be really great, but I would rather do it in the form of a sketch show ... like a Chappelle Show. I would like it like that or a sitcom show like Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm.
TONY: Finally, would you say that stand-up is your number one passion over acting? Or is it pretty equal?
Whitney Cummings: Well, stand-up is something that you just get better and better at, and as you grow, you just get more experiences and have more to joke about. I just think that stand-up is something that just fulfills me so much, and the more I live, the more material for comedy I get. With acting, you're always limited to the material you have, whereas with stand-up, you get to create more and more material every day. So that is something that has stole my heart.
