An open letter to Zach Galifianakis
Dear Zach:
OK, you’ve got the hit movie in “The Hangover.”
You got the New York Times Magazine profile.
You got the cult following as a stand-up comedian of prodigious and unpredictable talent.
Now don’t blow it by letting some agent or manager try to turn you into a comedy commodity.
It happens regularly: A comedy performer has an unexpected hit and his flavor-of-the-month-ness attracts the “suits” (as Billy Walsh called them on “Entourage”) – the facilitator types who latch on to new talent like a remora on a shark to try to guide them to bigger, fatter feeding grounds.
Invariably, it leads the comedian to abandon his instincts – or compromise his vision – in pursuit of a massive payday. Or it leads the comic to believe that, in fact, his flatulence is vanilla-scented – and that every idea that comes to his mind or bursts from his lips is pure genius, deserving of the aforementioned buttload of cash.
Neither is ever more than occasionally true.
If you look at the trajectory of movie comedy in the past 30-plus years, most of it can be seen as an extension of “Saturday Night Live” – indeed, almost all of it. And in most cases, the role model has been the career of Chevy Chase.
That’s not a good thing.
Chase was the writer who convinced producer Lorne Michaels to let him appear onscreen when “SNL” went on the air in 1976. Almost immediately, he was a sensation with his “I’m Chevy Chase – and you’re not” catchphrase, his smirky humor and his willingness to take painful pratfalls.
He was the first “SNL” star to break out to films – and went on to an undistinguished movie career notable for its lack of memorable films (possible exceptions: “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and “Caddyshack”).
He was quickly followed to Hollywood by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, who could be funny together but neither of whom ever headlined a movie without the other that was worth the price of admission.
They set the mold for the “SNL” machine: Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Will Ferrell. Each has had a couple of funny movies; most have a batting average well below Derek Jeter’s lifetime mark, in terms of comedies that a) really worked and b) still hold up today.
The exception is Murray, who’s had his share of missteps (“Larger Than Life,” “Garfield”). But Murray, like Steve Martin, has adventurous taste and a willingness to stretch himself, working for directors like Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola and Jim Jarmusch.
Martin, who is brilliant in movies he writes himself, has the unfortunate and alarming habit of starring in brutally unfunny multiplex fodder like the “Pink Panther” movies, “Sgt. Bilko” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.” I’ve gone off on Martin – and Murphy and Robin Williams, the big three of 80s movie comedy – in a previous post.
Through the early ’90s, there was no one hotter than Jim Carrey – who stopped being funny once he started making $15 million a movie. Or the Farrelly brothers – who can’t find the funny when they step away from the ‘R’ rating.
The success of Sandler, Ferrell, Schneider, et al, has less to do with the quality of their movies than the power of marketing. Each has dozens of titles on his filmography – and no more than three that you’d want to see at all, let alone more than once.
The same thing is happening now to Steve Carell, Jack Black and Seth Rogen. Carell and Rogen both hit big in movies thanks to Judd Apatow (who is in serious danger of spreading himself too thin as Hollywood’s comic genius du jour). But Carell then did “Evan Almighty” and “Get Smart” – gaack! Luckily he’s got “The Office,” on which he is so brilliant week after week.
Rogen, too, is in trouble – perhaps already overexposed after “Observe and Report.” He and Apatow team up with Sandler in this summer’s “Funny People,” but he needs to take a breath.
Black made a major misstep with “Year One” – following another one in “Be Kind Rewind.” I’ve always liked Black’s energy – but he needs to get a little pickier and select more projects like “Margot at the Wedding” and fewer like “Nacho Libre.”
I find it dismaying when I read interviews with young comics who proclaim Sandler as their role model. I’ll give him props for films like “Reign Over Me” and “Punch-Drunk Love” – but little else on his resume. Sandler’s success is really what’s wrong with film comedy today.
As for you, Zach Galifianakis, well, it depends on what you want. Right about now, you’re probably being bombarded with all the scripts Rogen, Carell, Black and others took a pass on – and multimillion-dollar offers that might make them seem not as awful as they probably are.
I know, I know – it’s easy from my vantage point to counsel against selling out for a stack of cash that would set you for life (since I’ll never have to make that choice). But people have long memories – and the availability of material on DVD and the Internet keeps refreshing them. Your bad choices will be with you forever.
You’re a wildly creative guy with a wonderfully offbeat sense of humor. Your cred is on the rise because you’ve been true to your own vision. Stay focused, Zach.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Zach Galifianakis has already “sold out,” and it doesn’t matter. He always has his stand-up. Look at his career and the films he has appeared in. I suppose G-Force and Corky Romano (or the “fag jokes” from the Hangover for that matter) are considered high comedy by some, but this article is way off-base. He already does movies for the money. These comedies do not last long in the memory and I would venture to bet that in 5 years no one will even remember The Hangover, except perhaps “the suits,” who will be trying to figure out how best to proceed in developing The Hangover 3.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
You’re no doubt a sniveling snob who bends over for the likes of Woody Allen and Spike Lee (Get Smart and yes, Observe and Report are way better than anything that pedo and anti-Semite have crapped out lately, not that brie-eaters like you won’t call them out on it!) …by the way Martin Lawrence sucks worse than anyone you’ve mentioned, except for Chevy Choad, who is of course the comedy Anti-Christ along with Whoopi Goldberg!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Amen. Amen. And amen.
(But I love Ferrell.)
June 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Excellent advice, Marsh! I love Zach and really don’t want to see him flame out like Carell and Rogen. I hope he reads this and takes it to heart.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
You’re ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!
As a veteran comedian, I’ve been called “jealous” for stating my displeasure for not seeing my friends’ original “vision” once the “suits” got ahold of them… I know everyone you mentioned and you’re RIGHT but sometimes our friends don’t really have a “vision”! They’re chasing STARDOM! I once had the opportunity to develop a show and one of the submitters was Zach Galifianakis! Another submitter to the show was Dave Chappelle! They would’ve BOTH been hired if the show went ahead. About the Sandler comment, You’re right on that one too! When I talk to young comics (especially African American ones) they always point to Murphy! I ask them if they’ve ever heard Franklyn Ajaye and they look at me like I’m a ghost so I just humor them until the conversation just wanes… When I’m asked who MY role model is, I say Ray Charles!!! Everyone familiar with his career knows why! Now, Hollywood has all but given up on me but I’m still writing for myself! I’ll always remember the “suits” liking me, not liking, liking me, not liking me… When I get something going, you can post this response to your blog LOL LOL!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Thanks for the advice Marshall
June 30th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Wut? Fletch wuz l33t and u now it. Fl3tch liv3s!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
WOW i hope he gets this letter! it could change his life! Every point made within is so smart, original and interesting. I’m just glad this wasnt a closed letter so i can benefit as well. This person is so cool he’s on a last name basis with rogen!
‘You’re bad choices will be with you forever.’ man that’s deep.
Nothing says ‘cred’ like a quote from Entourage!
June 30th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Interesting article, but Zach’s next career step has already been chosen: He co-stars on the upcoming HBO series ‘Bored To Death,’ with Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson. It starts in September. Here’s the teaser: http://www.hbo.com/events/boredtodeath/
July 1st, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I notice liberal shills/critics like yourself never trash George “Head-Tilt” Clooney every time he lays a t*rd on screen (which is most of the time if you want the truth), but you’ll go after top comedic talents like Carell and Rogen (Get Smart and esp. Observe and Report are way better/more entertaining than stinkers like Leatherheads, Solaris, and esp. Syriana except to brie-eating twerps like yourself) if they get too “successful”, just to show what a bad-a** you are (even though we all know you’re not!)…and likening Rob Schneider to Bill Murray or (early) Eddie Murphy is beyond defective on your part…now bow to that sniveling corspe Michael Jackson like the rest of the MSM and that moron Jamie Foxx did like a good little tool should…
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:05 pm
George Clooney is not and never has been a comedian. He is outside the scope of this article.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Dan Akroyd was in Ghostbusters without Belushi and is credited right below Bill Murray, that’s a headliner right?
Though your being disingenuous in your comparison of the different comedic talents and their acting in general. Most of these guys are comics who are funny because they know how to do something very well. Your demand that they stretch out is the exact opposite of your proposed letter to Galifianakis. Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin are the truly talented performers in a variety of mediums. Others require a great script or director to pull it out of them Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine) or Adam Sandler (Punchdrunk love).
Most of these guys aren’t actors but entertainers. They gained notoriety because their very funny or good at what they do. Chevy Chase was the quick witted guy from SNL, Dan Akroyd hardly ever changed, Chris Farley was typecast as the fat buffoon and died before he could attempt a change, similarly with Belushi.
Additionally isn’t it selling out when you no longer perform your own material? Signing on to big budget films and sublimating your own ability. Zach was fortunate for the Hangover to showcase the skills. I’m more impressed that Will Ferrell imprinted his personality on Land of the Lost (which was scattershot, but pretty great) despite the apparent growing backlash against him. Also please don’t mention Rob Sneider in comparison to any of these guys when his friendship to Sandler is as beneficial to his career as his own talent.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:55 am
This last paragraph is what was needed to be said - and shown - in this ‘open letter’ more then the flailing successes of the major comedians of our day. We all know what the lure of a fat paycheck does to actors, let alone comedians, in hollywood. There is the fear there that he could be the next Jim Carrey, or worse, Farrel (even though I love him he’s made some missteps for the money since his glory days) and I see Zach as the next Farrel, but getting there by unconventional means, and in that sense he will not travel in the same path. All (or most) of the comedians you listed got their starts on sketch shows. Zach did not. As long as he stays grounded, which he is by character, Zach should be a great talent to watch. But he won’t want to be the celebrity that most comedians turn into. A little more background to prove this point would have made this article more convincing.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Don’t forget about his indie comedy Visioneers that’s been on the festival circuit, check out the website for current screenings: http://www.visioneersthemovie.com