By: Michael D. McClellan | Comedians are, above all else, outside the box thinkers, that special breed of entertainer who loves nothing more than studying people and situations and then unlocking the humor inside. They rise up from all walks of life, some of them high school dropouts, others sporting PhDs, all of them pushed by the same invisible force to connect with an audience and get it to laugh. And to say that comedy isn’t rocket science is to offend those who do it best, because, to them, the art of the joke is every bit as hard to pull off as landing a rover on Mars. Or as daunting as pursuing a career in quantum physics. Yes, they know what it takes to hit that comedic G-spot – and trust them when they say it ain’t easy. Just ask comic Lewis Black, who argues that all comedians would “sell our souls, those of us who have one, to find a magic formula that creates the greatest joke ever told.”
Wayne Federman – Live on stage
So, much like the metaphorical road to hell, the road to comedic success is paved with the failed dreams of countless aspiring stand-up wannabes, some of them actually funny enough to make a career out of telling jokes. What separates the pro from the rest of us isn’t necessarily talent, although that helps, but rather a special blend of perseverance, humility, determination and – perhaps most importantly – amnesia. Why? Because you can’t make it in the joke biz if you can’t handle rejection and criticism, both in supersized amounts. The pro compartmentalizes these things. The pro deals. The pro picks himself up, dusts himself off and chases the next laugh. All by forgetting. It’s what he does. It’s what makes the difference.
Enter Wayne Federman. He of Federman and Out. (More on that later.) He of a successful career as a stand-up comic, actor, musician, and best-selling sports author. He of lead-monologue-writer-for-Jimmy-Fallon fame. Federman has forged the consummate pro’s career by sticking to the game plan and never caving in, never letting up, and never doubting himself.
It’s what he does. It’s what has made the difference.
“I was always a funny kid and acted in school plays,” Federman says. ‘But when I learned that stand-up was an actual career – making people laugh and getting paid for it – that sounded like the most incredible job, and life, imaginable.”
Wayne Federman with Sarah Silverman at the annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival
Federman’s story begins at NYU’s acclaimed drama school, where his comedic mission was two-pronged: To embark on a career in stand up, and to make himself into the strongest actor possible. The self-professed comedy nerd had plenty of inspiration to draw from, but was there one entertainer that he looked up to more than any other?
“Not really,” Federman says, “I’d have to say that I drew from an amalgam of people. For modern stand up technique, it was probably Carlin, Seinfeld, and Shandling. But some influences reach back even further, with comedians like Jack Benny and Milton Berle. Victor Borge as well. Oh, and Telly Savalas. So no, it wasn’t just one guy. ”
.
“I’d have to say that I drew from an amalgam of people. For modern stand up technique, it was probably Carlin, Seinfeld, and Shandling. But some influences reach back even further, with comedians like Jack Benny and Milton Berle. Victor Borge as well.” – Wayne Federman
Federman entered NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1977, at the age of 18, armed with little more than a dream. It was a far cry from a childhood spent close to south Florida’s pristine beaches.
“My very first day in New York City was the day that I moved into my cinder block room at NYU’s Weinstein dormitory,” Federman says. “I didn’t have much money so I would do this thing that I’m not too proud of called second acting. That’s where I’d just sneak into the second act of a Broadway play. At intermission everyone would go outside to smoke or just get some air, and you could filter back in with the crowd and usually find an empty seat. The ushers didn’t re-check tickets. That’s what us broke young college kids would do. And that’s how I got to see the end of several Broadway shows.”
Federman’s arrival in New York coincided with a tsunami of comedic energy in the city. It was also a place artistically alive in other ways as well. And for Federman, all of this creativity, coupled with real world rejection, provided the perfect complement to his formal education at NYU.
“There was a very big music scene going on at the time,” Federman recalls. “The disco epicenter was, of course, Studio 54, which had just opened, and there was also this insane punk rock infestation downtown. I went to CBGB’s two times – I recall seeing the Ramones and The Dead Boys there. But my primary memory of New York City and why I was so thrilled to be there – other than being able to study with those legendary acting teachers from the Group Theatre – was the fact that two or three of the most famous comedy clubs in the country were right there in New York.
Wayne Federman – Running fantasy baseball draft in “Knocked Up”
“I got to go and see stand-up at those clubs. That’s where I wanted to be. So after college I started auditioning. It was extremely hard to break in because stand-up comedy was exploding in the early 1980’s. And it took me several years just to become a regular at a club like that. A ‘regular’ meant that I might get to go on at the end of the night if people wanted to see some more comedy. It was awfully difficult just to be able work for free in a showcase comedy club in New York at that time.”
Persistence is a comic’s calling card, and a young Federman had that in spades. He kept working, and eventually began headlining those comedy clubs. He moved to LA in 1988 and was soon touring, performing on The Tonight Show, and taping his own comedy specials.
Federman’s comedic talents translated seamlessly to television, where he found himself part of two critically acclaimed series – The Larry Sanders Show, known for its genius satire, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, equally well known for its genius improv.
“Those are my two favorite acting jobs in my career. Being involved in The Larry Sanders Show was, needless to say, a huge thrill. But also getting to play Larry’s brother, Stan Sanders. That show was so influential and still casts a shadow over modern sit-coms like Curb, The Office, and 30 Rock. So I was felt lucky to be a part of that thing.
.
“Being involved in The Larry Sanders Show was, needless to say, a huge thrill. That show was so influential and still casts a shadow over modern sit-coms like Curb, The Office, and 30 Rock.” – Wayne Federman
“I loved Curb Your Enthusiasm because I wrote every line I said. Every word was improvised. Larry David was incredible with the latitude he allowed me. He just laid out the basic scenario. Larry said, ‘You’re going to walk in, look at the living room, and then we’ll head to the backyard where I’ll show you a black wire, and you have to say that you’re going to help get that wire down, but you also would love to meet Julia Louis-Dreyfus.’ That was it. No script.
“The next time I appeared on Curb, I had to awkwardly hug Larry which caused my glasses to shatter. So I ask him to pay for new glasses. I knew I would have to come up with a plausible reason as to why he should have to pay. So I went up to Larry before the scene and said, ‘You know, I’m thinking of approaching the situation like…‘, and Larry stopped me immediately. He said, ‘Don’t say a word, I don’t want to hear a word of what you’re thinking about doing until we’re actually taping.’ And that’s the best way to improv.
Which begs the question: When it comes to comedy and acting, does he prefer one over the other?
Wayne Federman on stage
“I like them both for different reasons,” Federman says. “Creatively, there’s really nothing close to stand up. It’s immensely satisfying and terrifying. You get to do it all. But, for my ego, I love being in the movies. And here’s three reasons for that: I’m a huge movie buff from way back, films are my favorite form of entertainment, and I’m empty inside.
“As you know, I’ve been in a number of movies. Ok, I guess I’ll name a few. I was in 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, Legally Blonde, Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle… any of these ring a bell? If not, it’s because I’m always in just one scene – and then I’m gone. It’s what I call the ‘Federman and Out’. But I’m still thrilled to be there. To use a sports analogy, you see athletes who say it was a privilege to play with or against great players – like a Steve Carlton or Bill Russell or John Elway. That’s how I feel. I feel very lucky to be in movies at all.”
.
“I was in 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, Legally Blonde, Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle… any of these ring a bell? If not, it’s because I’m always in just one scene – and then I’m gone. It’s what I call the ‘Federman and Out’.” – Wayne Federman
While luck might play a part, it’s Federman’s unwavering commitment to his craft that has made the difference. He has forged this rich tapestry of a career by pressing forward putting himself into position to snag an acting part or land a stand up gig.
“Sometimes I get work from my reputation,” Federman says. “But for the most part, I just audition like everyone else. I just go in and try to get the role, and most of the time I fail. Very often I hear, ‘Wayne, we know who you are and we’re familiar with your work, but we’re not at all interested in hiring you. In fact we’re going to hire this dude right over here.’ That has happened quite a bit – even to someone like me, Wayne Federman.”
And does the rejection wear him down?
Wayne Federman on stage
“You know, it’s easy to get embittered. I see it all the time with other actors and comics and it’s not attractive. I have the mindset that I’m grateful for anything that comes my way. So I’m grateful for having the chance just to audition; and if I get rejected, I just take it. And move on. Because there are lots of people who would kill to have have the chance to be in that room. So I just stay humble and grateful, and I believe that has kept me in very good spirits. Plus I’m a longtime heroin addict.”
Five years ago Federman reconnected with a young comedian he met back in the mid-1990’s: Jimmy Fallon. Federman began touring with Fallon, who was about to launch his Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and it wasn’t long before Fallon recognized the writing potential in his friend. It was then that he asked Federman to be the head monologue writer for his new show.
“Actually, when the tour started, Jimmy was my opening act,” Federman recalls, “He loved my stand-up and thought I’d make a good writer and he asked me to come aboard. I told him I’d try it for a year and see how it goes, because topical jokes are not my strength. I do more observational and musical material. But I’m so glad that I said yes because helping launch that show was a career highlight. Maybe I should write a book about it. Plus Jimmy and I still tour together. Of course, now I’m the opening act.”
.
“Actually, when the tour started, Jimmy Fallon was my opening act. We still tour together. Of course, now I’m the opening act.” – Wayne Federman
So, what was it like working with Fallon? And who is funnier?
“Ok, it’s not about who’s funnier,” Federman says, laughing. “Jimmy’s way more talented than I will ever be. It’s not even close, and I think I’m a pretty talented guy. I can do stand up, act, write, play multiple musical instruments, and answer these interview questions. But Jimmy, to use an archer analogy, has a ridiculous number of arrows in his quiver. He can do character voices, sing, do dozens of spot-on impressions, tell jokes, dance, play guitar, rap, the guy do almost anything – effortlessly. It’s impressive. And he’s also blessed with an extremely engaging personality plus a heightened sense of what’s right for him. I feel that’s one of his skills that often gets overlooked. The kid has great instincts.”
Wayne Federman – Head monologue writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Year 1
Federman rolls with the punches as well as anyone in showbiz, which has played a huge role in a career that has thrived for more than thirty years. But, like a comedic onion, there are many layers to Wayne Federman. He plays the piano, the ukulele, drums, and guitar. He has that acting degree from NYU’s prestigious Tisch School for the Arts. He’s done animation. He’s acted in commercials for companies such as Wendy’s, Ford, Samsung, Hertz, and Del Monte. He’s appeared in documentaries. He’s a frequent guest on comedy podcasts.
And, in a twist, this funny guy also happens to be something of an historian and a sports enthusiast, which led him to write the book Maravich in 2006. The book immediately landed on the sports best-seller list, received critical acclaim, and is considered the definitive source for all things related to basketball legend ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich.
“It’s interesting,” Federman says. “I was not a huge Pete Maravich fan growing up. I knew about him, but Dr. J (Julius Erving) was more the story at the time. But then, in 1987, Pete released a series of four basketball instructional videos. So I bought them and was absolutely fascinated by them. They were riveting. Those VHS tapes really got me interested in him.
“So I started studying his career. And of course he dies soon after that and that caught my attention because he was just forty years old. And the more I learned about him the more fascinated I became. Everyone knew he was this legendary college scorer and showman but I learned he had this under-rated NBA career as well. Did you know Pete Maravich is the last person to lead both the NCAA and NBA in scoring?
“Pete’s life, I thought, was very Shakespearean. Here’s a guy who basically gave up his whole childhood to master basketball skills on a mind-blowing level. And then, when he finally reaches the pinnacle of his profession – he finds he doesn’t enjoy the NBA much at all. In fact, playing basketball became torture for Pete. The very thing he’d dedicated his life to now haunted him.
Wayne Federman reading all about Pete Maravich
“Marshall Terrill had started writing the book, contacted me because I’d amassed a pretty large library of Pete Maravich game tapes. And because I’m a naturally great researcher, I knew some stuff about Pete that might help contribute something to the book. Marshall asked me to join the project so I gave him one condition: I wanted the Maravich family involved.
“There had already been a number of Maravich biographies but we were determined to have this book stand alone. So we met with Pete’s widow Jackie and their two sons, Jason and Joshua, and pitched the idea. Incredibly she liked us and gave the project her blessing and complete cooperation.
“Yeah, one minute it’s just an idea and the next minute I’m inside Pete Maravich’s house, looking at his personal diaries and scrapbooks. Jackie was so incredibly wonderful – I will always be in her debt. To allow us to write that story, it was both an honor and a tremendous responsibility. That’s why it took almost five years to finish. Marshall and I wanted to tell the complete story. And it’s not all flattering. But it remains a very detailed and accurate account of a singular American athlete. We were so proud when the New York Times called it the essential Maravich biography.”
Flash-forward to the present. Federman the movie buff is still working, still grinding, and still doing it all like the consummate pro. He’s also in the planning stages for the Third Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival.
“Very excited about that,” Federman says quickly. “It’s a film festival here in Los Angeles of classic films. I select five comedians and then they each select a film that they love or were inspired by. I interview each of them before we screen their selection and then afterwards we do a Q&A with the audience. It’s a great time – if you can get a ticket.
.
“The Wayne Federman Internation Film Festival is a film festival of classic films. It’s a great time – if you can get a ticket.” – Wayne Federman
“In the past, Sarah Silverman picked Crimes and Misdemeanors. Garry Shandling screened The King of Comedy. Bill Burr selected The Dirty Dozen. Aziz Ansari choose Back To The Future. It combines two of my passions: movies and stand-up comedy.”
The 2nd Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival
What’s next for Wayne Federman?
“Well, next year’s film festival,” he says, laughing. “Sasha Baron Cohen is interested in being involved – so I’m excited about that. He’s a hugely talented guy and there’s a Monty Python film that he just loves, so hopefully it will work out and his schedule will allow him to participate. If not, he’s a jerk.
“I also write the Independent Spirit Awards which is broadcast on IFC. They present awards to the top independent films the night before the Academy Awards.
“And I’m working on a multi-CD career compilation project. We’re going to go back into the Federman archives and pull recordings of my stand-up material over the past thirty years. So you can see my progression as a comedian, from my early days at the Comic Strip to the Tonight Show, Comedy Central, and concerts. I have no idea who would buy something like that. Certainly no one in my family.”
Exciting stuff, and a fitting capstone to the first thirty years of a truly extraordinary comedic career. And, perhaps, Federman’s way of getting the last laugh on a profession littered with failed dreams of all those would-be comics.
The quintessential Federman and Out.
Wayne Federman – Last Laugh
By: Michael D. McClellan | Comedians are, above all else, outside the box thinkers, that special breed of entertainer who loves nothing more than studying people and situations and then unlocking the humor inside. They rise up from all walks of life, some of them high school dropouts, others sporting PhDs, all of them pushed by the same invisible force to connect with an audience and get it to laugh. And to say that comedy isn’t rocket science is to offend those who do it best, because, to them, the art of the joke is every bit as hard to pull off as landing a rover on Mars. Or as daunting as pursuing a career in quantum physics. Yes, they know what it takes to hit that comedic G-spot – and trust them when they say it ain’t easy. Just ask comic Lewis Black, who argues that all comedians would “sell our souls, those of us who have one, to find a magic formula that creates the greatest joke ever told.”
Wayne Federman – Live on stage
So, much like the metaphorical road to hell, the road to comedic success is paved with the failed dreams of countless aspiring stand-up wannabes, some of them actually funny enough to make a career out of telling jokes. What separates the pro from the rest of us isn’t necessarily talent, although that helps, but rather a special blend of perseverance, humility, determination and – perhaps most importantly – amnesia. Why? Because you can’t make it in the joke biz if you can’t handle rejection and criticism, both in supersized amounts. The pro compartmentalizes these things. The pro deals. The pro picks himself up, dusts himself off and chases the next laugh. All by forgetting. It’s what he does. It’s what makes the difference.
Enter Wayne Federman. He of Federman and Out. (More on that later.) He of a successful career as a stand-up comic, actor, musician, and best-selling sports author. He of lead-monologue-writer-for-Jimmy-Fallon fame. Federman has forged the consummate pro’s career by sticking to the game plan and never caving in, never letting up, and never doubting himself.
It’s what he does. It’s what has made the difference.
“I was always a funny kid and acted in school plays,” Federman says. ‘But when I learned that stand-up was an actual career – making people laugh and getting paid for it – that sounded like the most incredible job, and life, imaginable.”
Wayne Federman with Sarah Silverman at the annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival
Federman’s story begins at NYU’s acclaimed drama school, where his comedic mission was two-pronged: To embark on a career in stand up, and to make himself into the strongest actor possible. The self-professed comedy nerd had plenty of inspiration to draw from, but was there one entertainer that he looked up to more than any other?
“Not really,” Federman says, “I’d have to say that I drew from an amalgam of people. For modern stand up technique, it was probably Carlin, Seinfeld, and Shandling. But some influences reach back even further, with comedians like Jack Benny and Milton Berle. Victor Borge as well. Oh, and Telly Savalas. So no, it wasn’t just one guy. ”
.
Federman entered NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1977, at the age of 18, armed with little more than a dream. It was a far cry from a childhood spent close to south Florida’s pristine beaches.
“My very first day in New York City was the day that I moved into my cinder block room at NYU’s Weinstein dormitory,” Federman says. “I didn’t have much money so I would do this thing that I’m not too proud of called second acting. That’s where I’d just sneak into the second act of a Broadway play. At intermission everyone would go outside to smoke or just get some air, and you could filter back in with the crowd and usually find an empty seat. The ushers didn’t re-check tickets. That’s what us broke young college kids would do. And that’s how I got to see the end of several Broadway shows.”
Federman’s arrival in New York coincided with a tsunami of comedic energy in the city. It was also a place artistically alive in other ways as well. And for Federman, all of this creativity, coupled with real world rejection, provided the perfect complement to his formal education at NYU.
“There was a very big music scene going on at the time,” Federman recalls. “The disco epicenter was, of course, Studio 54, which had just opened, and there was also this insane punk rock infestation downtown. I went to CBGB’s two times – I recall seeing the Ramones and The Dead Boys there. But my primary memory of New York City and why I was so thrilled to be there – other than being able to study with those legendary acting teachers from the Group Theatre – was the fact that two or three of the most famous comedy clubs in the country were right there in New York.
Wayne Federman – Running fantasy baseball draft in “Knocked Up”
“I got to go and see stand-up at those clubs. That’s where I wanted to be. So after college I started auditioning. It was extremely hard to break in because stand-up comedy was exploding in the early 1980’s. And it took me several years just to become a regular at a club like that. A ‘regular’ meant that I might get to go on at the end of the night if people wanted to see some more comedy. It was awfully difficult just to be able work for free in a showcase comedy club in New York at that time.”
Persistence is a comic’s calling card, and a young Federman had that in spades. He kept working, and eventually began headlining those comedy clubs. He moved to LA in 1988 and was soon touring, performing on The Tonight Show, and taping his own comedy specials.
Federman’s comedic talents translated seamlessly to television, where he found himself part of two critically acclaimed series – The Larry Sanders Show, known for its genius satire, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, equally well known for its genius improv.
“Those are my two favorite acting jobs in my career. Being involved in The Larry Sanders Show was, needless to say, a huge thrill. But also getting to play Larry’s brother, Stan Sanders. That show was so influential and still casts a shadow over modern sit-coms like Curb, The Office, and 30 Rock. So I was felt lucky to be a part of that thing.
.
“I loved Curb Your Enthusiasm because I wrote every line I said. Every word was improvised. Larry David was incredible with the latitude he allowed me. He just laid out the basic scenario. Larry said, ‘You’re going to walk in, look at the living room, and then we’ll head to the backyard where I’ll show you a black wire, and you have to say that you’re going to help get that wire down, but you also would love to meet Julia Louis-Dreyfus.’ That was it. No script.
“The next time I appeared on Curb, I had to awkwardly hug Larry which caused my glasses to shatter. So I ask him to pay for new glasses. I knew I would have to come up with a plausible reason as to why he should have to pay. So I went up to Larry before the scene and said, ‘You know, I’m thinking of approaching the situation like…‘, and Larry stopped me immediately. He said, ‘Don’t say a word, I don’t want to hear a word of what you’re thinking about doing until we’re actually taping.’ And that’s the best way to improv.
Which begs the question: When it comes to comedy and acting, does he prefer one over the other?
Wayne Federman on stage
“I like them both for different reasons,” Federman says. “Creatively, there’s really nothing close to stand up. It’s immensely satisfying and terrifying. You get to do it all. But, for my ego, I love being in the movies. And here’s three reasons for that: I’m a huge movie buff from way back, films are my favorite form of entertainment, and I’m empty inside.
“As you know, I’ve been in a number of movies. Ok, I guess I’ll name a few. I was in 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, Legally Blonde, Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle… any of these ring a bell? If not, it’s because I’m always in just one scene – and then I’m gone. It’s what I call the ‘Federman and Out’. But I’m still thrilled to be there. To use a sports analogy, you see athletes who say it was a privilege to play with or against great players – like a Steve Carlton or Bill Russell or John Elway. That’s how I feel. I feel very lucky to be in movies at all.”
.
While luck might play a part, it’s Federman’s unwavering commitment to his craft that has made the difference. He has forged this rich tapestry of a career by pressing forward putting himself into position to snag an acting part or land a stand up gig.
“Sometimes I get work from my reputation,” Federman says. “But for the most part, I just audition like everyone else. I just go in and try to get the role, and most of the time I fail. Very often I hear, ‘Wayne, we know who you are and we’re familiar with your work, but we’re not at all interested in hiring you. In fact we’re going to hire this dude right over here.’ That has happened quite a bit – even to someone like me, Wayne Federman.”
And does the rejection wear him down?
Wayne Federman on stage
“You know, it’s easy to get embittered. I see it all the time with other actors and comics and it’s not attractive. I have the mindset that I’m grateful for anything that comes my way. So I’m grateful for having the chance just to audition; and if I get rejected, I just take it. And move on. Because there are lots of people who would kill to have have the chance to be in that room. So I just stay humble and grateful, and I believe that has kept me in very good spirits. Plus I’m a longtime heroin addict.”
Five years ago Federman reconnected with a young comedian he met back in the mid-1990’s: Jimmy Fallon. Federman began touring with Fallon, who was about to launch his Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and it wasn’t long before Fallon recognized the writing potential in his friend. It was then that he asked Federman to be the head monologue writer for his new show.
“Actually, when the tour started, Jimmy was my opening act,” Federman recalls, “He loved my stand-up and thought I’d make a good writer and he asked me to come aboard. I told him I’d try it for a year and see how it goes, because topical jokes are not my strength. I do more observational and musical material. But I’m so glad that I said yes because helping launch that show was a career highlight. Maybe I should write a book about it. Plus Jimmy and I still tour together. Of course, now I’m the opening act.”
.
So, what was it like working with Fallon? And who is funnier?
“Ok, it’s not about who’s funnier,” Federman says, laughing. “Jimmy’s way more talented than I will ever be. It’s not even close, and I think I’m a pretty talented guy. I can do stand up, act, write, play multiple musical instruments, and answer these interview questions. But Jimmy, to use an archer analogy, has a ridiculous number of arrows in his quiver. He can do character voices, sing, do dozens of spot-on impressions, tell jokes, dance, play guitar, rap, the guy do almost anything – effortlessly. It’s impressive. And he’s also blessed with an extremely engaging personality plus a heightened sense of what’s right for him. I feel that’s one of his skills that often gets overlooked. The kid has great instincts.”
Wayne Federman – Head monologue writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Year 1
Federman rolls with the punches as well as anyone in showbiz, which has played a huge role in a career that has thrived for more than thirty years. But, like a comedic onion, there are many layers to Wayne Federman. He plays the piano, the ukulele, drums, and guitar. He has that acting degree from NYU’s prestigious Tisch School for the Arts. He’s done animation. He’s acted in commercials for companies such as Wendy’s, Ford, Samsung, Hertz, and Del Monte. He’s appeared in documentaries. He’s a frequent guest on comedy podcasts.
And, in a twist, this funny guy also happens to be something of an historian and a sports enthusiast, which led him to write the book Maravich in 2006. The book immediately landed on the sports best-seller list, received critical acclaim, and is considered the definitive source for all things related to basketball legend ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich.
“It’s interesting,” Federman says. “I was not a huge Pete Maravich fan growing up. I knew about him, but Dr. J (Julius Erving) was more the story at the time. But then, in 1987, Pete released a series of four basketball instructional videos. So I bought them and was absolutely fascinated by them. They were riveting. Those VHS tapes really got me interested in him.
“So I started studying his career. And of course he dies soon after that and that caught my attention because he was just forty years old. And the more I learned about him the more fascinated I became. Everyone knew he was this legendary college scorer and showman but I learned he had this under-rated NBA career as well. Did you know Pete Maravich is the last person to lead both the NCAA and NBA in scoring?
“Pete’s life, I thought, was very Shakespearean. Here’s a guy who basically gave up his whole childhood to master basketball skills on a mind-blowing level. And then, when he finally reaches the pinnacle of his profession – he finds he doesn’t enjoy the NBA much at all. In fact, playing basketball became torture for Pete. The very thing he’d dedicated his life to now haunted him.
Wayne Federman reading all about Pete Maravich
“Marshall Terrill had started writing the book, contacted me because I’d amassed a pretty large library of Pete Maravich game tapes. And because I’m a naturally great researcher, I knew some stuff about Pete that might help contribute something to the book. Marshall asked me to join the project so I gave him one condition: I wanted the Maravich family involved.
“There had already been a number of Maravich biographies but we were determined to have this book stand alone. So we met with Pete’s widow Jackie and their two sons, Jason and Joshua, and pitched the idea. Incredibly she liked us and gave the project her blessing and complete cooperation.
“Yeah, one minute it’s just an idea and the next minute I’m inside Pete Maravich’s house, looking at his personal diaries and scrapbooks. Jackie was so incredibly wonderful – I will always be in her debt. To allow us to write that story, it was both an honor and a tremendous responsibility. That’s why it took almost five years to finish. Marshall and I wanted to tell the complete story. And it’s not all flattering. But it remains a very detailed and accurate account of a singular American athlete. We were so proud when the New York Times called it the essential Maravich biography.”
Flash-forward to the present. Federman the movie buff is still working, still grinding, and still doing it all like the consummate pro. He’s also in the planning stages for the Third Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival.
“Very excited about that,” Federman says quickly. “It’s a film festival here in Los Angeles of classic films. I select five comedians and then they each select a film that they love or were inspired by. I interview each of them before we screen their selection and then afterwards we do a Q&A with the audience. It’s a great time – if you can get a ticket.
.
“In the past, Sarah Silverman picked Crimes and Misdemeanors. Garry Shandling screened The King of Comedy. Bill Burr selected The Dirty Dozen. Aziz Ansari choose Back To The Future. It combines two of my passions: movies and stand-up comedy.”
The 2nd Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival
What’s next for Wayne Federman?
“Well, next year’s film festival,” he says, laughing. “Sasha Baron Cohen is interested in being involved – so I’m excited about that. He’s a hugely talented guy and there’s a Monty Python film that he just loves, so hopefully it will work out and his schedule will allow him to participate. If not, he’s a jerk.
“I also write the Independent Spirit Awards which is broadcast on IFC. They present awards to the top independent films the night before the Academy Awards.
“And I’m working on a multi-CD career compilation project. We’re going to go back into the Federman archives and pull recordings of my stand-up material over the past thirty years. So you can see my progression as a comedian, from my early days at the Comic Strip to the Tonight Show, Comedy Central, and concerts. I have no idea who would buy something like that. Certainly no one in my family.”
Exciting stuff, and a fitting capstone to the first thirty years of a truly extraordinary comedic career. And, perhaps, Federman’s way of getting the last laugh on a profession littered with failed dreams of all those would-be comics.
The quintessential Federman and Out.
Galen Hooks – Crossover Artist
By: Michael D. McClellan | It has been said that the world is but a canvas to our imagination, and that the art within it enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Galen Hooks has been losing herself for more than twenty years, first as a 7-year old junior dance champion on Star Search, then later as a dancer for Janet Jackson, and finally as a world-renowned choreographer to megastars such as Justin Bieber, Usher and Ne-Yo. Her résumé is dotted with TV and film credits, Broadway assignments, as well as with her work on the groundbreaking web series LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, but all of this hard-earned success only begins to tell the story of the Los Angeles native who takes chances and attacks her canvas with the boldest of brushstrokes.
Hooks, refreshingly, is as multilayered and as fascinating as she is talented. She attended Penn State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, all the while touring with rap icon Snoop Dogg. It was truly education on the road.
“While I was on the tour bus and touring with Snoop I would study,” Hooks said in a recent interview with Dance Track Magazine. “His friends would help me with my homework. It was funny. They for real had the legal talk with me and knew way more than I did. That goes to show you how much the real world educates you. They knew everything.”
Galen Hooks with Ne-Yo
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Spend any time at all with Galen Hooks and it’s easy to sense the passion she has for her craft, and to understand how easy it is for that craft to love her back. She has a magnetic personality, with a range and versatility that allows her to explore the nooks and crannies of dance in all of its forms. It’s a romance that that started at an early age.
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“I grew up in Southern California,” Hooks says, “about forty-five minutes from Hollywood. After our dance group won Star Search, my mom found an agent to represent me. And being so close to Hollywood meant that my mom could also drive me to auditions, rehearsals, shows and sets. She was the most supportive stage mom ever. So from the time I was seven until I was sixteen, I worked as a dancer and an actress. That really laid the foundation for what I wanted to do with my career.”
While Hooks credits her parents for the support and inspiration that helped put her where she is today, she’s also quick to recognize the opportunity provided by legendary ballerina / choreographer Marguerite Derricks.
“In my early teens, I started assisting Marguerite, who is a major film choreographer in LA,” Hooks says, “which is a pretty young age to be an assistant choreographer. I was fortunate to have training under her, and that opened the door and led me into the choreography realm.”
Still, Hooks wasn’t ready to let go of dance. She’s performed with more than 50 of the biggest names in the industry, sharing the stage with the likes of Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Rihanna and Chris Brown. Keeping that kind of company is heady stuff for most and unattainable fantasy for others, but Hooks isn’t the type to be awestruck with the trappings of celebrity. She has serious dancing chops, the kind that commands instant respect in the industry – and the smarts to leverage her outrageous talent into something even bigger.
“By the time I was twenty-one I decided I wanted to transition from dance to choreography,” she says proudly. “Most of my work as a dancer was with recording artists, and I’ve been able to continue those working relationships. But as I’ve transitioned to choreography, I’ve also been able to move into other areas that interest me. Now I also do a lot of television work, a lot of commercials, a lot of film. It’s been a rewarding move from dancer to choreographer.”
Hooks clearly values the impact that Derricks – a former ballerina and the only choreographer to win three consecutive Emmys – has had on her career arc. Which begs the question: Does Hooks have a favorite style of dance?
“I actually really enjoy my versatility,” she says. “Most people have one specific style that they love. But, for me, that was one reason I’ve been so successful as a dancer and as a choreographer – I can pretty much do literally any style that you throw at me. But it’s kind of a blessing and a curse at the same time, because I’m not the kind of dancer that focuses on any one thing.
Galen Hooks
“As a dancer, I love to tap. As a choreographer, I know that there are so many other tappers that are better than me, so I would rather learn tap than choreograph it. I love hip-hop, I love contemporary, I love jazz…it’s unfortunate that jazz isn’t as popular as it once was. I can’t remember the last time I’ve choreographed jazz or danced jazz. I also enjoy ballet, break-dancing…I’m just all over the map when it comes to dance because I love it so much. They’re all different facets of who I am as an artist and they are meaningful in both of those realms.”
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Being widely recognized in the entertainment industry as both a dancer and as a choreographer, coupled with her proximity to Hollywood, meansthat Hooks has been free to explore other facets of her craft. Hooks has plenty of film and TV credits on her résumé, including GI Joe 2, 17 Again, Austin Powers 3, Bratz, Glee, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, How To Rock, Harry’s Law, Suburgatory, United States of Tara, and the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards‘ historical Michael Jackson tribute. It’s clear that she’s driven to succeed, and the recognition has followed in lockstep; Galen received a Choreography Media Honor for her work with Fergie performing “Live and Let Die” on Movies Rock, as well as a World Dance Award for her choreography with the LXD. Heady stuff, but Hooks isn’t about the accolades. For her it’s all about dance. Always has been.
“You know,” she says, “since I was three I don’t think a week’s gone by that I haven’t danced. So dance has been my life and what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s who I am and what I’ve been about from the start. Dance is how I’ve always wanted to express myself.”
If being an artist means dragging your innermost feelings out, giving a piece of yourself, no matter in which art form, in which medium, then Hooks is in the perfectly suited to translate her gifts to across today’s web-enabled world. Whether this is her involvement with LXD, or her turn as Ne-Yo’s love interest in the gorgeously produced and choreographed One in a Million video, Hooks isn’t shy about expressing herself or displaying a range that most in her profession lack. It’s a gift that attracts some of biggest names in the biz; rattle off names like The Jonas Brothers, The Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus and John Legend, and you begin to touch on some of the acts who have collaborated with Hooks in recent years. How does she pull it off and make it look so easy in the process?
“Of course you have to offer something these individuals want,” Hooks says. “That’s a given. But beyond that it’s about communication, the ability to relate, knowing your place in their universe. They are stars no doubt, but they’re also human beings who are concerned about their image and how it translates to the public. You have to always keep that in mind when you work with them.”
Galen Hooks
Which doesn’t seem that far of a departure from the world of the elite, modern athlete. Think LA and you can’t help but think about the Los Angeles Lakers, as star-crossed a franchise as any in professional sports. From Jerry West to Magic Johnson to Shaq to Kobe, the Lakers’ history is loaded with mega-icons. Is Hooks an NBA fan – and if so, is there a particular NBA star, past or present , that she would like to work with as a dancer / choreographer?
“Oh man,” she says, laughing, “Jordan. It would have to be Michael Jordan. He had a grace to him – he was so melodic – I think he would take to dance really well, and I think he would be open to the concept of bridging that gap between basketball and dance, even more so than certain players whose style and mentality about the game are different. So it would have to be Jordan.”
So which NBA player – past or present – rate as one of her favorite from a performance standpoint?
“That’s a hard question,” Hooks says. “I’m a big NBA fan, but I’ve been so busy the past couple of years that it has been hard to keep up. My mentor Marguerite is a big basketball fan, and would always use basketball analogies with dance, especially during the three-peat era of the Lakers.
“This may be a weird way to answer your question, but I’ve always related to Robert Horry. When you’re a dancer you always feel pressure, and when you’re in a team dance environment it’s even more amplified. You don’t want to let the other dancers down. During the time when Robert was playing I was a member of a dance company, and there are similarities between dance teams and NBA teams. Every dancer has their rank, their place within the team, the same what there is a defined pecking order on NBA teams. I related with Robert Horry because he always delivered – he wasn’t super consistent, but he was a different player in the clutch. So I really identified with him. I knew that the other members on the dance team would look up to me to deliver when it matter most. So I related to with him in that way.
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“I also loved watching Derrick Fisher, because I admired his consistency and the way he was always so solid. That, I felt, was like the equivalent to a dancer who isn’t going to wobble out of a turn, and who has had so much training that you’re not going to worry about them. You feel safe knowing that the dancer is technically sound and will respond to the situation on the stage. That’s what I liked about Derrick.”
All of this talk of dance and the NBA brings to mind another famous dancer / choreographer in Paula Abdul, who rose to stardom after being discovered by The Jacksons. Abdul was a Laker Girl at the time; ironically, Hooks herself has a connection to an LA hoops dance team.
“I was a SparKid, which was the dance team for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks,” Hooks recounts. “That was at some point during the first three years of the team’s existence, so I was probably fifteen or sixteen at the time. It was the same concept as the Laker Girls, except that we were kids. We would do hip-hop routines, that sort of thing. I did that for two years. My sister was a Clipper Girl for a couple of years, and has been big in the sport team entertainment field, so I’m really familiar with that world – but as a choreographer, I really haven’t worked much in that realm.”
Galen Hooks
With the sports world being viewed more widely as entertainment today, more and more artists are crossing over from music to the NBA. Justin Timberlake is a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies; Jay-Z recently sold his minority interest in the Brooklyn Nets to form Roc Nation, a sports management group. While the genesis of this phenomenon can be traced back to the invention of the TV, there are points that stand out – like the 1990 music video Jam, starring to the biggest Michaels on the planet. If Hooks could draw up her dream collaboration between NBA star and music icon, who would she choose to work with?
“It would have to be Kanye West and LeBron James,” she says quickly. “LeBron did the ESPY Award Show several years ago, and he was on stage singing and rapping, and he had all of these dancers around him. I was one of them. That was a really fun time to be a dancer, because it was so much fun for everyone involved. So I think Kanye and LeBron would be a really awesome pairing.”
Imagining Hooks’ involvement with these two superstars is hardly a stretch, given her fearlessness in the face of such outsized hubris. What does it take to build trust and maintain relationships with superstars such as Ne-Yo, Bieber and Usher?
“It’s funny, but I just finished reading Phil Jackson’s book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, and I noted so many parallels in the way that he had to deal with ego and personality, and the way that it relates that I have to deal with personalities. He talks about how everyone is different, and how he had to deal with Jordan and Kobe differently to get the best out of them – even though they’re both stars, they have different ways of functioning.
“There are parallels between the NBA and the music world, because the stars have so much riding on their name and their image, and they don’t want to look bad. So it’s really important to build trust, because they need to know that they’re same in your hands, and that what you tell them to do will not embarrass them.
“With recording artists like Bieber and Ne-Yo it’s a lot easier than if you were working with actors, because actors have a whole other layer of insecurity because they’re not dancers, so you have to build even more trust. But it’s really about figuring out the personality type of the person that you’re dealing with, and figuring out the language that they speak in terms of dance. The way basketball players view basketball drills differently, different recording artists view dance drills differently. Some of them will be good at learning to count out the steps, some of them will be good with associating a move with a lyric. So what I like to do is figure out what language they like to speak in terms of dance and cater to that, so that they feel 100% comfortable.”
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From Hooks’ standpoint, are there any other parallels between the world of the professional basketball player and the world of the professional dancer?
“It would have to be the physicality of both,” she says quickly. “I think the way that dancers train gets overlooked a lot. The way their bodies take the beatings that they take. It’s very similar to the pounding that the NBA basketball player takes on a night-in, night-out basis, and because of that pounding a dancer’s career is relatively short-lived. You see NBA players today retiring in their late thirties and early forties, but dancers are usually done by their mid-thirties at the latest because their bodies are pretty much spent. Fortunately for the NBA players, they get the top-notch medical care. They get the best therapy, and their bodies are treated as a valuable asset of the team they play for. As dancers we have to do all of that on our own. We don’t have access to those types of things when we get hurt onstage, dancing behind some of the biggest names in show business, it’s rare that you get anyone at all to work on you.
“So the physicality of what dancers go through really parallels the NBA player. The average person doesn’t look at a dancer as an athlete, but they don’t see what we go through to train, prepare and perform. And they don’t see the other side of it when our bodies are hurting, or when we’re injured, and what it takes for us to recover and to get back onto the stage. And maybe that’s because the NBA is a sport and dance is considered an art form.”
Which brings us full circle to Hooks and that big canvas otherwise known as the world. What is next for the fearless artist who has already accomplished so much?
Galen Hooks
“I am working on a song and dance project that incorporates bluegrass inspired folk music that I’ve written over the years. One of my best friends, Melinda Sullivan, is involved. The project is titled Campfire Vaudeville. I wrote the original bluegrass/folk music for it, as well as choreographed all of the dancing. I also produced three short films for the project, and star in each. Campfire Vaudeville will be released via social media through an original folk tale that I’ve written – you would follow @CampfireVaud on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to experience the story.
“I’m also the Supervising Choreographer for the next season of XFactor, and choreographing on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory.”
Proving yet again that Hooks is the ultimate crossover artist. And that’s great news for the rest of us, who can’t wait for the next Galen Hooks masterstroke.