Q&A with comedian, 'Daily Show' writer Paul Mercurio
Amanda Allison
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: Feature
The Daily Orange had the chance for a one-on-one chat with comedian Paul Mecurio, a writer and correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
Daily Orange: What was your childhood like? Were you known as the class clown? Where do you think you got your sense of humor from?
Paul Mecurio: I was actually born in the woods, raised by small animals for first five years of life… I came over to the United States on containers ship from China with spare parts of cars. Really, it was a blue-collar, Italian neighborhood. I was kind of funny, kind of a class clown. No inkling that doing stand up though.
How did you get in touch with Jay Leno?
I stalked him for a number of years, there was a restraining order. Really, he was performing at a private function in New York. I got to go, saw him perform, talked to him afterward. I told him I had a bunch of jokes I've been writing for a hobby. We talked, and a few days later, he wanted to use some of the jokes. It sucked me in; it was my obsession at that point. It fueled this interest in me and took off from there.
How did you feel when you were invited to work with Jon Stewart? How did that come about? How did it feel to win an Emmy and a Peabody?
The show started in 1996, I started as original writer, and Craig Kilborn was the host. I knew people who were creating the show, and I got hired and got to perform on show. I have been there ever since in some capacity or other. Jon came on board when Craig left in 1999 or 2000. I like him because he's shorter than me. I feel like a giant. He's a little hairier than me, so feel less like an ape. He's a great guy… very smart and likes trying to say something with the jokes, like I do. He's made the show better.
How did it feel to win an Emmy, and later a Peabody, for your comedic work?
It was great. I wear it like bling around my neck. It's just been living with me ever since I won. I am so talented. "The Daily Show" was a basic cable show, and no one knew about us for a long time, then we started winning these awards, and people start to see you as certainly bigger than something you see yourself as. It was this little show that could, and now it's a fun, popular show among a rabid group of fans. They send it (the Emmy) to you in a corrugated box… you forget about it for a while because it takes a while to be engraved, and you think you ordered socks from L.L. Bean, and then it's an Emmy.
Paul Mecurio: I was actually born in the woods, raised by small animals for first five years of life… I came over to the United States on containers ship from China with spare parts of cars. Really, it was a blue-collar, Italian neighborhood. I was kind of funny, kind of a class clown. No inkling that doing stand up though.
I stalked him for a number of years, there was a restraining order. Really, he was performing at a private function in New York. I got to go, saw him perform, talked to him afterward. I told him I had a bunch of jokes I've been writing for a hobby. We talked, and a few days later, he wanted to use some of the jokes. It sucked me in; it was my obsession at that point. It fueled this interest in me and took off from there.
The show started in 1996, I started as original writer, and Craig Kilborn was the host. I knew people who were creating the show, and I got hired and got to perform on show. I have been there ever since in some capacity or other. Jon came on board when Craig left in 1999 or 2000. I like him because he's shorter than me. I feel like a giant. He's a little hairier than me, so feel less like an ape. He's a great guy… very smart and likes trying to say something with the jokes, like I do. He's made the show better.
It was great. I wear it like bling around my neck. It's just been living with me ever since I won. I am so talented. "The Daily Show" was a basic cable show, and no one knew about us for a long time, then we started winning these awards, and people start to see you as certainly bigger than something you see yourself as. It was this little show that could, and now it's a fun, popular show among a rabid group of fans. They send it (the Emmy) to you in a corrugated box… you forget about it for a while because it takes a while to be engraved, and you think you ordered socks from L.L. Bean, and then it's an Emmy.
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