On a recent visit to Chicago, T.J. Miller did a show at DePaul University filled with stand-up comedy, improvisational riffs, and a couple of sketches with fellow comedian Nick Vaterott. Both of these performers have roots in Chicago, where they performed and honed their crafts for years before moving to other cities to continue their comedy journeys. Nick Vaterott recently performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and won the coveted Andy Kaufman Award. T.J. Miller has appeared in many films in the last couple years including Cloverfield, She’s Out of My League, How to Train Your Dragon, Get Him to the Greek, Unstoppable, Yogi Bear, Gulliver’s Travels, and Our Idiot Brother. His hour-long special No Real Reason just premiered on Comedy Central and is available in stores along with his 41-track music/sketch CD The Extended Play E.P. After the show at DePaul last Tuesday, T.J. took a few moments to talk to a Chicago Comedy Examiner about his recent CD and special, his experience in the comedy scenes of Chicago versus New York and L.A., and some upcoming stand-up and projects including films with Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Tom Cruise. This interview was recorded Cloverfield-video style -- clic on the questions below and follow their links for T.J.'s answers:
What was the transition like from the Chicago comedy scene to the L.A. scene?
How did you decide on the 41-track format for "The Extended Play E.P." CD?
How was preparation for "No Real Reason" different from preparation for other stand-up sets?
How does your improv experience relate to your stand-up?
Advice for aspiring comedians and actors?
You can find out more about T.J. at tjmillerdoesnothaveawebsite.com and follow him on twitter at @nottjmiller. His special No Real Reason was released on DVD November 15th and is now available in stores.
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