American comedian Demetri Martin is a former writer for talk show hosts Conan O'Brien and Jon Stewart who now delivers his special brand of deadpan stand-up to audiences around the world.
He speaks to Wallace Chapman about comedy and politics ahead of his upcoming New Zealand shows.
Demetri Martin Photo: Supplied/Demetri Martin
Demetri was in his second year of law school in New York City when he dropped out to become a comic.
"I got it in my head that I would try stand-up comedy before I left New York and that turned into 'I'm gonna leave law school and become a comedian'.
He worked day jobs and did stand-up at night before landing a job as a staff writer on Conan O'Brien in 2003.
"I sometimes forget how scary that was, the risk that I took.
"It's so far in the rearview mirror I just take it for granted – 'Hey, I'm not a lawyer'."
There isn't a lot of mentorship in the comedy world, Demetri says, he was lucky to work for Conan and then Jon Stewart soon after.
"I got to work with two different, both very smart comedy minds… at a time when I was really developing."
When it comes to jokes, Demetri has found it's better for him to keep things short and short rather than get into personal anecdotes.
"[When I do that] I get sick of the material and because it's about me I get sick of myself. So you get trapped in a real pit of self-involvement. You have to be really careful with that stuff, I think.
"When I'm telling jokes … it feels like it's more outside of myself, which is nice. It's more about the ideas and less directly about me. It's already so self-involved… so it's nice, it's a break from myself, I think."
One subject he won't touch in a comedy set is American politics as the subject makes him overwhelmed, sad and scared.
"There are ways to still make tonnes of comedy out of what's happening but it is crazy. I can only imagine the perspective from a distance – like if you're looking from New Zealand – the mess that we seem to be in over here … it just seems beyond parody sometimes, its' really crazy."
So what can Kiwi audiences expect from a comedian who says his spirit animal is the "slow and steady" turtle?
"Hopefully a non-groggy, excited, energetic performance… as energetic as I can be. I'm more on the low-energy end of the spectrum."
