MARCH 25, 2015
(from Chris Rock interview, page 490)
Howard: You’ve had a lot of integrity in your career. I didn’t realize you were writing for Saturday Night Live, and you quit because they wouldn’t put your sketches on TV. They wouldn’t put your films on.
Ben: I wanted to direct, ever since I was a kid. I wanted to make short films for them like Albert Brooks did. That’s what I wanted to do. And I didn’t think I was very good as a live performer. I still don’t.
Howard: You don’t like acting, do you?
Ben: I like acting. I don’t love live performing and sketch comedy live. I just don’t feel that comfortable doing that.
Howard: When you did the Madagascar cartoons, you worked with Chris Rock. And you said it was intimidating because Chris is so fast.
Ben: Well, he’s one of the funniest people of all time, yeah.
Howard: And you’re standing there and you feel like a schlub, right?
Ben: Yes, for sure.
Howard: Because you’re in the studio with him doing these voices, and they ask you to ad-lib.
Ben: Usually you’re alone. You just do your thing on your own. Then every once in a while they put us together. Or I’d say, “Hey, let’s get together so we can get some energy going.” Because Chris and I have all these scenes together. And every time we’d get together I’d get very depressed because he’d improv and I’d go, “You know, let’s not do this anymore.”
Robin: What am I supposed to do while you’re doing that?
Ben: I’m like watching him come up with, “Afro circus! Afro circus!” And I’m like, “Yep, there’s the catchphrase. All right.” And I’m like, “Marty! Marty!” Which is all I ever say in those movies.
Howard: Because you don’t consider yourself this great wit. You work really hard at what you do, to be funny.
Ben: Yes. And I feel much more comfortable just being a director, honestly.
Howard: If you had your druthers, you would choose directing over acting.
Ben: Yeah, definitely.