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.

Tell me a little about your movie career and how you fit all of your side work in with your scheduled television appearances?

I don’t… I wake up, work 17-18 hours, then pass out. I’m not going to complain, but you just kind of juggle the different project as much you can. It took me two months to get to a doctor to see my foot – it was bothering me. Some things become more important than others.

Can you tell me a little more about your contest ‘Paul Mecurio’s Carpooling with Strangers?’

We go from town to town, pick a fan in a town who has written in saying why they should carpool with me, pick a fan with funniest answers and then that person gets to come to one of my shows as a guest. They get to do hello, meet and greet. It’s a way to get fans involved with me when I’m near their towns. It’s a way for us to acknowledge fans and show our support of them. Also, it’s a way for me to kidnap people from particular towns… I tend to kidnap people, take them to my hotel and just make them watch tapes of my act over and over again.

What advice do you have for college students as far as how to balance our lives? How to do well and have fun?

Marry someone rich and don’t work. Kind of make sure you get the grades – that will make life easier later. It sounds kind of… nerdy, but study hard and really set your grades up, it sets you up for later. Keep perspective, you need to have a life too. Play as many videogames as possible, and don’t use Wikipedia.

akalliso@syr.edu

Published on April 28, 2008 at 12:00 pm