The job of being a comedian and promoting comedy projects hasn’t changed since the pandemic, for better or for worse.
That’s one of many takeaways from an in-depth conversation about the comedy business with UTA board members and partners Blair Cohan and Jason Heyman, featured on the latest episode of Variety’s Strictly Business podcast. Cohan and Heyman are longtime colleagues who have been in the field together and, like any good buddy act, know each other’s rhythms and strengths.
The pair address head-on the challenges that traditional adult comedies have faced at the box office in recent years, and the fact that sitcoms are rarely seen on network television these days. Still, they stress that talent is pouring in from all walks of life, and there are more outlets for comedy than ever before.
“I think people want to laugh in community, and I think what’s driving this live experience (boom) is being in a room together and laughing together,” Cohan said. “When you talk about the great movies and the great comedies of the last 25 to 50 years, it was about going into theaters and being laughed at in the community. And I think we’re missing out on that.”
Heyman sees opportunity in the turmoil surrounding the network television system, once crucial to the careers of comedy stars.
“Can there be a ‘Modern Family’ again? Can there be ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’? That’s a really good question,” Heyman asks. “On the positive side, all of that schedule, the routine that we all grew up with, pilot season and prepayments and fall schedules, is gone. So there’s a little more flexibility and talent can go off to do other things and come back when they feel creatively inspired,” Heyman says.
Cohan points out that stars who emerge from social media platforms often have more control over their material when working with mainstream Hollywood, citing Rachel Sennott and her new HBO series “I Love LA” as an example. Cohan calls this the “reverse incubation” effect.
“We always talk about the heyday of Comedy Central and Funny or Die and all those incubators. ‘SNL’ is still there, and it’s still nurturing and unearthing and discovering. I miss those days because that’s where you could put talent out there. That’s where you discovered talent,” she says. “On social media, you have comedians like Matt Rife, Nate Bargatze, Leanne Morgan and Ali Wong, who are directly cultivating their audience. That’s why Netflix, Amazon, HBO, after they’ve already created this platform for themselves, want to give it to them. There’s a kind of reverse incubation happening where they get attached. So they have a little more control and understanding of what their audience wants.
Heyman, who has a long association with Will Ferrell and other multi-hyphenated comedians, said he is concerned about the small number of comedy films that reach theatrical box office success.
“If you don’t make it, they won’t come. So at some point someone has to take the shot,” Heyman says. “Because if you don’t make it, I can guarantee you they won’t come. Nowadays, most people don’t even think about going to the theater to see an R-rated comedy. If you’re a 20-year-old kid going out with your friends, you don’t even think about it.”
(Photo: Blair Cohan and Jason Heyman in front of UTA headquarters in Beverly Hills)
“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. (Click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes are published every Wednesday and available for download on Apple Podcasts, iHeartMedia, Amazon Music, Spotify, and more.
