12 Questions with Comedian Chris Witaske:

On working with Judd Apatow on Netflix’s “Love,” what Second City means to him, and his UCB interview show “So You Do Comedy…?”

1. What do you love about being a comedian?

I really like that I get to make people laugh for a living, and that I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid.

But I think what I love most is that I get to hang out with other funny people all the time. My fiancé Katie and I were talking the other day about how cool it is that we get to be friends with some of the funniest people on the planet. One of my favorite things ever is to just have lunch with a group of my comedy friends and do bits, make fun of each other, and laugh. It’s the best.

2. What was it like to work with Judd Apatow on “Love”? Any crazy stories from set?

Working with Judd and on “Love” has been a blast. Everyone involved — from the crew, to the writers, cast, directors, producers — they’re all so awesome and talented. It’s also been a great crash course in learning how television is made. I feel like I learn something new every time I’m working. Feels kinda like free film school.

Not really a crazy story, but on my first day of shooting, Paul Rust and I had a scene together. And after a couple takes, the director, Dean Holland, told us to improvise a take and he just left the cameras rolling. Paul’s a great improviser and the two of us just went for what felt like thirty minutes. We kept having to stop because the crew and the people in video village were laughing. That was a really cool experience for my first day on set.

3. What kind of things do you find funny?

I tend to like silly stuff. Tim Robinson did a thing on the Netflix comedy special “The Characters” called The Pointer Brothers that killed me. It’s like this motivational group that performs at business conferences and they just dance around and point at people. So stupid, so funny.

I also love characters who are quick to anger for no apparent reason. Tim Heidecker and Bob Odenkirk are the best for this. There’s a YouTube video out there that’s just Bob’s “Mr. Show” characters yelling. I’ve probably watched it 100 times. Also all of Vic Berger’s internet videos really make me laugh.

4. Who are your comedy heroes?

My comedy Mount Rushmore is Bill Murray, David Letterman, George Carlin, and Bob Odenkirk. I also really love Amy Sedaris, Will Ferrell, Larry David, Johnny Carson, Tim Heidecker, Aidy Bryant, Fred Willard, Christopher Guest, Chris Rock, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Steve Martin… I have a lot.

5. Who’s someone you dream of working with one day?

I host a monthly interview show at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in L.A. and I’ve had the chance to interview a bunch of my comedy heroes. But the two on top of my dream list are Bill Murray and David Letterman. I’d also love to work with my old Annoyance Theater buddy Conner O’Malley again someday. Conner has been killing it in New York the last couple of years. He’s super funny and talented and I’m really proud of him.

6. Did you always aspire to perform at Second City? And how did you get started there?

I stared my career in show business as a birthday party magician. Then my parents took me to see my first Second City show, “Slaughter House 5, Cattle 0.” Seeing that show made me realize that comedy was what I really wanted to do. I signed up for teen classes at Second City, and did a classic magic-to-improv switcheroo.

7. What does Second City mean to you, and what do you miss most about it?

Second City will always hold a special place in my heart. From taking classes, to living and performing on a cruise ship, to touring the country and Europe, to the e.t.c stage, it was all a dream come true. There’s just nowhere else like it, and it’s so uniquely Chicago. I miss the feeling I’d get walking into the theater before a show. The smell of stale beer, all the old photos and shit hanging on the walls, and the hordes of drunk tourists.

8. How does L.A. life compare to Chicago life?

For me, L.A. isn’t as fun or familiar as Chicago, but I’ve grown to really like it. There’s always a lot of cool stuff going on, and really talented people making stuff. I also don’t drink anymore and I have a dog, so my life has changed a lot since my days of closing down the Old Town Ale House and being dog-less.

I think L.A. is great when you’re busy and have career stuff going on, but it can be kind of weird and lonely when you don’t. It’s much harder to just walk down the street and bump into friends in Los Angeles. Way less of a community feel. I was back in Chicago for the Cubs World Series games and it was perfect fall weather and everyone was out and about and so excited. It reminded me of what a great city Chicago is… Also the Cubs are now World Champions.

9. Who or what most inspires you and your work?

My fiancé Katie O’Brien inspires me a lot. She’s the funniest person I know and a really hard worker. She has a show on TV Land called “Teachers” that she writes and stars in with her comedy group, The Katydids. It’s really great and everyone should watch it.

I think someone like David Letterman inspires my interview show and how great he was at just having an interesting conversation while still being silly and funny. I think guys like Will Ferrell and Fred Willard inspire my acting. Nobody plays a high status idiot better then those guys.

10. If you died today and came back as someone else, who would you want to be?

Michelle Obama. I think she’s so great and inspiring, and I hope she changes her mind about running for President someday.

11. What upcoming projects are you working on?

We finished shooting season 2 of “Love” a couple months ago, and I’ve been working on developing a TV project with my improv group, Summer Nights. We started in Chicago and now we all live in L.A. The show would be about a small town that gets named the worst town in America.

I also host my monthly interview show “So You Do Comedy…?” at the UCB, and plan to release the recorded interviews as a podcast kinda thing in the near future.

12. What advice would you give someone who wants a career in comedy?

Prepare yourself for highs and lows. A career in comedy is not a very stable one, especially when you’re just starting out. There’ll be times when you have absolutely nothing going on and it’s easy to get down on yourself. Then you’ll have times when you’re super busy and feeling good about it. I think the trick is finding the balance. When you’re down, remember that if you stick with it and work hard, then good things will eventually happen. And when you’re up, remember that it’s only a matter of time before you’re back to questioning why you decided to pursue a career in COMEDY.

ANNE McCARTHY is a contributing writer to The Telegraph, Ms. Magazine, Second City Network, Bonjour Paris, France Today, and more. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Westminster in London. She is a graduate of the Writing Program at Second City, and the Soho Theatre Writers Lab. She lives in New York City, where she is writing a memoir about life in London.