Jeremy Hotz is a well-known stand-up comedian and actor. He was the character Ashton, in Speed II: Cruise Control, he was Jeremy in the series The Newsroom and he also featured in the TV series, Married Life. He is often seen at the comedy club, Yuk Yuks in Ottawa and Improv in LA and has received acclaim at the international comedy festival in Montreal, "Just For Laughs". He has also appeared on both the Jay Leno and the Letterman Show.

Jeremy has put some time aside to answer a few questions (thanks, Jeremy!)

What is it about what you say and do that makes people laugh? How do you understand the reasons why you're able to make people laugh?
Comedy is timing. Everything you say should have a rhythm, like a song in music, you usually know when the song is about to end. In comedy, if the timing and rhythm are ON, the audience knows when to laugh. They become part of the song and part of the joke, part of the performance.
I DO very little to MAKE people laugh. MAKE is a word that implies laughter isn't natural and therefore has to be forced out. Not true. Laughter is triggered and can be evoked in many different ways. People come to a comedy club or performance expecting to see something. Give them something they weren't expecting - they laugh.

How do you go about creating a joke/humorous story? (i.e. where do you find information/content and what do you do with it to make sure it comes across as humorous?)
I create on stage - rarely do I sit in front of the computer and write jokes. On stage I'll talk about a topic. If it's working, I'll keep going… If it kills, I'll do it again. If I do it again and it works, it stays (provided I can remember it). If I can't [remember it] I don't care, it probably wasn't that funny anyway.
Nothing you do can make sure that your bit will get a laugh. That's the beauty of comedy. You never know what's going to work. Sometimes a joke that was killing just stops working. You don't know why, maybe you changed the rhythm, the timing. Who knows? So you shelve it for a month and bring it back. Sometimes it works again, sometimes it doesn't.

In addition to telling stories, you've created a character who tells his "world view" - how do you understand the fact that people laugh at this character and his perceptions?
A lot of comedy is surprise. Surprise the audience, they will laugh, "I didn't expect him to go that way." Audiences haven't seen my character anywhere else. Therefore it is impossible for them to predict where he is going and this brings in the element of surprise. The character makes it more challenging for me. I have to deliver the material behind his guise, stay in character like an actor. It's harder to do. I throw out lots of material because my guy would never say that. But when something works and it fits, it's twice as effective.

"Younger audiences catch on quicker to my character. I think it's because they relate to him more specifically."

Where and from which kinds of audiences do you get the best/worst responses? What influences the response?
Younger audiences catch on quicker to my character. I think it's because they relate to him more specifically. He's a person in a world moving at a rapid rate around him. He is trying to find a break in the circle so he can jump in. Younger audiences are standing where I am standing so they empathize. Older audiences are already in the circle, looking out at me standing there. They laugh too, but for a different reason. Everyone appreciates jokes on different levels [because of past experiences/age/culture/etc], so you have to design an act that has levels.

Do you then have to adjust your material to suit specific audiences?
I never adjust my material to suit different audiences. I lose language when I do Letterman or Leno, but the bit stays the same. I never tone down my character. Take it or leave it, catering to the crowd is not what I'm there for.

Jeremy Hotz
August 7 1999

If you are interested in finding out more about how to create your own comedy, follow this link: http://www.thecomedycoach.com or http://rampages.onramp.net/~stevebo/faq.html.

For a web site with more information about Jeremy Hotz, click here.