Paul Feig's Life and Rebirth in Comedy

Paul Feig in the director's chair on the set of his upcoming movie, "The Heat." Photo: Jemma Lamana

“I used to have Steve Martin’s whole comedy album memorized,” writer, director and actor Paul Feig recalled during an appearance last month at 92Y­Tribeca. “I went out and bought a three-piece white suit just like the one he wore, and every night I would put it on and lip-sync along to his album.”

Feig, whose credits range from creator of the cult TV classic “Freaks and Geeks” to directing episodes of “The Office,” “Arrested Devel­opment” and the hit film comedy “Brides­maids,” has come a long way from the days of performing alone in his bedroom. And the 64-year-old triple threat took great pleasure in chronicling his bumpy road toward success.

“I started doing stand-up when I was 15,” he said. “My parents would have to take me to this really seedy biker bar in Detroit…a great place to go with your Christian Scientist parents.”

Asked about his comedy performances, Feig responded, smiling. “They were the worst,” he said. “All I could do was copy other people. I was a big Johnny Carson fan so literally all my punch lines were about New Jersey. I had never been to New Jersey in my life.”

While he did recall getting some laughs (“Even bikers have a heart,” he quipped) his performances, he said, never lived up to his expectations. “I was always just running through straight to the punch lines because I was so nervous.”

Feig went from aspiring teen comedian to film student at the University of Southern California and a tour guide at Universal Studios. “I fell into the Jaws lake in the middle of one of the tours,” he said. “That was my claim to fame.”

Feig continued to make the stand-up rounds after college and eventually became a headliner. That success, however, was not all it was cracked up to be.

“You lose the camaraderie with the other performers,” he recalled. “You’re in cities by yourself, or you’re staying in these gross comedian condos and they’re always trying to bring waitresses home.  I didn’t want to be a part of it.”

Feig decided to try acting. “I had, like, two goofy moves.” he said. “And I couldn’t even laugh on camera. My eyes always gave it away.” He paused and smiled. “Steve Carrell is the greatest fake laugher in the world.”

It was while he was on tour for a film that was never released that Feig wrote the pilot for “Freaks and Geeks,” the story of a group of high school outcasts.

The show, which launched the ca­reers of James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel, among others, presented Feig with the frustrations that come along with seeing a script brought to life.

“I was a real control freak when I wrote the pilot,” he explained. “And in pre-production [producer] Judd Apatow said, ‘Okay, let’s tear the script apart.’” This was not appealing to Feig. “I spent the entire time complaining,” he said, “dramatically saying to everyone that my own army was shooting me in the back.”

And yet, Feig said he now uses the same hands-off approach that he once rejected.

“Control freaks are the death of comedy,” he said. “I like actors so much that directing, for me, is just about getting out of their way.”

He gleefully recalled filming scenes for his latest film, “The Heat,” when stars Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock ignored his direction, improvised, and came up with even better material.

“I went away to set up the camera for a scene. When I came back, they had Scotch-taped their noses up and Melissa had taped forks onto her hands. They went on a 15-minute run that was just so funny.”

During the screening of a clip from that scene, Feig was as bemused as the audience. He beamed as McCarthy and Bullock took shots and drunkenly slow-danced with each other.

Feig, whose career has been devoted to comedy, bemoans what he says is  Hollywood’s lack of respect and recognition for funny movies.

“I see a lot of actors who are so great at comedy,” he said, “who are driven away because they want to win awards instead.”

But not Feig.

“It sounds so corny, but the best reward for me is making people laugh. I want to lighten people’s lives up if I can.”