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The Fun Spot
RD: Some comedians believed that you could tell if he really liked a stand-up routine, because if he did he would invite the comic over to the sofa.Martin: That's a bit of a myth. I think maybe once or twice he did it spontaneously because somebody scored big, but it was not a premise of the show.
RD: You mean it really had to do with how much time was left in the show?
Martin: Whenever I went on they'd say, "... then you'll do the sofa." Because you don't want to be invited over to the sofa if you're not prepared. You had to have funny bits for the sofa too.
RD: You've written that the Carson show actually had an effect on the mood of the country. In what way?
Martin: You knew that every night, no matter what was going on, there was this common place to go that was kind of safe, kind of fun and kind of smart.
RD: Now tell us about your new film, The Pink Panther .
Martin: I'm already mortified by the question: How is it to go up against Peter Sellers?
RD: Am I correct in thinking that it's a new story using the characters from the old series?
Martin: The studio calls it a "reimagining." It uses the original characters, but it's a new story. It was my great respect for Peter Sellers that led me to even consider the movie because he made Clouseau so interesting. I knew I had to find my own version, because an imitation would be horrible. I'm a bad imitator.
RD: Do you use a French accent for Clouseau?
Martin: My biggest fear was the accent. I sat with a really good vocal coach, so I got secure. And then I really started to have fun.
RD: So at that point it stopped being work?
Martin: When I found what I call the fun spot, it ceased to be work. The original movies define the spirit. Once you have the spirit and the characters, and it's a comedy, then you're on your way. But that doesn't make it easy.
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