All you're trying to do in an improvisation is get as much material as possible for the editing room.

I still do live concerts all over the country - about four a month - with singing and characters and improv. It keeps me limber. I'll never lose that. And comedy is still the bread and butter.

One of my great influences was Don Knotts as Barney Fife.

When you have to worry about paying the rent, you're never bored. You're just happy to have that job. But once you don't have to worry and reach the point where it's no longer about the money, you're able to look at other opportunities outside of your comfort zone.

A few years ago, I won a Tony for Little Me and I learned two important lessons from that experience. 1. Fair-weather friends are so much more interesting to be around and 2. It's amazing what this award fetches on E-Bay.

You try to figure out things to keep yourself interested. It's very easy to get lulled.

All you're trying to do in an improvisation is get as much material as possible for the editing room.