bacongobbler

Here is a compilation of the top questions and their answers so far:

Question	Answer
How on earth were you able to gain the incredible amount of authorial control that you have over Louie? Have you had to battle with FX over any particular jokes, concepts or creative choices? link	I got it by demanding it and refusing to do the show any other way at all and by having the leverage that I was completely willing to walk away without doing the show and by agreeing to an extremely low budget so that they could offset the risk of giving me this freedom because they are risking less money. I have had conversations with them about very few moments in the show but zero battles.
Do you really edit the whole thing yourself? link	Yeah I do the whole thing. On season 1 I had an editor and we shared it about half. But season two I edited without any help. It was fucking hard and yes, I sit at the Macbook and just put it together from start frame to finish.
Has the $5 experiment worked? link	It's worked well so far. It's far from over so I don't know everything yet. I haven't even started promoting it. I'm doing a lot of press in the next few weeks soo we'll see what impact that has if any.
Has it sold as well as you hoped and have you covered all of your expenses? link	I'm not going to say yet what it's making.
Have you seen the conversation at The Pirate Bay link	I think it's really interesting that I brought the price so close to stealing and made the movie so easy to get and made it so clear that it's a human offering it that it sparked a debate about pirating. To steal from someone and not feel bad, you either have to be a sociopath or view the act differently.
Would you consider trying something like this again? link	I don't know yet if I'll do it again. It hasn't run it's course. But I AM SO HAPPY I DID IT. Just so fun and it has been massively gratifying to share the positive of it with so many people who have written and expressed their feelings.
Do you have plans to release a physical DVD/Blu-Ray copy? link	I think I will do that, yes. But it will be totally self produced. For now, We are going to post a "cover" and DVD label that you can download and print. This will be available to everyone who has bought it, not just new buyers. I might do a DVD and an audio CD down the line.
Have your 2 girls found out about the amount you make fun of them in your stand-up? If so, how do they react to it? link	That kid is very fictional. We have a pretty great community at the school.
Is the content of your comedy purely for the stage or do you continue to express the same insights and opinions in social settings as well? link	I don't talk in person the way I do on stage because it's a performance and it's distilled and the language is more deliberate. I make the same kind of jokes with my friends and family for sure and i have safe relationships where I can float a crazy or wrong idea and find out where it goes just as a life exercise and some times those things end up on stage.
In general, it seems you like to learn. What are you currently learning, or what else would you like to master in the future? link	Right now, I am learning to be a dad. I am learning how to take better care of myself and my kids. I'm learning how to communicate with people in my life.
What would you be doing if you weren't a professional comedian? link	The last jobs I had were fixing cars and covering football games for a local access TV station. As in driving the mobile van to the field, setting up 3 cameras, teaching depressed grown-ups and interns how to use them and directing the game from the van and then wanting to kill myself.
Are parts of Louie ever improvised? If so, can you give us an example? link	The poker scene in season 1 was very written but then I let the guys go off and fuck around. I used some of that. I don't generally let people improvise though. That works for shows where you have two cameras that are just sort of following the action. I shoot my show like a movie and it would be all fucked up if folks just said things.
What is a topic that you as a comedian would never touch? link	There ain't one.
You've been listed as a video editor on most of your projects. What program do you use to edit and why have you decided to take on this role? link	I love editing. I have used Avid in the past but I exclusively use Final Cut Pro now, though I am concerned about the future... You always have to put three dots after the future... editing is part of the process. It's how you form everything. In some ways not editing yourself would be like a sculptor dropping some clay off at a guys house and saying "Make a naked lady chasing a bull. and do it nice."
What was your least favorite memory? link	Probably pissing my pants at school, everyone pointing at the giant stain in the front of my pants and laughing. I mean EVERYONE. Jimmy Carter, Liza Minelli, Butros Butros Gali, the pope before he was pope AND the kids he fucked. They all laughed at me. then I had to walk home in the cold with pissed on pants and legs and I had red rashes all over the front of my lower body when I got home. The bath I took, though? mmmmm. that was good. I pissed in there too.
If you were starting comedy as a young stand-up today what would you do differently? link	Some things don't change. You need to get on stage as much as possible and vary your stage experience as much as possible and not quit and take care of yourself and always question why you say the things you say and enjoy yourself. The context of history and technology just is what it is.
How much more or less freedom do you have with your writing now that you are famous compared to when you were an unknown? link	I still have the same freedom because i don't care, when I'm writing, that I"m famous. It doesn't help or hurt
How many black T-shirts do you own? link	I have oh my god so many black T-shirts.
I relate so much to the character you play in Louie - how much of that is you? link	well it's me with poor judgement and worse luck.
You are often quoted on this website on the Atheism page, how do you feel about that? link	I'm not an atheist. I think god is there and that he is watching and he made us. I just don't give a shit ... Well I don't "Believe in God" I have zero idea how everything got here. I would personally say that, if I had to make a list of possibles, God would be pretty far down. But if I were to make a list of people that know what the fuck they are talking about, I would be REALLY far down.
Who were your biggest comedic influences growing up and why? link	Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Steve Martin. The rest is a long answer. they made me want to be a comedian.
Do you think you'll be on stage till the day you die (a la Carlin), or have you imagined other paths for yourself? link	Well I hope I'm on stage for the rest of my life ala George Burns instead of Carlin. But yeah I'll never stop doing stand-up. Even if it's in little clubs. The rest of it, I'll take what I can get.

Some things to remember:

• If you liked a question, upvote its original author. It's only fair.
  
• You can PM me requests of IAMAs that you would like me to do this for.
  
• Check out other questions in the thread since I didn't include all of them here.

Here is a compilation of the top questions and their answers so far:

Question	Answer
What do you think about the way Heroes ended? link	Disappointed.
What was it like working with Kevin Smith? link	Love Kevin. He is a gentle, sweet soul...underneath a crass exterior. Was fun working with a fellow Jersey guy.
What is your favorite meal to cook? link	Meatballs.
Are you working on any cool projects we should know about? link	I'm developing a TV show. I love the brainstorming and creative process...exciting to be a producer, help guide the show, and be an actress. I've also been working on a cookbook about entertaining. I started traveling at a young age, and cooking/entertaining was a way to create a familial environment everywhere I went.
What's the TV show going to be about? Can you give us any details? link	It's a dark comedy based in the charity world...it's about doing bad in the name of good.
Did you have any trouble with working with so many different versions of yourself in Heroes? link	I did not initially know I was going to play someone with multiple personalities (or multiple characters). It was like playing a new character every day, and I got to dive into Jungian theory. Win/win.
As a professional actress what's your view on SOPA/PIPA? link	Working in a creative industry, I am obviously concerned about piracy and copyright protection. I just don't think the laws, as written, truly address that...we shouldn't trade piracy for censorship. It's a slippery slope.
Just curious what your favorite movie and TV show is? link	Truly obsessed with Breaking Bad. I was blown away they didn't get recognized at SAG awards and Globes. I thought the last season was one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. Took me a while to get into it but ended up loving Boardwalk Empire...I like to watch it late at night in bed, it slows down my heartbeat. Modern Family is always an easy watch. Very excited for Mad Men to come back. Oh - and Downton Abbey...Mary, enough said.
Best on-screen kiss? link	Colin Farrell.
One question that was always intriguing me is how you deal with your fame. In particular, the part where star-struck people on the Internet publicly fantasize about you. Are you amused, disgusted, or do you simply ignore that? link	I ignore it. I have a fantasy world/life, too.
Are you a gamer? Do you play any games from time to time? link	Scrabble. I bought my husband a backgammon set for Christmas and promised we would learn. Don't really play video games.
What's your dream role? (Is there any character or character-type you would like to have the opportunity to play that you haven't? Or any existing character you'd love to be able to inhabit?) link	I respond to work that bisects human psyches. I want to work with filmmakers that have a comment on the "hero's journey." I love Jessica Lange in "Frances" and "Blue Sky" but she inhabits those roles so completely I would never dream of tackling them. It's more about inspiration that wanting to take over a role.
If you could have a Heroes superpower in real life, which one would you want? link	Invisibility.
Just curious what your favorite acting role has been for you so far, and why? link	I have been very lucky to have roles that have created incredible times in my life, from my first movie (Varsity Blues) to working with Reese Witherspoon on Legally Blonde to the Heroes pilot.
What are some of your favorite books? Do you have any recommendations? link	I just finished Hunger Games trilogy, Wanderlust; The Psychopath Test is next. Ultimate favorites include Shantaram, She's Come Undone, Madame Bovary. Many years ago I was traveling through London with a boyfriend. He was busy with work so I went off to Bath, England, and I sat in the lavender gardens and read Madame Bovary. And I felt such despair for this woman, and the expectation of how she was supposed to live her life. I spoke to my parents about it and my Dad asked "why would you respond to that whore?" and I just didn't see her like that...I felt sorry for her, and responded to her passion to seize/live life on her terms.
How did you get into acting? link	It is a creative way for me to express my feelings and comment on life. I've worked with different coaches...different classes...I feel it's ultimately the study of one's self.
What would you say your worst habit is? link	My worst habit is being self-critical.
Use five words to describe yourself. link	Adventurous, decisive, curious, loyal, passionate.
I would love to hear about how you balance such a demanding career with being a mommy. Any tips? link	From stay at home moms to corporate ladies, I think there's always some sense of guilt in the choices you make for yourself. For me, I have been so lucky being able to be at home with my son for his first year. I'm also a working mom, and to be a great mom I need to honor my creative desires. Also important to take time to be with my husband. I believe how you spend your time together is more important than the amount of time you spend together.
I've always wondered this, and now seems like an appropriate time to ask since you're an actual celebrity (huge fan by the way). Whenever you need something, say like groceries or like batteries or something, I don't know, do you just go out and buy it? I'd imagine at least some people recognize you. Does that bother you or keep you from venturing outside sometimes? link	It definitely makes me think twice about about whatever outfit I'm wearing before I run out to get something @ Coffee Bean or run errands. The paparazzi are why you'll usually see me wearing huge dark sunglasses when I'm out doing that.

Some things to remember:

• If you liked a question, upvote its original author. It's only fair.
  
• You can PM me requests of IAMAs that you would like me to do this for.
  
• Check out other questions in the thread since I didn't include all of them here.

Here is a compilation of the top questions and their answers so far:

Question	Answer
What powers/privileges/responsibilities does a 32nd degree Mason have that lower degrees do not? link	All it means is that I've seen the allegorical degrees up to that point. It is important to note that the 3rd degree is the highest degree and the additional ones are optional and extra. I know this is counter-intuitive, but all 3rd degree masons have attained the 'highest' degree of masonry.
Is 33rd degree the highest level? link	Again, not 'highest' but as far as I know it is the most advanced along with the Knight Templar - which is another optional body of masonry.
Did you ascend so high due to family/bloodline connections, or is there another reason? link	All it takes is time and interest. I am the first mason in my family as far as I know.
Are you required to actually learn anything about masonry? Or is it called 'Freemason' because you guys are now free of the requirement to be masons? Are there Freecarpenters? link	No actual 'operative masonry' is taught, however the tools of a mason feature prominently in the degrees.
How does someone get involved with the masons? Is there anyway to join or sign up? link	The requirements are: Be a man. (There are masonic organizations for women, but to be a Master Mason, you must be a man), Be at least 18. (There are masonic organizations for boys and girls under 18), Believe in God. If you can truthfully answer yes to this question, no further questions are necessary, Be of good moral standing.
Why did you seek out and join the masons? What was your personal reasoning for doing so? link	Two reasons: I wanted to be more involved in my community without having to join a local church, every mason I had ever known was an earnest and sincere man, and I wanted to associate with them.
Is it true that masons use ritual magic? link	I have never been involved in or heard of anything like this from any mason. I have seen and read many accounts of this from non-masons, though.
Basically, they just established the masons as sort of a secretive Elks club of sorts. link	This is absolutely true of modern freemasonry.
Why are masons so secretive? link	Honestly, it's about sharing a bond with each other. There are literally no secrets that I could reveal that are not readily found on the internet in about 100 different places. Masonry is about building friendship and fellowship with like minded individuals, and having 'secret rituals' builds that bond. If you were in the military of in a fraternity in college, or to some extent played sports in HS you understand the importance of these exercises.
Do they really have secret intelligence and people planted like spies in other groups, etc? link	If so, I've never heard of it.
Are there any surprising masonic information about US that is not common knowledge which you can share? link	I think it's pretty common knowledge that most of the founding fathers, including Washington, Madison, Jefferson, and Franklin were masons, not to mention Voltaire and Bolivar (revolutionaries in other countries). The biggest shock to me is how few masons are involved in government today. If there are any members of congress that are masons, they are not open about it.
Isn't that common trust pretty much ensuring secrecy about the Masons which you are now breaking? link	Actually, I haven't seen a single question that is in violation of my oaths. That is not to say I wouldn't answer that question. But yes, I should not answer the 'harder' questions, but I think educating the misinformed is more important for the good of the craft.

Some things to remember:

• If you liked a question, upvote its original author. It's only fair.
  
• You can PM me requests of IAMAs that you would like me to do this for.
  
• Check out the most recent posts so you don't miss out on any great questions.
  
• The jolly rancher story.