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Q&A: 'Speakeasy' host and podcaster Paul F. Tompkins

Whitney Matheson
USA TODAY

Personally, I find it hard to go more than two weeks without Paul F. Tompkins.

I say this partly because Tompkins seems to be everywhere at the moment — podcasts, web series, TV — but also because it's always a delight to hear what he has to say, whether it's as a character or himself.

Last week I had the pleasure of talking to Paul about his various projects, including Made Man's online talk show Speakeasy, which cranks out a new episode every other Monday. (Today's ep just went up, and upcoming guests include Tom Lennon, Gillian Jacobs and, intriguingly, Haley Joel Osment.)

Here's what went down:

Paul F. Tompkins: Whitney, how are you?

Paul F. Tompkins hosts the web series 'Speakeasy' on youtube.com/MadeManDotCom.

Me: I'm good! I don't think we've ever talked before, but I've spent days of my life listening to you on podcasts. You've probably appeared on more than anybody else, right?

I think that might be true. I think a case could be made. (Some GPS-like noises can be heard in the background.)

Are you driving right now?

Yes, I am — my wife and I just bought our first house, and we were consulting about paint. (Laughs)

Congratulations, that's a pretty big thing.

Thank you. It's overwhelming. And the paint selection is not helping.

Do you remember the first podcast you appeared on? Was it your own?

Man, oh man. I think the first podcast I ever did was probably Jimmy Pardo's Never Not Funny. Oh! You know what? I don't think that's true. I think it might've been AST Radio. Matt Belknap, who is Jimmy's producer and co-host, would periodically do these interviews with comedians. I sort of feel that predates Never Not Funny, I could be wrong — and if I am, I'm sure Jimmy will be very upset with me. (Editor's note:Indeed, Paulappeared on AST Radio in 2006, while it looks likehis first stint on Pardo's show was in 2008.)

Do you listen to any podcasts on your own time?

Oh, I listen to them all the time, especially because you have to drive so much in Los Angeles. I listen to them while I'lm driving, while I'm doing household chores — they're good for folding laundry and stuff like that. I'm a consumer as much as I am a participant.

And do you mostly listen to the comedy ones?

Mainly, but I do listen to things like Stuff You Should Know and Getting It On with James Urbaniak.

One thing I like about you is that you do impressions of people that no one else does impressions of. Did that start because of the podcasts?

It's a relatively recent thing, and it definitely has its roots in podcasting. The very beginnings of it was doing impressions when I was hosting Best Week Ever. Sometimes it would be better to make a joke as part of a little sketch as opposed to just a one-line joke. The first time I did Cake Boss or Ice-T or Andrew Lloyd Webber was on Best Week Ever.

When Scott Aukerman started his podcast (now called Comedy Bang Bang), the first time I was a guest, he said, "If you want to come on as yourself or a character …" Him saying that sparked something. I don't think I ever would've thought of doing a character otherwise. So I did Ice-T the first time and then started doing other characters regularly on his show.

When I stated my own podcast, I absolutely wanted to incorporate voices, and the idea of doing all my voices talking to each other seemed like the most fun thing to do, and was different than what anybody else was really doing at the time.

Do you have a favorite impression you like to do, or is it too tough to pick one?

It's honestly impossible. But I would say the ones I love doing the most are probably Andrew Lloyd Webber, Garry Marshall and Werner Herzog. One that is climbing up my personal chart is J.W. Stillwater, the masked vigilante from Cumberbatch County, Fla.

Have you come face to face with any of the people you impersonate, like Werner?

Oh, no. That would be a dream — I'm such a huge Werner Herzog fan and would love to meet him. The only people I've met that I do impressions of I have not seen since I started doing the impressions. John Lithgow I started doing after I met him. John C. Reilly I met on many occasions but haven't seen him since I've done the impression.

And Ice-T I have not met, but his podcast pranked me recently with an Ice-T impersonator. They told me, "Ice-T wants to talk to you on his podcast." I was so excited to talk to this guy and so disappointed when I found out it wasn't him. That all wind up being very cool, beyond the disappointment of not talking to the real Ice-T.

I wanted to ask you about Speakeasy, which you host as yourself. I really like the Lizzy Caplan episode, the Katee Sackhoff episode — uh, I guess I like it when you have attractive ladies on the show.

(Laughs) We always get really interesting people, and I absolutely love doing that show. It's so great that I get to have these more intimate conversations with people — some of whom I know, some of whom I'm meeting for the first time. By virtue of there being no audience, we're able to have a much more conversational and less canned sort of chat.

You know, I feel like you have all the talents that would make an excellent late-night talk show host. I don't know if that's something you'd be interested in …

Oh, I'd love to do that. Unfortunately, it's not up to me ... and it seems like it's all sewn up right now.

By the way, do you have Super Bowl fever?

(Uproarious laughter)

I didn't think so, but you never know!

I seem to be one of those people that's immune to Super Bowl fever. I may be a carrier, but I'm immune to it myself.

So what will you be doing while it's on?

All my rowdy friends will be coming over to watch Downton Abbey ...

And don't forget Sherlock.

Yes, that is my Super Bowl. The fact that those two things are happening on the same night.

And what else are you working on these days? I saw you did live State of the Union commentary with puppets.

Yes, I do this very strange show called No, You Shut Up! on the Fusion network. It's a weekly roundtable show with me as the host, and the panelists are puppets from the Henson Company. It's like Meet the Press in a weird dream that you had.

As for podcasts, where can I hear you next?

I got a couple Comedy Bang Bangs in the can, and I'll be making more appearances on the TV show this year. And Dead Authors — we just got back from San Francisco, where we did an episode that benefited 826 Valencia. That was with Thomas Lennon as William Faulkner, which is one of the craziest ones we've ever done.

Well, I'll be listening. Thanks again for your time, and congratulations again on the new house.

Thank you so much, Whitney. What a pleasure to chat with you.

Follow Paul F. Tompkins on Twitter at @PFTompkins.

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