Paul Mercurio Talks About His New Web Series Got No Game
Paul Mercurio started his comedy career while he was still a Wall Street lawyer. After quitting his day job, Mercurio was hired as one of the original writers and performers for The Daily Show. An Emmy and Peabody award winning writer and comedian, Mercurio has performed stand-up for Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.
Now, Paul Mercurio has focused his comedy on the world of sports with his new HBO web series Got No Game with Paul Mercurio. He was kind enough to answer our questions.
CC Insider: The preview clips we saw for Got No Game show a mix of sketch and interview. What else can people expect from the show?
Paul Mercurio: A check in the amount of $1000 every time they click on the video. Oh, and a singing telegram from Jesse the Body Ventura dressed as Dora the Explorer!
CC Insider: Will bowling ever become an Olympic sport?
PM: Yes. If rhythm gymnastics can be an Olympic sport, why not bowling? There will be the core event of bowling, and related events like the “20-foot grilled cheese dash to the lunch counter,” the “pick up Helen, the aging alcoholic, contest,” and everyone’s favorite, “guess what communicable disease I got from the bowling alley urinal.”
CCI: How did your experience on The Daily Show influence your work on Got No Game?
PM: Writing on The Daily Show definitely helped because of it I rite goodly and smarlty-tastic. I had a great breadth of experience on the show, not just writing, but at times I was involved in the production of segments and performing on occasion as well. It all was a great experience and an awesome foundation for doing Got No Game. Plus, I stole a ton of printing paper and pens so that helped too.
The rest of the interview, as well as embedded video from Got No Game with Paul Mercurio, after the jump.
CCI: Which other entries in the world of sports comedy have inspired the show?
PM: The water-skiing squirrel. Raphael Nadal’s Capri pants. Ultimate frisbee and hacky-sack being classified as a sport.
CCI: How much curling do you plan to feature on the show?
A lot! Why? Because, curling is bowling for people who can’t bear to part with the ball. We will explore whether anyone can dominate the sport the way igloo janitors have for years. After all, they are to curling what Dominicans are to baseball. Also, there are many unanswered questions we’ll delve in to such as, “Broom Choice, Graphite or Composite.” “Sweeper’s Toe, Real Injury or Cop Out?” And the much debated question among curlers, “Better Performance Enhancer: Beer or Bratwurst?”
CCI: Who's the funniest athlete of all-time?
PM: Stephon Marbury. He tattooed a shoe brand logo on his head. That’s hilarious. I think Shaq is pretty funny because he takes himself so seriously and he's so full of himself. He’s over seven feet and weighs over 300 pounds. Should you really be that cocky about your ability to dominate a sport when you’re that huge?
CCI: Are you using any performance-enhancing substances?
PM: It will come out in the press so I will break it here. Yes! I am huffing magic marker and White Out. I’m high as a kite right now.
You can catch new episodes of Got No Game at the official HBO site.
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