(Every Wednesday, comedian Susie Felber will interview a different star of the comedy world for the CC Insider. You can read more of Susie on her blog, Felber's Frolics. After an introduction, this week Susie interviews Jimmy Kimmel Live producer Adam Spiegelman.)

In my continuing quest to bring you profiles of comedians who do funny stuff other than perform, I present Adam Spiegelman, a comedian I met eons ago (the 90’s) in NYC who’s now out in LA, working as a producer at Jimmy Kimmel Live. 

I chatted with Adam via instant message and asked him about how he got started in comedy, TV and WTF a producer actually does (besides use his title to get laid).  Read on and learn the answers to these questions and so much more – like what booking a cat circus can do for your career...

Full disclosure:  I already fully disclosed that most of these fascinating comedy peeps are friends of mine. So sue me…

After the jump, Susie's IM Chat with Adam Spiegelman Comedian and Producer, Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Susie F: Paging Spiegs, come in Spiegs...
Spiegelman: Yo.
Susie F: Yo indeed!  This an ok time?
Spiegelman: Yeah.  I’m watching Howard on Letterman…
Susie F: OH!  It’s Mr. Shows Off his DVR!
Spiegelman: Why, don't you have one?
Susie F: I just ordered one, so back off buck-o! How's Howard?
Spiegelman: So far he's just plugging the radios…let's do this!
Susie F: Righty-o!

Spiegelman: I was born in a log cabin in New Jersey...
Susie F: Ha! OK… So how long have you been at Kimmel?
Spiegelman: Since the show started.  Four years ago this month.
Susie F: And what's yer title?
Spiegelman: I'm a Segment Producer
Susie F: And what does a producer do, other than try to woo loose women telling them he's a producer?
Spiegelman: I interview the celebrities and pull out stories and such for Jimmy. Then Jimmy completely rewrites the segment.  You know, this is the first time I've met women from being a producer
Susie F: Why not before?
Spiegelman: Women were not interested in me when I worked on court TV shows.
Susie F: Divorce Court didn't pull the chicks?  No hot divorcees?
Spiegelman: "I worked on Judge Joe Brown" – that never got nobody laid.  I mean, I got hit on by the litigants a lot.  But, of course, they were going through a divorce.
Susie F: Yikes!
Spiegelman: Yeah, it was funny.
Susie F: But Kimmel... I hear it's a party there all the time.  I even hear that backstage... there's a pool table!
Spiegelman: There's a green room with a bar, a pinball machine AND a pool table. Plus Ms. Pac Man.
Susie F: oooohh.  Nice.
Spiegelman: Yeah.  Oh, and TV screens to see the show.  If you wanted to.
Susie F: Oh, that... sure, whatever. So wait, didn't you used to find kooky guests? 
Spiegelman: I was hired as the Human Interest Producer. I would find interesting people and newsmakers.
Susie F: Like Peter pan guy...He liked you
Spiegelman: I was the first to get him on TV.  That was a score.  He wouldn't do TV. He thought people would make fun of him.
Susie F: So how did you convince him?
Spiegelman: I don't know why he chose us. I told him the truth - I thought he was cool.  I was honest.
Susie F: Awww!  Now... What about the infamous KIMMEL CAT CIRCUS SCANDAL?  Didn't you almost get fired for that?
Spiegelman: That was my favorite one!  This great French guy drove his trailer with like ten trained cats to LA.  The show had Shaq and Janeane Garofalo and Jimmy on stage with the cats.  Shaq and cats.
Susie F: A French guy, 10 trained cats, the usual…
Spiegelman: The cats walked on a tight rope and jumped through fire.
Susie F: What's not to love about trained cats and Shaq?
Spiegelman: Apparently I was the only one who loved it.  The next month I was a Segment producer. I would have him on TV again in a moment.
Susie F:  Any recent guests you produced that were stand outs?
Spiegelman: I got to produce Don Rickles!  He was amazing.  On the phone I asked him if he wanted his children to go into show biz
Susie F: What'd he say?
Spiegelman: "I'm a Jew, why would I want my kids to go into showbiz? Are your parents happy you're a talent booker? Did you go to college?  You did? So you think they they’re proud?"

(Spiegelman with Don Rickles)

Susie F: Ha!  So when did you start in comedy?
Spiegelman: When I was in High School.  There was a luncheonette in Montclair that had a comedy night on Saturday nights. I went every week from Freshman year until college. When I bombed they would stare at me. But I went so often that I began to know everyone. 
Susie F: And how/where did you get your start in TV?
Spiegelman: I interned on "Daddy's Girl" an after school special with an unknown Lauryn Hill.  That lead to TV Nation with Michael Moore, where I was a PA.
Susie F: TV Nation was super cool. Was that fun to work on, or was Moore an a-hole?
Spiegelman: Moore was great.  A very nice guy.  We had all these crazy things to do and I really wanted to prove myself so I did whatever I could.
Susie F: It was a ballsy show.
Spiegelman: I got to dress up like "Crackers the Corporate Crime Fighting Chicken" for B-roll shots. It was cool to see Michael work. Talk to people, get info from them. I didn't get health insurance, by the way.

(Ed. Note:  Moore’s new movie is about health insurance)

Susie F: So has comedy always been your dream?
Spiegelman: Yeah, comedy was my dream.  I always wanted to be a comic…always wanted the job I have now.
Susie F: So I heard Paul Reubens sent you a x-mas card? How'd you get on Pee Wee's list?
Spiegelman: YEAH!  So cool.  He's the best. So easy to work with.  He was very nice, had a ton of ideas.
Susie F: I've ALWAYS been a fan of his. I first saw him on an HBO young comedians special.
Spiegelman: He sent me two electric candles and fake movie money.
Susie F: OMG SO COOL!
Spiegelman: Yeah that blew me away.
Susie F: I could not be more jealous.  Well maybe if you f**ked Treat Williams.  Then I'd be more jealous.
Spiegelman:  Treat sent candles also…
Susie F: No. Shut up!
Spiegelman: Did.
Susie F: You are making that up!
Spiegelman: The man hates to cuddle but loves to love.
Susie F: AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!  I hate you!  (And SCENE!)  So, what's a day at Kimmel like?
Spiegelman: I have a guest that day to prepare for and one the next day. The morning is putting together that day's guest to pitch to Jimmy at noon. Then I do an interview with the next guest.
Susie F: What do you do to prepare? Google the sh*t out of them and call it a day?
Spiegelman: I have an AP. she does a ton of research.  I’m basically looking for good stories and funny things to do with them.
Susie F: So she does all the work and you... just reap the carnal rewards of being a producer...
Spiegelman: After talking to Jimmy I write up the segment as discussed.  Then when the guest gets here I talk over the segment with them. They go out, and Jimmy wings it, which is great.  The stories get out there and it's not so staged.
Susie F: Meaning he ignores what you do?
Spiegelman: Well...a mixture of both. Other hosts stick to their script.  Jimmy wants to have a real conversation.
Susie F: And what about live comedy? Do you still have a toe in that?
Spiegelman: Yes. I have one gig January 20th at the Theater of Note. They do an all day performance art show. I’m going to host a couple of hours.  And I used to produce a live vaudeville show here in LA called “Below the Belt.” It ran for 3 years.  We’d have comics, singers, celebrities, burlesque dancers, strange acts… Your brother did the show.
Susie F: Are you calling my bro strange?  Seriously, that was a hot show. 
Spiegelman: My partner got some other work so we stopped.  But it got me a new agent and we might do it again next year. We tried to sell it as a TV show.  That was hard. I'm SO over TV! (not)
Susie F: What was your worst on stage experience?
Spiegelman: I broke my hand punching a heckler
Susie F: No!  For reals?
Spiegelman: I was 15 or 16
Susie F: Are you pooping me?  That’s gangsta for a Jew from Montclair!
Spiegelman: Actually, it was a friend. He was drunk. After my set I punched him.
Spiegelman: And my voice cracked once on stage…
Susie F: I think punching the heckler is more impressive.
Spiegelman: I worked so hard to get this prop right. I went up there and my voice cracked. People went nuts
Susie F: A prop? Say it ain’t so... You were a prop comic?
Spiegelman: I know. It was God's way of saying, "Don't be such a hack."  Look, I was young! That's my excuse!
Susie F: Tell it to Judge Joe.
Spiegelman: Ha! I loved Joe. That was fun.  You search through a lot of cases and find peope who are interesting and fun to talk to.
Susie F: …or crazy.
Spiegelman: I loved the crazy ones. One guy had to be kicked out.  He yelled at Joe in the courtroom so Joe kicked him out.  The guy was suing two ladies of the night for running up his credit card bill.  When Joe asked the women what they did for a living they told him.  The guy went nuts. "They are not bad women. They are not what you say they are."  They insisted they were.  Joe ruled in his favor and threw them out.  But he wanted a retrial even though he won because didn't want people to think these women were prostitutes.
Susie F: Amazing.  So any parting thoughts? Like what you’d like to be doing in ten years?
Spiegelman:  Finishing this interview.
Susie F: Ha! Ba dum bum!
Spiegelman: Seriously?  Hopefully running a show.
Susie F: On tee vee?
Spiegelman: If there still is TV. Yeah. 
Susie F: And so how bad are they going to make fun of you at work for doing this interview with me?
Spiegelman: So bad. I had to get permission from my boss who then announced it to everyone.
Susie F: Thanks a million Spiegs!  10-4 good buddy.