Louis C.K. sat down for a chat with The New York Times’ Bill Carter at the Directors Guild last night, and he ended up discussing David Letterman’s retirement and the late night world. C.K., who did a series of three episodes about taking over for Letterman two years ago, said that he has no interest in ever hosting a late night show (via Vulture):
“I’d never be that guy … I wouldn’t want it and nobody would want me to do that job … The only reason I would think of doing it would be just to see how badly it would go … My specialty [is going] to a place where people get uncomfortable and then stay there and at some point they’re like ‘if I don’t laugh, I’m going to kill myself, so I’m going to laugh.’ That’s not a good formula for late night TV — on every night, on a major network.”
C.K. added that he’s only saying that because he already has a TV show and his career is going well, explaining, “If you asked me three or four years ago, I would’ve certainly taken it. But now I can say, ‘Oh no, that’s not for me.’” He explained that his commitment to raising his kids is mainly the reason he wouldn’t want a job with such a heavy workload. “I take my kids to school every morning and I pick them up when they get out of school,” C.K. said. “I make their dinner and do their homework with them. That would disappear instantly forever.”
