Louis C.K. is the comic’s comic who isn’t afraid to flop

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Comedian Louis C.K.’s sitcom “Louie” returns to FX for a second season on June 23.

Updated: August 3, 2011 9:29PM

Revered by many of his stand-up brethren, Louis C.K. (born Szekely) long has been known by insiders as the comic’s comic. For years, though, he wasn’t exactly a household name despite his mad skills onstage.

But with the surging popularity of his often squirm-inducingly honest (and very adult) FX show “Louie,” and the broader-than-ever appeal of his dark and boldly confessional (and also very adult) live act, the 43-year-old screenwriter-director and Emmy-winning late-night scribe (he wrote for David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Dana Carvey and Chris Rock) finally has broken big.

During a drive from Brooklyn, where he was overseeing work on the original soundtrack for his half-hour tragicomedy (whose second season premieres June 23), C.K. talked about fame, fearlessness and his problem with Twitter.

Q. Way back when, you used to play the Lakeshore Theater on Broadway, which was a few hundred seats, and now you’re playing to a few thousand at the Chicago Theatre.

A. I stopped at the Vic along the way, too. The Lakeshore was fun a couple of times. Before that I did Zanies [on Wells]. I did the Chicago [Theatre] for the first time last year and, really, it was my biggest night ever. I had a great time. It was two shows at about 3,500 [people] apiece, so that’s 7,000 people in one night. At that point I had sort of controlled rooms that were about 2,500 at the most. So the first time I stepped out there it was like, “This is a lot of people,” and it had sort of taken me a little off my rhythm. When I did the first show I thought, “This is too many for me, and I can just measure up to this. I’ve found my limit.” But then the second show I was like, “F---, I want a bigger room. I’m loving this.”

Q. It takes incredible confidence to control a room the way you do. Does that less-than-humble approach spill over into everyday life?

A. It doesn’t, because I am humble before the thing I do. It’s not so much that I think I’m so great. It’s just that I’ve seen every pitfall and I’ve seen every mistake and I’m not worried about it because I’ve survived a lot of bad shows. And I kind of just know how this s--- works. And, also, I know if it doesn’t, it’s gonna be OK. I know how to guide it from the unpredictable to the predictable. I think it starts with humility, though. I think bravado, in the general sense of “this is working because I’m so great,” is a massive — you’re setting yourself up for a huge fall.

Q. Has learning to deal with failure onstage made you more fearless in everyday life?

A. Yes, it has. I have less of a sense of, “Oh, no, what if this?” Like, if there’s something I want to try or do in life, I don’t have that impulse of “but then this might happen, which would be bad.” I tend to go, “Well, let’s try this. Because it sounds like fun and it might yield something good. And if something bad happens we’ll deal with it. It’s OK.” In general I tend to prepare for success. Failure has a way of taking care of itself.

Q. You’ve said that five nights of stand-up can earn you about as much as a whole season of “Louie.” What are some trappings of your newfound wealth?

A. Well, I’m not wealthy because I had a lot of old tax debt that I’m still paying down. And I’m not great with money. And I also still pay child support and alimony and all that stuff. And I live in New York City, so in New York City you pay extraordinary rent for average living conditions. But this year I did move into a much nicer apartment than I’ve had before and I drive a nicer car [an Infiniti G35] than I used to.

Q. More people know who you are now. Is it easier to get away with darker and edgier material than it was in the past?

A. I’d say a little bit, yeah. I definitely have credibility there. But I’m also reaching more people that don’t know who I am, so it’s a little more dangerous. That’s why I try to stay away from s--- like Twitter that takes what I say out of the context of a show. I don’t really do it anymore, because people follow Twitter people for all kinds of reasons, and sometimes they’ll just on a whim [think], “I’ll follow this guy,” and then all of a sudden they’re getting vile s--- from me. That’s how guys like Gilbert [Gottfried, recently canned voice of the Aflac insurance duck] got in trouble. It’s better to just keep it on the stage or on the show.

Q. Are you able to wander around much anymore?

A. It’s hard. I do get recognized a lot. And I’d rather be anonymous. I like observing people. So it’s hard to observe people when they’re going [dumb voice], “Hey, you’re the guy on TV.”

Q. Do you feel like it took longer than it should have to achieve this level of fame, or is this just about right?

A. Definitely not too long. I am lucky it didn’t happen sooner, because I would have gotten a lot of exposure when I wasn’t good enough. That’s what destroys a lot of people. They get a little money out of it and a little bit of notoriety, but if you’re not fully developed and everybody’s watching you, that’s bad news. I’ve seen a lot of comedian seminars and stuff that are about taking shortcuts and getting there really quickly. It boggles my mind that anybody would want to get there quickly. It’s a learning process.