Louis C.K., 44, is not your average comedian, but he's quickly becoming one of the most self-sufficient, with a critically acclaimed, eponymous series, Louie, on FX (which he writes, directs, edits and stars in), a self-distributed standup routine, Live At The Beacon Theater, which debuted last year and broke the conventional models of distribution that emboldened comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Aziz Ansari, an upcoming tour, and a stint in a new Woody Allen film, alongside Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin and Peter Sarsgaard.
Distributing his own material via his website is not just Louis C.K.'s attempt to "stick it to The Man," as AV Club puts it. As C.K. explained, it's all about "providing an alternative" to audiences. And his efforts weren't always a guaranteed success. "It's interesting, because when I got to $1 million as quickly as I did … I mean, when the smoke cleared on the first day, I had something like $200,000," C.K. said. "I think we hit that before a day was over, and that was just stunning to me. And then when we hit a million, I thought, 'This is crazy.' It didn't feel like it was just about me; a lot of people had sort of voted with this money. It was an expression. This money that was in my hands now was a united expression by a lot of people of an idea. That sounds really lofty, but it's not."
Far more "lofty" for C.K. is being cast in the Allen flick, which is still untitled. "I got a call that Woody's making a movie and that his casting people wanted to show him my stuff, and so they asked us what to show him. And we said, 'Some standup, some episodes, and maybe Parks and Rec[reation].' And I guess we showed him some good stuff. Then I got an email saying, 'Woody wants to meet with you and have you read for a part.' and that was a big deal, to know that I'm going to meet him."
The Woody Allen flick, currently in pre-production, will begin filming this summer and is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2013. You can catch C.K.'s Louie Thursday nights at 10:30 p.m. EST on FX.
For more on Louis C.K.:
Louis C.K.'s Web Standup Special Will Air On FX
REVIEW: Louie — Season Three
U BLOG: Louis C.K. — Greatest Living Comedian?
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