Who? Thomas Scaglione, Creative Director in Content
Thomas’ creative hero: Steve Martin
Why Steve Martin?
The real question is why isn’t Steve Martin everyone’s creative hero?
My real answer is that he is relentlessly curious. He is the king of reinvention. He was the biggest comic in the world in the 1970s, but he decided that once the audience finally “got” his act — the thing that he had been obsessively honing for 15 years — he should retire it. To walk away from what had been your life (at the peak of your powers, no less) and chase your dreams in Hollywood is a ballsy move for anyone, let alone for a man who looked 50 even in his 20s.
People know him for his movies and TV appearances, but I think of him as an immensely talented writer above all else. He wrote so many of the shows and movies we all love (and that I frequently quote), but he’s also written plays, books and New Yorker pieces. And he’s still going strong at 79.
What piece of Martin’s creative work do you return to again and again?
I don’t really return to one thing — like I said, his sweeping virtuosity is part of his appeal — but I can tell you when I first realized his brilliance: the night I saw his first play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile. It’s a celebration of ideas, art, music and the creative process, and I don’t think I had laughed that hard in my life at that time.
If I had to pick one Steve Martin movie that my brothers and I quote the most to each other, it’s probably My Blue Heaven. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s a Nora Ephron script where he plays a mobster who goes into the witness protection program. Fun fact: Ephron wrote that movie at the same time that her husband, Nicholas Pileggi, wrote Goodfellas. So, My Blue Heaven is kind of like the bizarro sequel to that Scorsese banger.
If you could meet Steve Martin, what would your opening line be?
I know he’s a somewhat guarded person, so I would most likely just tell him that I am a fan and then ask him a bunch of questions, starting with what’s his favorite thing he’s ever written.
As much as I would want to pretend like I didn’t see him and bump into him just to let out a huge “WELL, EXCUSE ME!” that would be like greeting Michael Jordan by telling him that I, too, played basketball.
How do you approach overcoming creative blocks or challenges?
There are many techniques, and they all involve a lot of swearing.
Often, my biggest challenge is getting started. When things are still conceptual, there are so many possibilities and they’re all perfect in your head, but when you start to put them down on paper, well, then you’ve committed. And the first pass is almost always shit. You know it’s shit, but shit is better than nothing. Then you go away from it and chat with friends or watch a movie or read some Wallace Stevens and come back to it and try to make it less shit. Rinse, repeat.
What is the best piece of creative work you’ve produced for Manifest?
Can I say this interview?
“Best” is kind of a loaded term, but I am particularly proud of the work we’ve done (and are still doing) for U.S. Dairy, particularly mini-campaigns like “The Dairy Detectives.” We sold that as “Birds Aren’t Real” crossed with The X Files. It’s a real testament to the whole Manifest team and to the people at U.S. Dairy, with whom we’ve built up the trust to be as weird as we can be.
Honorable mention goes to the Paper and Packaging Board video where I got to interview my brother.
What is your most treasured possession?
I own the real Mona Lisa. The one in the Louvre is a replica.
[Extreme Borat voice]: MY WIIIIIIFFEEEE!
Wait … she’s not a possession (but I do treasure her).
My sense of humor?
What is your idea of happiness?
Being surrounded by people I love and care about. It doesn’t matter if we’re shooting the shit at someone’s house or going wine tasting in the south of France (but preferably the latter).
What is your idea of misery?
Being cold and alone and unable to taste food. Any one of those things is tolerable. All three at the same time would be hell.
What’s your favorite curse word?
“Fuck” is inarguably the best curse word. It’s the most nimble and versatile of all the curse words, and probably the one I use the most (sorry, Mom!).
But my favorite to say aloud is “scheisser!” Always with the exclamation point. There’s something about the sharpness of that German gem that really does it for me.
