Meet Alexander Heller | Writer-Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexander Heller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexander, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For whatever reason, when it comes to my life and career I’ve been much more willing to take risks than in other aspects of my life. When I was a kid I literally didn’t step on a crack in the sidewalk for all of elementary school. My parents thought I had problems. Come to think of it….maybe I did have problems. Maybe I DO have problems.

But when it came to major decisions like “where do you want to go to school” or “where do you want to live” I would- for lack of a better term- YOLO it. I know nobody says YOLO anymore. I guess I’m showing my age. Whatever, I think it’s kinda fun. YOLO.

I went to a high school where I knew zero people. My birthday was the first day of school. It was honestly brutal. I ate lunch alone on a stranger’s lawn. But then I ended up making some of the best friends I’ll ever have. Same with college. I decided to go somewhere completely new, where I again knew nobody. Same deal: I had an amazing time. I took it really seriously and studied really hard…but I also went a bit crazy having fun and made a lot of great friends.

I didn’t think about it as a risk so much as something that would be challenging but ultimately better for me in the long run. And then I did it again when I left college. While all of my friends were taking jobs in finance or marketing…I freaked out. I went to study architecture. Was miserable, then ended up in New York doing comedy. It’s weird to think about because while I was essentially blowing up my life and starting over every three years- which is a massive risk- I didn’t see it that way. At the same time I would be MORTIFIED to ask a girl on a date. That seemed like a much bigger risk.

I’m really only thinking about this for the first time now, but I guess the answer to the question is: it depends what you see as a risk. I knew I had the support of my family to move cities. I knew deep down that I wanted to have a different kind of experience in high school or college or with my career. But I was so uncertain about what stepping on a crack in the sidewalk would do to me. Or my mom! So I guess my internal risk assessment mechanism is messed up, and I’m convinced of some things but not others. Did that answer your question?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So much of the early phase of my career was determined by my visa status. I was always trying to outrun the expiration date, and frankly it didn’t work. I was a standup comic and writer, but I couldn’t ever get a real foothold in the industry because I had to keep leaving for visa reasons.

Now I have an awesome job. I work for Comedy Store Studios, which is a new production company that’s been spun out of The Comedy Store- the legendary club. I’m honestly really lucky to be there. I got hired right out of grad school, and the company is really young so there is a real startup energy to it. I feel like I’m part of determining the path forward for the company which is really cool. And I also feel like it’s the kind of job that was sort of made in a lab for me. It combines my experience as a writer/ creative producer, my production experience, and my time as a standup/ live event producer into one.

I sometimes get down on myself for feeling like I’m “behind” in my career, which sucks. It’s hard not to feel that way. But between my visa and the pandemic…I didn’t really have a choice. I mainly try to use it to motivate where I’m currently at. Like “you wanna be farther along? (whatever that means)…ok…you better make it happen, then.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oof. Ok. I don’t think I’m the guy to answer this question.

Maybe I tell them to go to New York? No. I don’t know…

I would definitely take them to The Comedy Store. Most people who visit think it’s cool that I get to skip the line and know the comics. That definitely seems impressive to someone visiting from the Midwest or wherever.

I like to take people to Formosa. LA has this weird kitsch thing that I love. Like if you were to build a themed restaurant today everyone would think it’s tacky. You build a German restaurant and put weird little steins everywhere? Weird. Classless. But then if you survive for 80 or 100 years it becomes “you gotta check out this wild German place! They have all these crazy steins on the walls. It’s been there forever!” Formosa is like that. And 100 years ago they clearly went all out with the decor- it’s nice stuff, and now that it’s older it just seems extra cool. Also the food is great.

I’m not telling you what my favorite bar is because it’s small and I don’t want more people to go there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family. They were there to help me out whenever I needed it. I honestly with I’d leaned on them more, especially in the beginning. Like my brother- I lived on his couch when I first moved to New York. Well…it was a loveseat. Not a couch. Much smaller. My head would hang off the side and I’d wake up every morning half upside down.

My girlfriend Christine. She’s been such an amazing partner through this most recent phase of my career. I was in grad school, leaving every morning at 8, coming home every night after midnight for two years…making ZERO money. And not only did she put up with it, she came to so many events. Made (better) friends with all my friends. And just genuinely encouraged and supported my insane ideas.

Chocolate chip cookies. They make me happy. And I have a tendency (and a chemical imbalance!) to become very, very sad. But a chocolate chip cookie always cheers me up.

Instagram: @originalheller

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-heller-88916877/

Image Credits
Andrew Thrash