Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine of 'Pen15' Talk Personal Experiences That Led Them to Create the Successful Show! "I never thought of myself as funny"
"I never thought of myself as funny."
This is an almost unbelievable statement coming from one of the unquestionably hilarious Pen15 stars and creators, Anna Konkle. Konkle and Maya Erskine, the two creators of the show, sat down to talk to each other for Interview Magazine. The massive success of the recently ended show is largely to do with the unique view points and high standards. In response to this Erskine, after insisting her friend is hilarious, lovingly deemed her "Quirky funny".
ERSKINE: Because you also let it come out. I'm thinking of when we [first met] in Amsterdam. You were very goofy funny, and outgoing and not afraid. And I was inspired by that because I was scared to make any joke or do anything that might fail. But you don't have that fear.
KONKLE: You're right. We've talked about this, I grew up as an only child, so I had to put myself out there. I went on a cruise, and had to introduce myself to people or else I'd be alone. I'm just used to things failing and people not getting me.
There is so much of humor that comes from life and the way that one is raised. A unique perspective on the world can serve to create something as magical as Pen15 was. Konkle also attributes the success of the show to Erskine's incredibly high standards.
KONKLE:...you raised the bar for PEN15, in a way that I'm so grateful for, because I've learned so much from you. You had more experience in filmmaking also, and your brother's this amazing editor, and your dad is a very high-level musician, and your mom... you're all very down-to-earth, kind, loving, funny, smart, but the bar is fucking high.
ERSKINE: Wow. It's so nice of you to say. It sparks a memory of being in theater, actually, and never feeling like we killed it. And kind of applying that to everything I did, sometimes to a negative degree. It's not that I can't be fulfilled, but it's never like, "It's great and it's the best." I have to keep trying to make it better and go further.
KONKLE: Why do you think you have that instinct?
ERSKINE: Because I think if it ever felt like, "Great, I did it. That was amazing," I would stop.
By leaning into the experiences we have, the things that make us strange and unique, allow something beautiful to be created. Read the rest of this compelling and inspiring interview here.
