Paul Scheer’s memoir, “Joyful Recollections of Trauma,” is not just a collection of harrowing — and often humorous confessions — but also a reminder that to persevere, we must strive to maintain our passions. Scheer’s first loves come through in prose, and also on his pair of podcasts — “How Did This Get Made?” with his wife, June Diane Raphael, and friend Jason Mantzoukas, and “Unspooled” with film critic Amy Nicholson. Both explore Scheer’s appreciation of Hollywood.
“As a kid, my escapes were movies and TV shows,” Scheer says. “I wanted to be in scenes with those characters. I don’t even know if I wanted to be actor as much as I wanted to live in those worlds.
I wanted to be in the ‘Different Strokes’ apartment. I wanted to ride that train on ‘Silver Spoons.’” The former New Yorker, whose credits include “The League,” “Black Monday” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” gushes about a recent appearance on “Night Court” as a “full circle moment,” noting the original series was one he watched ardently as a child.
Today, film figures heavily into Scheer’s downtime. While the Los Feliz resident notes that his Sundays are primarily focused on his children, who are 10 and 7, they are also an opportunity to share other aspects of his fandom with his family, particularly sports. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
7 a.m.: A cold plunge and pancakes No coffee will treat me as well as a .
