The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Behind the Show | Al Madrigal on What Makes a Great Field Piece
Mon, 10 Feb 2025
Longtime Daily Show editor Mark Paone sits down with former correspondent Al Madrigal to unpack some of their favorite segments. They talk how to make a great field piece, the Stephen Colbert advice that gets handed down to every new correspondent, what he would do differently, and how a Senior Latino Correspondent can get away without speaking Spanish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: Who is Al Madrigal and what is his connection to The Daily Show?
Hey everybody, this is Mark Paone, longtime editor at The Daily Show. Once again, back with a former Daily Show correspondent. I was, I should say... One of your favorites. One of my favorites, and senior Latino correspondent. That's right. Comedian, actor, entrepreneur. Yes. Renaissance man. Yes. Al Madrigal.
How are you? When you say long time, exactly how long have you been here? Because I know you keep track.
I started season two. That's insane. And this is season- 7-7-97 was my first day. Holy crap.
Because for a while, I think you would call, as a joke, all jokes, we'd call John the new guy. And he had been here for like 16 years. Yeah. And we became, I mean, as you do in the field department, which is where I did a lot of work when I was here, because I was here from the years of 2011. I believe I started full time at the beginning of 2012, shared an office with Jessica Williams.
uh who's just crushing it i'm so happy for her um it's kind of cool to see everybody go on and do things but i was here from 2012 to 2000 end of 2013 full-time and then another like half year Or half, like on and off, part-time until John left. And then I dribbled into Trevor. Just dribbling. So how did you get the gig? I don't remember.
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Chapter 2: How did Al Madrigal become a correspondent on The Daily Show?
I got the gig because, and this is a be nice to everyone you meet thing. I got the gig because a guy hit me up to do a guest set on a show in Miami at the Coconut Grove Improv, which was an insane comedy club. Go around the country from 2005, 2004 till 2010. That's how I made a living primarily. I was acting in some TV shows, but I would do stand up on the road.
And people hit you up for guest sets. The guy that hit me up was Adam Lowitt, a comedian from Florida who was going to be there at the time, who was also a producer at The Daily Show. He went on to be an executive producer. He's done many incredible things. He's in L.A. now? In L.A. with two wonderful children and his wife. And we're still closed and stay in touch.
But he hit me up for a guest set. Then he hit me up for when I was in New York for another guest set. Then he hit me up for another guest set. So this is like guest sets over years. Right. And then finally, when we're at Caroline's in New York, he said, you know, I think it was my act was sort of skewing this way. And he goes, you'd make a great Latino correspondent. Right.
He goes, I know just how to pitch it. So we waited for a dark week, which the show has weeks on and weeks off. It's very difficult to do a daily show like they do. It's amazing that John did it as long as he did. And we're going to do it the Thursday of a dark week when he's in. A working dark week, yeah. A working dark week. So we have Hallie Hagelin, who was a newish writer at the time.
She's gone on to be EP of things and rose to the ranks here and is very, very funny. So Hallie Lowett and I, we write this piece on Debbie Riddle, who's a congresswoman from Texas who won it, and it's amazing. how this is in 2011 and nothing has changed she wanted to establish a group of non-US citizens like a second class of citizen that could work as home care workers so nannies gardeners
and anyone else that you'd want, some sort of Latino taking care of your things so that they could work without employment laws. So you wouldn't have to pay them minimum wages or anything like that. And then this was in Texas, so we did that piece.
that got changed so we rewrote it and i auditioned and it went well john took me over here where i was sort of waiting in one of these little side guest rooms and said congratulations uh and get ready for a lifestyle of women and drugs i'll never forget that no John Oliver, he always used to give you a great impression of people at Daily Show conventions.
Mr. Oliver, the piece that you did on Australian gun reform, that's no women, no drugs.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did Al Madrigal face while working on The Daily Show?
And so I came in full time. I had a nine-year-old and six-year-old, I think, when I got the gig.
It's crazy. And they're in Los Angeles.
And they're in Los Angeles. And you're not moving them. I flew back and forth. My nine-year-old or whatever he is at the time said, I said, we got a great job and I got a great job and it's going to be a good money for the family, a good opportunity. I said opportunity and he didn't get it. And then I said, good money. It can lead to other things. It's a great job.
And I said, we might need to move to New York. And he just got into a new school and made friends. And he was at that age where friendships really started to form. And he really did look at me and he goes, what if. You went. And we stayed here. And that's what happened for two and a half years is I flew back and forth and back and forth. And then I'd go do field pieces.
In 2012, I think I tied a record for John Oliver field pieces. And mine was in a non... Like, I guess I... Because that was a convention year. But I tied a record for field pieces. I was out on the road constantly. So when I wasn't flying home, I was flying for the show. And, I mean... A lot of miles. John Hodgman and Loewen and I would go out and do stand-up. I've got to text John Hodgman.
He's one of my favorite people. So I would go on the road with Hodgman and just had the best time. But I was missing my family terribly. And I was missing so many... of the kids' functions. You know, it's such an important time in their life. And I was, you know, if ever had to go two or three weeks without seeing them, I was just absolutely devastated.
And I was sleeping under my desk because I would take red eyes, which is... The worst. The absolute worst. You'd never want to take a red eye ever. If you can avoid it at all costs. It sets me back for like two days after that. So I felt like during my time here, I was never really operating at 100%. Yeah. And I was, you know, it's like one of those regrets thing.
I probably should have just moved everybody out. I also did something really stupid and I moved to Dumbo in Brooklyn. I could have just walked to the show. That would have been the smartest thing. I had my buddy who I grew up with who had a place and that seemed to make sense to me. But I never should have committed to anything. I should have lived a block away.
I should have been here for every single morning meeting. Like the dad in me talking to my son, who's now 22, living in San Francisco. It's like first guy there, last guy to leave. Like I didn't know any of that. And here I am, a 40-year-old man, and I know my work ethic is amazing and I do a lot of things, but I should have been here very first thing.
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Chapter 4: What advice did Stephen Colbert give to new correspondents?
So then I got to, I went to John, I'm like, who had kids, I think has kids exactly my children's age. And I went to him.
His kids are like 22, 19, something like that.
Yeah, 22 and 19. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I went to John. I go, I miss my children terribly, and I need to go. And I really wasn't here for very, very long. You know, I was always telling other correspondents.
Right, and then they would use you sporadically.
After that. But I was always telling new correspondents when they came in because I had a little bit of crossover with Roy and with Ronnie and Desi and definitely Klepper. and Hasan, I would always tell him, like, stay on the show for 100-plus episodes. That's where you start to really get recognized, and I just couldn't. I couldn't. I was desperate to hang out with my wife and kids.
I'm not good on the road. I love stand-up. That's why I got in this. I just don't love...
flights with connections i don't love hotel soaps that's what i bonded with john stewart over yeah i was i think john had that in his background i think let's think about it am i the only i know there's been other stand-up comics but why it was more alternative john oliver was a little bit more skewed more alternative i'm like the only club comic Other than Jon Stewart. Ronnie doesn't count. Roy.
Roy Wood Jr.
Wait, why doesn't Ronnie count?
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Chapter 5: How are field pieces created on The Daily Show?
This is the original Colbert notes.
The original Colbert notes that he passed on. He gave to Riggle. I asked Riggle for. He gave them to me, and then I've since passed them to Ronnie, Roy, Klepper, and then they've gone and passed them on. I know Desi has them. Amazing. Yeah. And they still hold up. Hey, Al, so I found Colbert's notes for me on things to think about when doing a field piece. Number one, do we want to be saying this?
Burn tape. Tape is cheap. Keep talking and keep them talking. Two, break up questions. Don't let them see where you're going. Three, play the silence. Four, match energy with subject. Five, discover things in the moment. Be aware of when those discoveries happen. Six, always be asking yourself, what's my point of view on this subject? Seven, you have to think it's funny.
Find a way to make that happen. Eight, get clear on three to five things you want your subject to say and don't let them leave until you get them. That's very important. Nine, understand the real point. What's behind all of this? What are you saying? And that was like when I was here on the show. I think there was a shift. It's like we didn't want to just be making fun of things.
It's easy just to shoot down. You want to also post solutions. And then 10 characters key. Understand your point of view on the issue and you will be able to react spontaneously in the moment. That's it, bro. These were the tips.
And the most important one that Colbert told people was leave your soul at home.
Oh, yeah. That's right. Gave me when I started, and they helped. Hope they help you. All the best, Riggle. Yep, so that's it. And then I learned a couple other ones. I remember Riggle told me, whatever you do, don't let Stu Miller drive. These guys don't have cars. We go out there and they've got a rental car and they're in Manhattan. I'm like, what are you doing?
This is like an eight-point turn. Just get out of the car. That's hilarious. None of them know how to drive. And then if they're in Manhattan without a vehicle, it's crazy. So it's just like, give me the keys. I'll drive. I'm not going to do this. And then what was the other one that was just hilarious? It was Check Your Soul at the Door. Oh, John Oliver grabbed me. This is day one.
He goes, I'm going to tell you the only thing you really need to know. He goes, always live in the edit. Yeah. So you could be sitting there. If you think of something witty that was from 15 minutes ago. Just do it. Just do it and we can put it in. Right. So, you know, good field pieces are made when I say something, they say something, and then I say something back. That's funny.
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Chapter 6: What was Al Madrigal's favorite field piece?
Yeah, I mean, I've always said that to correspondents. It's like, just remember, you can start over. You can do anything. It's all just think about that it's not happening live. It's not happening live. But you feel like it's happening live, but remember that... Cuz I can you know, we don't we never we never misrepresent people but no we will take You know, I'll take like a stronger. Yes, I
you know, to a question you ask, I might tip. You know what I mean? Like that sort of thing.
But it really isn't a gotcha thing. You're not asking people to say anything that they haven't said. Yes, they've already said it.
Yeah, they've already said it, and then we're not misrepresenting them at all. But I like to create what seems like a seamless conversation in a piece, even though... the sentences might be coming like 10 minutes apart.
I always remember sitting down with, everybody I sat down with, I always was a nice guy. I know some correspondents had different strategies when approaching a subject, like Jones would barely talk to them.
Yeah, he would not engage until the cameras were rolling.
I go, hey, how are you? I'm Al. This is going to be a piece of cake. Now, I'm funny. You're not funny. I go, so I just need to keep it straight. So if you're going to make a joke, I'm just going to have to stop and have to redo it because I'm not going to use it. So I just would love you to speak in nice, concise chunks.
Right.
and just say what you're gonna say, straight answers. If I tell you to tighten something up, I'll need you to tighten it up. So you'll see me do things three or four times, I'm gonna have you do things three or four times. Then the other thing is if I ask you a question, you need to respond with,
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