And that kind of work ethic hasn’t left me - I’m always trying to keep things in the fire. I wrote three books that are postcard books - like, anything I could do. I was freelancing articles for Wizard magazine or anybody that let me. I was performing at Upright Citizens Brigade. I was a freelance writer for Letterman, freelance writer for Weekend Update. The way that I started - I mean, the way that any of us started, we want to find a way into this industry - I did everything. I just keep saying yes to things that make me excited. And he’s more than happy to discuss playing Jean-Ralphio - and how he almost lost out on the chance because of a miscommunication. Schwartz may not need to talk about himself, but when he does, you learn a lot: about his parents, about the dreams he had as a kid, what it was like to write the opening for the Oscars and why he doesn’t dwell on the applause he gets on stage. Like any good improv performer, he engages fully in the lively back and forth between two people, wondering what might come out of it. Which isn’t to say he’s afraid of discussing weightier subjects like failure and anxiety. “I don’t want to do that to the project, and I don’t want to do it to me.” Tellingly, when I broached the subject of Thomas Middleditch, his former improv partner accused of sexual misconduct, Schwartz pivots away from those darker matters. “I don’t lock myself into something that I wouldn’t enjoy,” he says.

He’s an enthusiastic cheerleader for the projects he’s part of, insisting that he doesn’t sign up for anything if he’s not 100 percent sure it’ll be fun. He’s quick to praise collaborators for being amazing, incredible or kind. In fact, when we talk, he’s busting to share news that hasn’t yet been made public: In September, his long-running improv show Ben Schwartz & Friends will be coming to Radio City Music Hall, easily the biggest venue he’s ever performed in. But with all that on his résumé, he has never lost his passion for improv, which first got him excited about comedy decades ago and which he still does on a regular basis. And his recurring role as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Parks and Recreation made him a beloved figure on that beloved sitcom. He does so much voice work that it’s hard to keep track of all the shows he’s on. He’s a published author and an Emmy-winner.

He’s the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog films and has been part of the ensembles of The Afterparty, Space Force and House of Lies. Schwartz has several projects out this spring, the biggest of all being Renfield, in which he appears opposite Nicolas Cage, who’s playing Dracula. But also, that openness has undoubtedly served his great love, which is improv. For one thing, over our hour-long talk, he comes across as sweet and unassuming, someone who’s much happier lauding praise on other people than himself. This curiosity has served the 41-year-old actor and writer well, in two ways. If he had a choice to put anything he wanted, what’s up there? Why did he build those shelves in the first place?’ I like learning about humans.” “If you tell me anything about your life, I’m like, ‘All right, he just built those (shelves), and he’s starting to put it up. “I’m very inquisitive - I don’t need to talk about myself,” he tells me. It’s something I’ve noticed he’s done in other interviews - asking the interviewer questions so that the whole conversation isn’t about him - and Schwartz admits it’s just his personality. “And now, here we are, and I’m talking to you,” he says, “wondering what books you have on your bookshelf.” Our interview is taking place over Zoom, him relaxing in his Los Angeles office, and he encourages me to show him my recently installed built-in bookcases that are behind me. He’s just talked at length about his early struggles as a comedian, how he worked like a dog performing and writing anywhere he could just to establish himself, when suddenly he tries to shift the focus.

Improv middleditch and schwartz