You’d think Amy Schumer might be enjoying her rapidly accelerating fame. But the comedienne took time Wednesday night to reflect on the downside of her celebrity in a wry set at a Sierra Club event for Act in Paris. “I’m, like, newly famous, and it turns out it’s not fun. Did you guys know that?†she asked her McKittrick Hotel audience, there to support an initiative tied to December’s U.N. Climate Summit. “You’re, like, you know that I’m just now learning that my dreams have been a sham, and that it’s actually not great and it just only comes with pain.â€
Despite the seemingly unstoppable upward trajectory of her career, Schumer predicted a seemingly unlikely end date for her time in Hollywood. “We all know it’s going to last another three months because that’s how it works. I’m already burning bridges like it’s already fucking over,†she remarked, alluding to the disappointed fans who expressed their displeasure over a recent weekend show in Maine. “I’m telling you, this is the last time I’ll ever be onstage. The next time you see me, I’ll be the girl in the elevator, like, do you want to go see the Sleep No Less?â€
But if fame is beginning to wear on Schumer, she seemed to delight in the chance to perform before a celeb-filled crowd, which included Robert De Niro, event hosts Darren Aronofsky and Keri Russell, and several other stars she included in a string of onstage shout-outs. “The best performance I’ve ever seen in my life is you, in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?†she said to Kathleen Turner. “You’ve done everything onstage, and I’m talking about anal. It’s not right.†To John McEnroe, she issued a sharp ultimatum with regard to him turning down a guest spot on Inside Amy Schumer: “Stop saying no to being on my television show. Just do it. It’s your destiny. It’s your fucking future.â€
Schumer’s act came last in a comedy lineup that included Aparna Nancherla, Jim Gaffigan, and Rachel Feinstein, a Schumer pal on whom she lavished high praise. “Rachel’s like my best friend, she’s so fucking funny — she just taped a special. Yes. Just as good as the male comics: We put on our pants one leg at a time, just like them,†she said. “And then we bleed in those pants.â€
It was front-row resident Cuba Gooding, Jr., though, who got the most passionate invitation: “Cuba Gooding Jr., sit on my face. I don’t care how, I don’t care when. I’ve got a face, and I want you to use it as a seat,†she said. “I don’t know how that works for men and women to do it that way. This is a seat.â€