- Yeah.

- I can say that one thing with confidence.

15,000 people laughing at your jokes.

That's kind of an amazing feeling.

I want to do a better show

every time I'm on stage.

Do a set tonight,

and I ain't wastin any time.

I got a list of stuff I want to try.

I want to make sure that this set

makes me better.

There's a huge challenge in not having your old act.

But I think you rise to the occasion.

This movie is unreleasable. (laughter)

You have wasted my money.

Well geez, it's only this.

And I'm like, well that's more money

than my dad made in his life.

Anytime you see me do an event

where some stranger says something to me,

it's me.

I say out loud, I'll never do the same hour in a year.

And then inside, I'm going

oh geez, - Oh god, why did I say that?

- Why did I say that?

You get to be on Earth.

First of all, oh my god, (audience laughter)

what a location.

- He's an American comedian,

actor, writer, director, and producer.

He's the creator, star, and executive producer

of FX's series, Louie.

He's considered one of the greatest standup comedians

of all time.

He's Louis C.K.,

and here are his Top 10 Rules for Success.

- I never keep trying what ...

Like standup is always the standby for me.

Like that's what I do.

- The meal ticket.

- That's, yeah. - Yeah.

- That's what I am.

I'm a comic. I'm a comedian.

So anything else I do,

it's like if I make a movie,

I would never say I'm a film maker.

I would never call myself that.

I'm a comedian who made a movie,

you know? - Right.

- I'm definitely a comedian.

- Yeah. - I can say that one thing

with confidence.

But so I've tried T.V.,

and I try it and it doesn't work

and then I go back to comedy.

And if something I'm doing as a standup

leads me back to like,

hey this might be a show,

then I'll try.

I'll try anything that I think might be good.

I don't care about like,

well I failed at it before.

You know what I mean?

Who cares?

Try it again.

I mean there's always a reason - I love that philosophy.

- Well also - Well you were ...

- The first time I did a pilot,

the very first time I got a deal to do

a pilot for a sitcom, - Yeah.

- I wrote it and they really liked it

and it got close, and then they said

we're not going to make the pilot.

- That was Saint Louie?

- No, it was before that. - Oh.

It was a whole other thing.

And then, I wrote Saint Louie with this other guy

and they made the pilot.

We got to shoot a pilot.

It was so exciting.

And I shot a pilot

and then they said, "we're not going to make the show."

All right.

Third time around,

made a pilot,

and got one season of Lucky Louie on the air.

And then that's all they wanted.

There's a limit to everything.

You can't think everything's just going to be

everything forever.

- Yeah.

- That was the limit of that one.

I did one season.

Okay.

And now I've done Louie, and it's gone three seasons.

So I got a little further each time.

I pushed the ball a little further ahead each time.

I mean, not doing something cause it didn't work

would be like if you're a quarterback

and you go the line of scrimmage at the 25

or wherever the guy ran it to

and you hand the ball off and the guy pushes it eight yards

and you're like, well we didn't score a touchdown,

so I'll go home.

- You know? - Right.

- I mean, there's no point.

- But at the same time, - You keep pushing.

15,000 people laughing at your jokes,

that's kind of an amazing feeling.

But also having them sit there looking at you listening

is really great too.

But I always see,

I've done it three times now

and it was the same every time

that they're all laughing,

the show's going great,

but what I see are there's at least,

in 15,000 people, there's like

a thousand disappointed people.

(audience laughter)

There's like a thousand people - No.

- And they're dotted.

I see 'em all. - You see them ...

- I see 'em still today.

But during the show, I see them,

just guys going like, ehh ... - Yeah.

(audience laughter)

- Those are the ones that you really see.

Everyone's going, yay!

And I'm just,

ah, I'm sorry buddy. - You're certain that you're

reading their disappointment accurately?

- Absolutely.

(audience laughter)

I'm 100% sure.

- Well, I'm not sure that's true,

but I share the feeling.

I know that ...

Hell, I know it here tonight.

(audience laughter)

- Well the more people you reach

and the more people that see you,

the more people are going to think that you suck.

That's just the law of mathematics.

- Yes, but - You can't please everybody.

- Let me explain it to you this way.

- Yeah. - If, in fact, that's true,

why would those people go to the trouble of

ordering the tickets online and showing up?

- Cause they're just miserable (beep)

(audience laughter) - I don't know.

I don't know, they just like to go to ...

That's not their fault.

- Well no, okay.

- It's not their fault.

I don't know, they heard I was good.

- Case closed.

- They heard I was good.

Well it's not about not killing,

it's about doing the best show that you can do

and it's about staying at the edge of your ...

I want to do a better show every time I'm on stage.

I mean, part of it is that I want what I do

to keep getting better.

Unless you think you're the best comedian

that ever could poss- like, you're a

perfect crystalline diamond of a comedian

that couldn't possibly be improved upon,

every molecule has been compressed together

to the point there's no air in it.

- [Host] Right, right.

- You're a black hole of a comic that can't,

there's just no room for improvement.

You know, you've folded the samurai sword a thousand times

and just can't fold anymore. - [Host] (laughing)

No.