Michael Showalter is having a career-defining moment. The writer, director, actor and producer has been gaining a steady following in the entertainment industry for nearly 30 years, thanks to the beloved MTV sketch comedy show "The State" and the cult classic "Wet Hot American Summer." But more recently, he's carved a reputation as one of the surest hands with stories that skate the line of drama and comedy — especially if they happen to be true. After directing "The Big Sick," in the past year, he's directed "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," and has been a director on "The Shrink Next Door" and "The Dropout."
Showalter, whose upcoming projects include the adaptation of Michael Ausiello's memoir "Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies," stopped by to appear on "Salon Talks" recently to talk to me about why we're fascinated with the cult of personality, and the true Hollywood story he'd still like to get his hands on.
