Although his interviews featuring Hollywood heavyweights could be seen on major television and cable networks across the country, Paul Costabile still yearned to build a digital presence on his own terms. He also wanted to highlight his work beyond the red carpet.
The Emmy-award winning host could be seen on New York Live, NBC California Live and Peacock TV interviewing stars like George Clooney, Duane Johnson and Julia Roberts, to name a few. But now that he and his wife–singer and songwriter Christina Perri–recently welcomed a new child, Costabile has become even more driven about producing content that inspires and propels humanity forward.
By launching paulcostabile.tv, he was able to curate and share his best work as an entertainment reporter, comedian, writer, and host. With his latest passion project centering less on celebrities and more on mom-and-pop shops, he felt launching his own website would help him to connect with new producers and collaborators. His .TV site would serve as a portal for letting his audience know about his multifaceted interests, and what excites him as a creative.
Here the New Jersey-born host, comedian, writer, producer and entertainment reporter walks us through the evolution of his on-air career, and how his recently revamped website also helps him grow and evolve as an artist and digital entrepreneur.
The following has been edited for clarity and brevity.
How did you go from a Jersey boy to a California-based entertainment reporter?
I actually got my start in the wedding industry!
In New Jersey I grew up in a musical family. My dad had a wedding band and I’m a drummer, and I’d sometimes grab the microphone to serve as master of ceremonies at weddings. I was a cliche Jersey kid yelling into a mic but it trained me to become comfortable in front of people.
From there I got into the television club at high school, where I wrote, produced, and created fun segments. In college I got a late night talk show, then after graduating did an internet show for a few years. After hustling I got to work in the field as a host and interviewer for a bunch of cool programs. I’m very involved with the booking, writing, and editing.
Entertainment is a rhythm and I love the process.
Who is the most inspiring subject you ever interviewed and why?
I started a travel show right before the pandemic. The goal was to meet real people from small towns, mom-and-pop shops, and just share fun moments with people.
The most inspiring thing I ever filmed was a segment with a girl with Down Syndrome named Judy. She told her mom her lifelong dream was to skydive on her twenty-first birthday, but her mother never gave her permission. So we contacted the mom and set up a surprise for Judy at the skydive ranch. I went with her on the plane and before we knew it, we were strapping into our gear and parachutes.
Judy inspired me with her energy and spirit. Meanwhile I was white as a ghost but we both jumped out together, and I interviewed her as we were falling out of the sky. Her fearlessness and message of ‘yes to life’ is something I’ll never forget. I had an adrenaline rush for days after.
Interviewing celebrities is an art. Some are guarded, while others just want to promote their latest projects. How do you get someone to let their guard down and open up for an up-close and personal interview?
Not to name drop but Oprah once gave me the best advice, which was to meet people where they are. And I picked this job because it celebrates people’s individualities.
If you try to force something, it’s going to make the whole conversation awkward. I've been on a job where I’ve been instructed to ask about gossip but I’m not going to press them on something they’re not comfortable with. I prided myself and my career in not digging into people’s personal lives. It’s always about treating guests with respect.
Give us an example of how an interview started off on the wrong foot, but you were able to turn it around into a successful segment?
The only time I have ever been thrown off during an interview is when I met my wife on-camera at iHeartRadio. It was a “whoa” moment. I was thrown off and nervous because I was so enamored with her. It was like a first date!
But when I worked iHeartRadio, the artists we booked were often a special breed of entertainers. Musical artists enjoy the songwriting and singing but not all are sociable or outgoing extroverts. Some want every interview question to be planned and safe. I always pivot and match their energy in a way that’s fun for them. I sit and see where the conversation goes and that has helped me turn the interview into something fun and memorable. I cannot force them to be a certain way — I’ve always kept it real with the people I interact with and soon they see “oh he's’ not just another talking head.” That’s when they begin to relax, and open up.
You’ve worked for so many platforms and shows. How does PaulCostabile.tv help streamline your on-air career?
I love .tv because I do broadcast television but that also translates to the digital video and online realms, be it YouTube, social media or the network’s websites. I bought the domain early because I felt it was perfect.
I use it as an online resume that I can easily shoot out. It shows my latest work, and links to my social media. If you need to know me in one minute then here is my online portfolio.
In addition to my hosting reels, I have a production page for my writing and editing jobs. It’s an easy, simple hub for everyone to see everything all at once and it’s nice to have it all in one place. And you can link to everything from there.
How do you make it easy for collaborators to access your work?
My web domain is simple. It’s clean; it’s my name and .tv.
I can organize my pages on my website so if I want to be hired as a host or comedian, or if I want to share a Super Bowl commercial I wrote last year, I can share different facets of my career. And with my new family, staff writing would be better than freelancing and hitting the road.
How does your site reflect your personal brand?
I simplified it to make it more personal and visual. I decided to streamline it because I have hundreds of videos but I just need to let people know up front, here’s what I do, hit me up if you want to work with me.
Tell us about your Pop Up show and focus on small businesses in rural towns?
I do local segments for NBC New York and Los Angeles where I got so much out of my street and small business segments, but they all take place in these coastal cities. I find we tend to forget about the middle of the country and when there is coverage of these towns it’s not the best subject matter.
I think this project is a reflection of me yearning to meet interesting people and do feel-good interesting stories. It was always my dream to do a travel talk show and now I’m going to add a podcast to it called Pop Up with Paul launching this month.
What is your best advice for other online and on-air creatives?
Just make it and put it out there. That’s it! I’ve done that my whole career. I started with a talk show on the internet around 2009, and now with the further explosion of social media, you don’t need the money or flashiness to create content.
If you have the idea then do it. All you need is TikTok and a phone. For the Pop Up Show, I believe it will lead to something else. I'm not living or dying by season one. I believe in it and I’m proud of it. After all, storytelling isn’t just about the likes and views.