Director David Wain on the set of his latest film "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass." (Photo by Christina Belle, Sony Pictures Classics)Christina Belle, Sony Pictures Classics

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David Wain has been funny his entire life. Growing up in Shaker Heights, he made it his mission to make his parents and three older sisters laugh.

“All of my family has a good sense of humor,” he said. “I was the youngest by far of the kids, and I think I just gravitated toward entertaining family and friends.” 

“Being silly,” as Wain puts it, eventually became a career. He co-founded the sketch comedy troupe The State while attending New York University in the early 1990s. That led to gigs at MTV, including the group’s own variety show. At 31, Wain directed and co-wrote his first feature film, “Wet Hot American Summer,” which would become a cult classic that featured Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler early in their careers.