This is how much I wanted to be a comedian and didn’t realize it: I had a paper route for years when I was a kid, and when I was on my route I used to recite George Carlin bits, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy — I used to recite his “Hit by a Car” bit word-for-word. I would fantasize about doing it in front of my entire grade in the school auditorium. But I still wasn’t able to make the connection of maybe that means you want to be a comedian. It didn’t seem possible. But I know the exact moment when it seemed possible. I was working in a warehouse with this guy and he was into comedy — first time I’d ever met somebody who was into comedy the way I was. And I used to go over to his house to drin...
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Related posts tagged 'Comedic influences'
I don't mind speaking my mind, some questions are important others are just lazy journalism. I admire many women but I think growing up I looked up to men because there were more men in comedy - I think my fearlessness comes from modeling myself after guys like Chris Farley or just male comedians.
There are many people whose comedy I have enjoyed – Johnny Carson, Rodney Dangerfield, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld are some names that come to mind.
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Related posts tagged 'Why did you choose comedy'
I didn't plan on getting into comedy, but in high school and grade school I was interested in comedy. I PLAYED CHRISTOPHER ROBIN IN WINNE THE POOH WHEN I WAS IN 3RD GRADE MOTHERFUCKERS. Decided comedy was a real option sophomore year of college. receSs was the crew.
Feeling like there wasn't a job out there that felt right. I tried a lot of them and it was clear I couldn't fit into society like a normal human being. Get the fuck out of Iowa! Go find your tribe and start living your life the way you secretly wish you could. Stop being afraid of what other people will think of you and do the thing you want to do. Above all, leave Iowa :)
I'd love to have a shitty job. I couldn't hold any down. Standup was the only thing I could stick with. I'm an idiot that way. seriously this is the real answer.
I basically started performing for my mother, going, ‘Love me!’ What drives you to perform is the need for that primal connection. When I was little, my mother was funny with me, and I started to be charming and funny for her, and I learned that by being entertaining, you make a connection with another person.
I never thought about "being" in comedy when I grew up because I didn't know it was a real job. But looking back, it's the only thing I ever really cared about.
Because I was good at it. And I thought I wanted to be an actress, but I didn't have a passion for it. But the first time I did stand up, I knew it was... the one.
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I collect booze in my stomach some nights? But when I was a kid, I was into coin collecting, rock collecting, and chess.
I also played bridge, and whist, I think is the name. It's a weird game.
Just whatever it was in my head, it was bleak. I don't remember having any ambitions, any goals, any dreams. It was always, how am I going to get by? What am I going to do? But I didn't really - to be honest, I didn't really give it much thought. Even in college, I didn't give it much thought. I was having fun in college. And basically when people asked me what I was going to do, I just said, oh, something will turn up. What that was, I had no idea. But...
I always think about my junior high dance, everybody grinding to Jodeci and thinking about how we were all literally children and how weird that would’ve been to look at as an adult. Like, 300 children grinding to Jodeci, just the funky sweat smell in the auditorium. What were we doing? But that’s the power of Jodeci. [Laughs.]
The Twilight Zone, All In The Family, Star Trek of course, The Larry Sanders Show was always a favorite
I wasn't the class clown. I was a student who liked school and did a lot of activities, and I kind of floated around. I wasn't very shy, but I didn't really think I would be a performer, and didn't know anyone who was an actor or writer. I was a very kind of typical kid who liked to work hard and have a good time. But I don't think you would've necessarily pointed to me and said "Darn right."
When I was in first grade on the last day of school, Mrs. Stafford, our teacher, said, "I want to give out a special present today, to a kid in the class who has tried so hard to improve his handwriting." And she's going through this whole speech about this kid; I'm staring at this kid that I knew that she liked, and I just hated him, and I was getting more and more angry. And then at the end, she said it was me! The present was a Dr. Seuss book, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, that I have since thrown out. But I remember it was in purple cellophane wrapping, and I still consider it the greatest honor to have received that gift. So, that was my favorite book.
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