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BACK ISSUES INTERVIEWS Stand-Up Comedians Jim Norton Robert Kelly Donnell Rawlings Brad Stine Tammy Pescatelli Leighann Lord George Sarris Nick DiPaolo Russ Meneve Shang and more By Tasha Harris, NYC Comedy Journalist STAGE TIME The Magazine That Stands Up For Comedy |
You’re in the movies Head of State, 25th Hour, and In the Cut. My favorite was Babydoll Hector in
In the Cut. How much input did you have in developing that character?
I developed it because I did the character to get the role in the audition. It was a Dominican
sissy.
With pink eyelashes…
Oh, I didn’t develop that shit. I went in, read for the part, got the part, and then they
dressed me up like that. I didn’t come in like that. I came in like me – and I left a fag.
What is it like working with Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo?
If you’re not the star of these movies, you don’t really work with these people. You’re not on
their level. They don’t talk to you like “Hey, how are you feeling?” They go, “Action. Cut.”
And they fucking walk away. It’s not a relationship that you have. It’s hierarchy in this game.
It’s labels. They said, “Action”. [Ryan] said, “Hey.” She talked to my character. She didn’t
say two words to me. Mark Ruffalo was cool though. We talked but I didn’t work with him. We
bumped into each other in the cabin while he was getting his hair done and when he was done,
he goes, “Nice meeting you.” He goes, “That’s the game.” Did I work with Chris Rock? No!
I talked to him in the movie -- but I worked with Spike Lee.
What was that experience like?
It was fun. Spike’s a muthafucker. He saw me, liked me and put me in. He said, “You’re in.”
I wish all niggas was like that. That’s exactly how I got role in the movie: “You’re in.” He looked
at me and didn’t think I was that good. He probably just went “Ahh, put him in because he can’t
fuck it up. You’re in.” I appreciate that. It would have been nice to keeping working with that
dude. That was the best thing I got at that time too. The thing I’m doing now, The Jury, they saw
something too. It’s like they know something’s there and they’re letting me become good as an
actor. Those dudes are cool. Tom Fontana could write me out in a death scene in a minute; but
they gave me a break. I’m learning on the job. I’m getting acting chops.
How would you describe your creative process for writing jokes?
I do it on stage now. I got to be interested in the subject matter because I’m really not good at
writing jokes anymore. I don’t care about laughs as much as I use to. I want the people who
really like me to laugh. I don’t want laughter that I can get easy. To get laughs, it’s easy.
It’s rhythm. All you have to do is have a rhythm and you can get people to laugh at anything.
I’d rather have one person laugh that really got what the fuck I was saying than have everybody
just sitting and laughing.
I like animosity in the crowd because that’s real. Not everyone is going to laugh. I want there to
be a real dynamic. Jokes are really like music. You can go blah, blah, blah, bam and then they
start to anticipate the joke. I like for people to really listen and feel like they don’t know when
I’m going to say something funny.
What was your writing process before you started writing on stage?
“You ever notice…” That’s what we all do. You try to figure out what was funny about growing up.
That’s why it’s too hard to do that. It sucks because it means you can’t live your life. When you
need everything to be a joke…if we’re sitting here laughing, I don’t take that to the stage
because that makes sure I’m always going to be funny. I get to keep shit for me and keep it for
us and that’s the essence why you’re funny; but if every single time something happens that
could be a joke, I don’t want to take it to the stage. Then what am I? I’m not even a person
who’s enjoying life—I’m just a leech. I don’t like jokes anymore.
At the Canine Comedy Fundraiser, several comics performed before a rude audience yet, you
were the only one who got the audience’s attention.
Audiences are fucking stupid. Psychology is a funny thing. People are not innately good. People
don’t see you struggling and they don’t have the sense to help you, so when people see you
down, it’s that animal instinct that they want to attack when you’re weak.
In the Cut. How much input did you have in developing that character?
I developed it because I did the character to get the role in the audition. It was a Dominican
sissy.
With pink eyelashes…
Oh, I didn’t develop that shit. I went in, read for the part, got the part, and then they
dressed me up like that. I didn’t come in like that. I came in like me – and I left a fag.
What is it like working with Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo?
If you’re not the star of these movies, you don’t really work with these people. You’re not on
their level. They don’t talk to you like “Hey, how are you feeling?” They go, “Action. Cut.”
And they fucking walk away. It’s not a relationship that you have. It’s hierarchy in this game.
It’s labels. They said, “Action”. [Ryan] said, “Hey.” She talked to my character. She didn’t
say two words to me. Mark Ruffalo was cool though. We talked but I didn’t work with him. We
bumped into each other in the cabin while he was getting his hair done and when he was done,
he goes, “Nice meeting you.” He goes, “That’s the game.” Did I work with Chris Rock? No!
I talked to him in the movie -- but I worked with Spike Lee.
What was that experience like?
It was fun. Spike’s a muthafucker. He saw me, liked me and put me in. He said, “You’re in.”
I wish all niggas was like that. That’s exactly how I got role in the movie: “You’re in.” He looked
at me and didn’t think I was that good. He probably just went “Ahh, put him in because he can’t
fuck it up. You’re in.” I appreciate that. It would have been nice to keeping working with that
dude. That was the best thing I got at that time too. The thing I’m doing now, The Jury, they saw
something too. It’s like they know something’s there and they’re letting me become good as an
actor. Those dudes are cool. Tom Fontana could write me out in a death scene in a minute; but
they gave me a break. I’m learning on the job. I’m getting acting chops.
How would you describe your creative process for writing jokes?
I do it on stage now. I got to be interested in the subject matter because I’m really not good at
writing jokes anymore. I don’t care about laughs as much as I use to. I want the people who
really like me to laugh. I don’t want laughter that I can get easy. To get laughs, it’s easy.
It’s rhythm. All you have to do is have a rhythm and you can get people to laugh at anything.
I’d rather have one person laugh that really got what the fuck I was saying than have everybody
just sitting and laughing.
I like animosity in the crowd because that’s real. Not everyone is going to laugh. I want there to
be a real dynamic. Jokes are really like music. You can go blah, blah, blah, bam and then they
start to anticipate the joke. I like for people to really listen and feel like they don’t know when
I’m going to say something funny.
What was your writing process before you started writing on stage?
“You ever notice…” That’s what we all do. You try to figure out what was funny about growing up.
That’s why it’s too hard to do that. It sucks because it means you can’t live your life. When you
need everything to be a joke…if we’re sitting here laughing, I don’t take that to the stage
because that makes sure I’m always going to be funny. I get to keep shit for me and keep it for
us and that’s the essence why you’re funny; but if every single time something happens that
could be a joke, I don’t want to take it to the stage. Then what am I? I’m not even a person
who’s enjoying life—I’m just a leech. I don’t like jokes anymore.
At the Canine Comedy Fundraiser, several comics performed before a rude audience yet, you
were the only one who got the audience’s attention.
Audiences are fucking stupid. Psychology is a funny thing. People are not innately good. People
don’t see you struggling and they don’t have the sense to help you, so when people see you
down, it’s that animal instinct that they want to attack when you’re weak.