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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 A. Harris, NYC Comedy Journalist STAGE TIME The Magazine That Stands Up For Comedy |
It might have been as quick as I thought but I was on a pace where every year I did some
respectable work on television whether it was a dramatic series or stand up. I think it just sped
up the process for people to see what I really do. The Chappelle's Show didn't make me -
it helped. It wasn't like he taught me how to be funny. He gave me the opportunity to get
ahead. I'm quite sure that's the reason why he worked with me. I don't think he would work
with anybody who didn't bring it.
How do you deal with fans screaming "Ashy Larry" and "I'm Rich Bitch" at you?
I embrace it. I don't really understand artists who don't because you know what life you chose
in this. I'm in the business of popularity. But sometimes I can see when it can be annoying.
I love it! I like the fans.
Does it bother you when you're performing?
No, it's how you deal with it. I usually knock it out of the way. It don't make me upset.
The business that I'm in, if they don't say that, then I can't make money. If nobody's
running around saying, "I'm rich bitch," I'm not popular. Nobody is going to see me. I don't
make money, so I really have to understand and respect that. If I don't want to deal with
that, I'll stay in the house. I won't put myself in a situation where that's going to happen.
There's times I just want to be a regular person. It's weird when I go somewhere and people
don't recognize me. It's like, "Oh shit, I'm regular again." And regular is cool. But celebrity
is hot is shit.
How did your part in Spider-Man 2 come about?
My manager sent me on a audition and what I did was what they call a "reaction shot" where
they bring you in for the audition and you do a lot of improv. They'll do some stuff like,
"If Spider-Man was in an elevator, what would you say?" I didn't really have lines. It was
weird because the year I did Spider-Man, I was supposed to do the "man on the street" for
the BET Comedy Awards and the director and producer wanted me but one of the executives
had somebody else in mind. For a week, they were campaigning for me to do it.
respectable work on television whether it was a dramatic series or stand up. I think it just sped
up the process for people to see what I really do. The Chappelle's Show didn't make me -
it helped. It wasn't like he taught me how to be funny. He gave me the opportunity to get
ahead. I'm quite sure that's the reason why he worked with me. I don't think he would work
with anybody who didn't bring it.
How do you deal with fans screaming "Ashy Larry" and "I'm Rich Bitch" at you?
I embrace it. I don't really understand artists who don't because you know what life you chose
in this. I'm in the business of popularity. But sometimes I can see when it can be annoying.
I love it! I like the fans.
Does it bother you when you're performing?
No, it's how you deal with it. I usually knock it out of the way. It don't make me upset.
The business that I'm in, if they don't say that, then I can't make money. If nobody's
running around saying, "I'm rich bitch," I'm not popular. Nobody is going to see me. I don't
make money, so I really have to understand and respect that. If I don't want to deal with
that, I'll stay in the house. I won't put myself in a situation where that's going to happen.
There's times I just want to be a regular person. It's weird when I go somewhere and people
don't recognize me. It's like, "Oh shit, I'm regular again." And regular is cool. But celebrity
is hot is shit.
How did your part in Spider-Man 2 come about?
My manager sent me on a audition and what I did was what they call a "reaction shot" where
they bring you in for the audition and you do a lot of improv. They'll do some stuff like,
"If Spider-Man was in an elevator, what would you say?" I didn't really have lines. It was
weird because the year I did Spider-Man, I was supposed to do the "man on the street" for
the BET Comedy Awards and the director and producer wanted me but one of the executives
had somebody else in mind. For a week, they were campaigning for me to do it.
The day before, after they did the sizing for the
"man on the street;" - that same day, they
called me and said they were going in another
direction. I was pissed. I was like, "Fuck BET!
BET is full of shit." My mother used to say:
"Everything happens for a reason." They
decided not to go with me like at six o'clock in
the afternoon and nine o'clock the next
morning, my manager called me and said,
"Sam Raimi wants you to come down and do
something for Spider-Man 2.
"man on the street;" - that same day, they
called me and said they were going in another
direction. I was pissed. I was like, "Fuck BET!
BET is full of shit." My mother used to say:
"Everything happens for a reason." They
decided not to go with me like at six o'clock in
the afternoon and nine o'clock the next
morning, my manager called me and said,
"Sam Raimi wants you to come down and do
something for Spider-Man 2.
FUN FACTS COMIC CAMEOS IN SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY Spider-Man, 2002 - Jim Norton Spider-Man 2, 2004 - Donnell Rawlings Spider-Man 3, 2007 - Dean Edwards |
And the weird thing about it is that I was filming Spider-Man 2 right around the corner from
where they were doing the BET thing. So it worked out. Like I was telling you earlier, I was like,
"Alright, they went against me, but I'm going to bust my ass and I'm going make them look
stupid." I'm going to make them a year from now go, "Oh shit, we passed on him." I don't
take it personal. I'm like, "Watch! I'm going to get you back."
How do you challenge yourself to be a better comedian?
Go deeper and expose more truth about myself. I try to dig deeper. I just want to get to a
point where I can perform naked. If you can do that, you're a bad motherfucker. They might
laugh and you might get some shout outs, but if you can go from being totally nude and
people are not even focusing on your body - if you can do that, that's crazy.
How does a comic become secure with their act?
If you're ever at the point where you're secure with your act, you're not going to be that funny
and you won't grow anymore. There's something in fear that drives you - That's why I like to
watch comics who have been onstage one or two times because that's when they're the most
honest and you can see the fear in their faces. The polished guys are so, "This joke is going to
get me to this one..." But a dude who is nervous, "What am I going to do next?" That's some
real shit.
When I first started, they had so many blocks for me: "Yeah, he's funny, but all he does is
pick on the audience." So, I stopped picking on the audience. "Yeah, he don't mess with
audience, but he don't have no time."
where they were doing the BET thing. So it worked out. Like I was telling you earlier, I was like,
"Alright, they went against me, but I'm going to bust my ass and I'm going make them look
stupid." I'm going to make them a year from now go, "Oh shit, we passed on him." I don't
take it personal. I'm like, "Watch! I'm going to get you back."
How do you challenge yourself to be a better comedian?
Go deeper and expose more truth about myself. I try to dig deeper. I just want to get to a
point where I can perform naked. If you can do that, you're a bad motherfucker. They might
laugh and you might get some shout outs, but if you can go from being totally nude and
people are not even focusing on your body - if you can do that, that's crazy.
How does a comic become secure with their act?
If you're ever at the point where you're secure with your act, you're not going to be that funny
and you won't grow anymore. There's something in fear that drives you - That's why I like to
watch comics who have been onstage one or two times because that's when they're the most
honest and you can see the fear in their faces. The polished guys are so, "This joke is going to
get me to this one..." But a dude who is nervous, "What am I going to do next?" That's some
real shit.
When I first started, they had so many blocks for me: "Yeah, he's funny, but all he does is
pick on the audience." So, I stopped picking on the audience. "Yeah, he don't mess with
audience, but he don't have no time."
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