Inside Comedy (2012) s02e05 Episode Script

[music.]
- SO, JIM, IT'S AMAZING THAT WE HAVEN'T MET.
WE'RE BOTH--WE'RE CANADIANS.
- YES.
IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT WE HAVEN'T MET ON A MOOSE HUNT SOMEWHERE.
- [laughs.]
YES.
- DIDN'T I ALMOST SHOOT YOU? BY MISTAKE? - YOU KNOW, I'M FROM WINNIPEG, SO-- - YES.
RUB THAT IN MY FACE, WHY DON'T YOU? - [laughs.]
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? - [laughs.]
TORONTO.
- OH, TORONTO.
- TORONTO, YEAH.
- SO-- - WE CAN ACTUALLY CROSS THE STREET WITHOUT BLOWING AWAY IN TORONTO.
WINNIPEG-- - YEAH, WINNIPEG-- WINNIPEG, YOU CAN'T.
- FRIGHTENING.
- AND IT'S FLAT AS COULD BE, BUT EVERY AMERICAN I KNOW SAYS, "OH, THE SKIING MUST BE SO GREAT.
" [laughter.]
- YEAH, IT IS.
IT IS FANTASTIC SKIING-- CROSS-COUNTRY.
- SO HOW DID ANY OF THIS START? - WELL, I STARTED AT-- I STARTED DOING MY STAND-UP.
MY FATHER ACTUALLY TOLD ME-- HE WAS A HUGE SUPPORTER OF MINE.
I WANTED TO BE LIKE MY DAD.
MY DAD WAS THE GUY THAT GALVANIZED THE ROOM.
HE WAS LIKE A CARTOON TALKING.
I MEAN, JUST LIKE-- HE WAS--HE WAS MESMERIZING.
- FUNNY? - FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY.
AND--SO WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, I LOOKED AT HIM, AND I WENT-- I WENT, "OH, THAT'S HOW YOU GET OVER.
OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO BE.
" PLUS, HE MADE MY MOM FEEL BETTER.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I HAVE A THEORY ABOUT COMICS, THAT THEY ALL COME FROM SICK MOTHERS.
- FROM SICK MOTHERS PHYSICALLY? - MOTHERS-- MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO NEED, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF BOLSTERING OR HELP.
- IT'S AMAZING THAT YOU WOULD SAY THAT, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY MY SITUATION.
- RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO MY MOM WAS, YOU KNOW, DEPRESSED A LOT.
SHE WAS A CHILD OF ALCOHOLICS, SO, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES, WHAT-- YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS FOR HER WAS, YOU KNOW, "I NEED LOVE FROM MY KIDS.
I NEED YOU TO KIND OF FILL THAT GAP FOR ME.
" - MM-HMM.
- AND SHE MANIFESTED A LOT OF DISEASES AFTER-- A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON.
SO I KIND OF LIVED IN THAT, AND I HAD A--A REALLY-- A BURNING DESIRE TO MAKE HER FEEL GOOD.
- BUT--BUT YOU COULD ENTERTAIN HER, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU-- - ABSOLUTELY.
NO, I'D COME IN IN MY UNDERWEAR AND DO MY PRAYING MANTIS IMPRESSION.
I'D BE LIKE-- - [laughs.]
THAT'S A GREAT PRAYING MANTIS.
- CRAWLING-- [laughter.]
YOU KNOW, CRAWLING UP ON THE BED.
- THAT'S AN AMAZING PRAYING MANTIS.
- THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU MUST--YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD PRAYING MANTIS TO MAKE IT IN COMEDY.
- KEENEN, DID YOU START OUT AS AN ACTOR? - I STARTED AS A STAND-UP COMIC, AND I THINK THAT STAND-UP COMEDY IS THE BEST FOUNDATION FOR ANY FORM OF COMEDY IN THIS BUSINESS, AND THE REASON IS THAT IT'S YOU AND AN AUDIENCE, AND USUALLY YOU AND A HOSTILE AUDIENCE.
- [laughing.]
YEAH.
- SO IF YOU CAN WIN OVER PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT YOU TO MAKE THEM LAUGH - YES, YES.
- THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DEVELOP A SKILL SET, AS--TERMS OF DETERMINING WHAT'S FUNNY AND WHAT'S NOT.
- YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMPLE, STAND-UP COMEDY.
WHEN THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T LIKE THE MUSIC.
- NO.
- IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T LIKE THE SET, THEY--YOU.
- YOU.
- "WE DON'T LIKE YOU RIGHT NOW.
" - YEAH.
- "AND WE'RE NOT GONNA REWARD YOU WITH LAUGHING AT ALL.
" - YEAH, COMEDY IS-- LIKE I SAID, IT'S BRUTAL.
I MEAN, I REMEMBER DOING STAND-UP IN A IRISH PUB.
[laughter.]
- OH, GOD.
THAT'S GOTTA BE TOUGH.
- THAT WAS BRUTAL.
- THAT WAS BRUTAL, RIGHT.
- IT WAS BRUTAL.
- YEAH.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE GOOD SHOWS SORT OF BLEND INTO ONE.
- MM-HMM.
- BUT THOSE BAD SHOWS - BAD ONES, YES.
- SOMETIMES, AT 3:00 AT NIGHT, I'LL REMEMBER A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS WHERE THE BAR WAS OPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ACT, AND THEY'D JUST DISAPPEAR.
YOU KNOW, THEY COME BACK AT YOU, LIKE-- - WELL, I REMEMBER MY FIRST JOB, PERFORMING AT A RACQUETBALL CONVENTION.
- [laughing.]
OH, GOD.
- AND IT WAS ME BY THE-- - BY THE COURT? - JUICE BAR.
NO.
- BY THE JUICE BAR? - BY THE JUICE BAR WITH A MICROPHONE, AND RACQUETBALL COURTS ALL AROUND ME, AND AS PEOPLE CAME TO THE JUICE BAR, I WAS TRYING TO TELL MY ACT, AND RIGHT ON THE PUNCH LINE, THE BLENDER WOULD-- [imitates whirring.]
- RIGHT, YEAH, RIGHT.
- OR THE P.
A.
WOULD BE ALL, "COURT THREE IS OPEN," AND I WAS JUST LIKE, "OH, GOD.
" - OH, THAT'S--THAT IS-- THAT IS TOUGH.
WELL, VENUES CAN ALWAYS KILL YOU.
- YEAH.
- I MEAN, AUDIENCES SOMETIMES, BUT VENUES, IF YOU--IF--VENUES-- - YEAH, WHERE YOU DO IT-- YEAH.
- YEAH.
- I WOULD TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, AND IT'S SOMETHING I LEARNED THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME, EVEN, LIKE, IN DIRECTING NOW.
DISTRACTION IS THE DEATH OF COMEDY.
- CORRECT.
- YOU COULD BE-- YOU COULD HAVE THE AUDIENCE RIGHT THERE.
ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN IN, LIKE, PERFORMED AT THE IMPROV, ANY OF THESE PLACES, YOU GOT 'EM, YOUR SETUP IS GOING GREAT, AND JUST WHEN YOU GET TO THE PUNCH LINE, A WAITRESS, LIKE, PUTS A GLASS DOWN, CLINK.
- RIGHT.
- AND IT DIES.
- YES.
- BECAUSE EVERYONE'S EAR WENT TO THE GLASS.
- YES.
- AND IT'S JUST--IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IN COMEDY, THERE ARE NO DISTRACTIONS.
- RIGHT.
- YOU JUST SET IT, LET THE GUY BE FUNNY - CORRECT.
- AND DON'T BREAK THE RHYTHM.
- YEAH, IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU HEAR MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
- YEAH.
YES, SO TRUE.
- SO WHERE WERE THE FIRST PLACES YOU STARTED OUT? I MEAN-- - THE MAIN CLUB FOR ME WAS THE IMPROVISATION IN NEW YORK.
- RIGHT.
- THAT'S REALLY WHERE I GOT MY START.
IT WAS THE FACT THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT RICHARD PRYOR STARTING AT THIS CLUB THAT MADE ME WANT TO GO THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
- RIGHT.
- BUT WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE WAS, IT WAS SO DIVERSE, IN TERMS OF, LIKE, IT CHALLENGED ME BECAUSE I WAS A AFRICAN-AMERICAN KID FROM THE PROJECTS, AND NOW, I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF WHITE PEOPLE FROM NEW JERSEY, AND IT'S LIKE, "WHAT--WHAT ARE WE GONNA HAVE IN COMMON?" - MM-HMM.
- AND I REMEMBER DOING MY ACT ONE NIGHT, AND CHRIS ALBRECHT-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW CHRIS.
- MM-HMM, YEAH.
- AT THE TIME, HE WAS A MANAGER OF THE IMPROV.
- RIGHT, YES, RIGHT.
- AND HE CAME OVER TO ME, AND HE SAID, "THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU ARE, THE FUNNIER YOU'LL BE," AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM THAT WAS, IF I SAY "ALL MOTHERS," PEOPLE'S REACTION IS THEN TO THINK, "WELL, DOES MY MOTHER DO THAT?" WHERE IF I TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER, THEN PEOPLE'S REACTION IS, "YEAH, MY MOTHER DOES THAT TOO.
" - RIGHT.
- OR THEY JUST LAUGH AT MY MOTHER.
AND SO I LEARNED THAT JUST BEING ME WAS ALL I HAD TO DO AND THAT MY HUMAN EXPERIENCE WOULD TRANSLATE BEYOND MY COLOR.
- MM-HMM.
- AND THAT WAS-- LIKE I SAID, THAT'S WHY, FOR ME, STAND-UP AND HAVING TO WORK FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND ALL THAT REALLY INFLUENCED ME.
I'M FROM A VERY STRICT HOME BACK IN NEW YORK.
MY FATHER WAS A VERY STRICT MAN.
GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, HE-- THERE WAS A GUY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD NAMED CALVIN BELL.
HE'S--LOCAL BULLY.
HE WOULD BEAT ME UP EVERY DAY, TAKE MY NICKEL, SEND ME HOME CRYING, AND THAT USED TO REALLY UPSET MY FATHER.
I REMEMBER, ONE DAY, HE GRABBED ME, HE SAID, "KEENEN, NOW, YOU'RE EITHER GOING TO SCHOOL AND FIGHT CALVIN, OR YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT ME.
" I BEAT THE HELL OUT OF MY FATHER.
[laughter.]
THIS MAN MUST BE CRAZY, TRYING TO GET ME KILLED OVER A NICKEL.
OH.
- SO WHEN DID YOU START TO GET IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE? - THE FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE WAS MY FATHER TOLD ME ABOUT THE COMEDY CLUBS.
HE HAD READ ABOUT THESE PLACES CALLED COMEDY CLUBS - UH-HUH.
- AND THIS WAS THE EARLY '70-- OR NOT--MID-'70s, AND HE TOOK ME DOWN TO YUK YUK'S IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.
- I KNOW IT VERY WELL.
- AND I GOT UP, AND I DID AN ACT THAT MY FATHER AND I PUT TOGETHER, AND MY MOTHER DRESSED ME IN A POLYESTER SUIT.
I WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
- WOW.
- AND I WENT DOWNTOWN, AND BY, YOU KNOW, HALFWAY THROUGH THE ACT, MARK BRESLIN WAS BACKSTAGE ON A MICROPHONE WITH THE THEME SONG-- OR ONE OF THE THEMES TO JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR PLAYING, GOING, "CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM," AND HIM GOING, "TOTALLY BORING.
" - YES.
- [clears throat.]
AND THEN, YOU KNOW-- SO I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD TIME THAT NIGHT, AND I DIDN'T GO BACK FOR TWO YEARS, BUT-- - WELL, SO WAIT A SECOND.
YOUR DAD HELPED YOU WITH-- YEAH, HE HAD A CONCEPT FOR THE ACT, RIGHT? - WELL, WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER AND SAID - TOGETHER, RIGHT.
- "LET'S PUT SOME OF THE THINGS "THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING IN THE LIVING ROOM TOGETHER AND TRY TO MAKE AN ACT OUT OF IT.
" - AND YOUR MOTHER-- - AND ONE OF THEM WAS IMITATING TIM CONWAY AS THE OLD MAN AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
OH, MY GOD.
- OH, THAT SLOW, OLD MAN THAT HE DID.
- [sings indistinctly.]
[music.]
LIGHTNING WHATEVER.
- SO YOU COULD IMITATE-- YOUR EAR WAS GOOD FOR IMITATING RIGHT FROM THE START? - THAT WAS MY-- THAT WAS MY FOCUS.
THAT WAS REALLY THE TRICK THAT I DID THAT EVERYBODY LOVED, AND I WAS--I WAS GONNA BE THE MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES.
- MM-HMM.
- AND--AND-- I GOT TO ABOUT 150.
- [laughs.]
- AND--AND I REALLY WAS ABOUT THE FACES.
- YES.
- I MEAN, I USED TO DO, LIKE, JAMES DEAN, AND-- YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD TURN MY FACE AND MY WHOLE BEING INTO-- YOU KNOW, FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND THE OUTSIDE IN - YEAH.
- AND REALLY KIND OF ACT THESE PARTS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE PROBABLY SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE STARING IN THE MIRROR.
I HAVE, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN STARING AT ME, I'VE BEEN STARING AT LEONID BREZHNEV.
[laughter.]
[cheers and applause.]
JACK NICHOLSON.
[laughter.]
CLINT EASTWOOD.
[laughter.]
[cheers and applause.]
CHARLES BRONSON.
[laughter.]
- AND SO HOW DID IN LIVING COLOR COME ABOUT? - YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, YOU KNOW? I HAD DONE A MOVIE CALLED I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA.
- YEAH.
- IT'S A SMALL PARODY OF BLACK EXPLOITATION MOVIES.
- RIGHT.
- AND I HAD A SCREENING FOR ALL THE STUDIOS, AND I WAS HOPING TO GET MORE FILM WORK OUT OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND FOX WAS VERY EXCITED AND ASKED ME TO COME TAKE A MEETING.
AND WHEN I GOT THERE, I FOUND OUT IT WAS THE TELEVISION DEPARTMENT, NOT THE MOVIE DEPARTMENT, AND AT FIRST, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I DIDN'T-- WASN'T THINKING ABOUT DOING TV.
AND THEY KIND OF EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY WERE AN UPSTART NETWORK AND THAT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO ANY KIND OF SHOW I WANTED TO DO.
AND I MEAN, I GREW UP WATCHING SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, AND IT WAS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WISHED TO DO, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS LIKE, "I HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
" - INCREDIBLE, AND WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT? I MEAN--I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT THE SHOW WAS, BUT WHAT DO-- - WELL, THE CONCEPT REALLY WAS TO-- TO BRING A DIFFERENT VOICE TO SKETCH COMEDY.
WE WERE AT A TIME, CULTURALLY-- AND THERE WAS A LOT BUBBLING UNDERGROUND, IN TERMS OF POP CULTURE, THAT HADN'T COME TO THE MAINSTREAM.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A WHOLE HIP-HOP GENERATION THAT I WAS A PART OF, AND WE HAD DIFFERENT TAKES ON THINGS, AND THEN, AT THE TIME, THERE WERE ALSO A LOT OF BLACK CELEBRITIES THAT NO ONE HAD EVER DONE IMPRESSIONS OF, AND-- - RIGHT.
- SO--AND THERE WERE A BUNCH OF GUYS IN THE CLUBS THAT I KNEW, LIKE JIM CARREY AND MY BROTHER DAMON, AND DAVID ALAN GRIER - SURE.
- WHO THE INDUSTRY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH, AND SO I TOOK THIS KIND OF CREW OF PEOPLE THAT I KNEW WHO HAD TALENT AND THAT ATTITUDE AND--AND-- AND THAT PART OF POP CULTURE AND JUST MIXED IT ALL UP.
- WELL, ROBIN, LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU PICKED A MAN TO GO OUT WITH.
NOW, YOU'RE BACK TO TELL US HOW IT WENT.
LET'S SAY HELLO TO MIKE TYSON.
- HI, ROBIN.
[audience laughing.]
HOW YOU DOIN', CHUCK? - HI THERE, MIKE.
HOW ARE YA? - WELL, I GOTTA SAY, I'M REALLY ECSTATIC TO BE HERE.
[audience laughing.]
- WHAT ABOUT YOU, MIKE? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF ROBIN? - OH, WELL, CHUCK, WHEN I FIRST SAW ROBIN, I WAS ECSTATIC.
I MEAN, SHE HAD THIS--SHE HAD THIS REALLY TIGHT DRESS ON.
YOU KNOW THE KIND, WITH THE PUSH-UP BRA, AND HER BREASTS WERE, LIKE, POPPING RIGHT OUT, LIKE, HITTING ME RIGHT IN THE EYE, YOU KNOW? - ROBIN, WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.
TELL US ABOUT THE REST OF THE DATE.
- WELL, CHARLES-- - KEENEN DOING AM INC-- A HILARIOUS MIKE TYSON.
- RIGHT, RIGHT, YEAH.
- AND YOUR CHUCK WOOLERY, IT--I MEAN, WERE YOU EVER A DANCER? LIKE, YOUR BODY IS SO LIMBER.
- I'M A DESPERATE MAN.
I'M A DESPERATE MAN, AND SO I LITERALLY WILL USE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN MY POWER - RIGHT.
- AND IF THIS CAN BE USED-- I ALWAYS SAID, IF, YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID, SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO ME, THAT I HAVE A SPINAL INJURY AND NOTHING WORKS EXCEPT MY BABY FINGER - YES.
- I WILL DO THE FREAKIEST THING WITH MY BABY FINGER THAT ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN.
- RIGHT, YES.
- I WILL FIND A NICHE - RIGHT.
- FOR BABY FINGER COMEDY.
[laughter.]
- HOW DID YOU FIND JIM CARREY? 'CAUSE JIM CARREY HAD TO BE A MADMAN AT THE TIME.
- WELL, JIM-- IT'S INTERESTING, JIM CARREY HAS HAD FOUR DIFFERENT CAREERS.
LIKE, WHEN I FIRST MET JIM CARREY, HE WAS AN IMPRESSIONIST, AND HE WAS DOING VERY GOOD, AND HE HATED IT.
- YEAH, OF COURSE.
- HE HATED IT, AND HE JUST DECIDED ONE DAY, "THAT'S NOT HOW I WANT TO BECOME FAMOUS," AND HE STOPPED, AND HE WENT INTO THE CLUBS, AND HE STARTED DOING STAND-UP AGAIN, AND PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY.
- IT WAS A HUGELY POPULAR ACT, AND I LET IT GO BECAUSE I WENT, "WELL, I'M GONNA DIE IN VEGAS," YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S-- I DID NOT WANT-- - SO YOU WERE WORKING IN VEGAS AT THE TIME? - I DID-- I DID A COUPLE GIGS IN VEGAS.
- RIGHT.
- AND I JUST WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE IDEA THAT THAT WAS GONNA BE MY RESTING PLACE, YOU KNOW? - RIGHT.
- I WAS--I WANTED A WIDER KIND OF APPEAL TO WHATEVER I WAS DOING, AND I JUST BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING DEEPER GOING ON.
- AND HE AND MY BROTHER DAMON WERE FRIENDS, AND WHEN I WAS PUTTING THE SHOW TOGETHER, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR-- I WANTED TO HA-- I WANTED THE SHOW TO BE INTEGRATED, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, "YOU GOTTA COME SEE JIM.
" AND I WENT, AND I SAW JIM, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HE-- I LOOKED AT HIM, AND I WAS LIKE, "HOW COULD THIS GUY STILL BE IN THE CLUBS?" YOU KNOW? - NOT ON TELEVISIONS, RIGHT? - YEAH, EXACTLY.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN HE CAME IN, AND THE AUDITION PROCESS WAS A LOT OF IMPROVISATION, AND HE WAS SO FUNNY.
- YES.
- I MEAN, HE-- HE'S JUST HILARIOUS.
HE'S REALLY, REALLY FUNNY.
- HE WAS HILARIOUS, YEAH.
- AND HIS AUDITIONS WERE ALWAYS GREAT, AND HE ALWAYS WOULD GO SOMEPLACE REALLY PHYSICAL AND REALLY FUNNY, AND IT WAS-- IT WAS A NO-BRAINER.
- KEENEN HIRED ME, BASICALLY BECAUSE I WAS SO DISRESPECTFUL WHEN I WENT IN THERE.
I-I-I TOLD HIM I LOVED HIM AND THEN--AND THEN-- AND FAKE ASSASSINATED HIM.
- [laughs.]
IN THE ROOM, IN FRONT OF EVERYONE? YEAH.
- YEAH, BASICALLY.
THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM.
- UH-HUH.
- I WAS DEFINITELY COMMITTED BEYOND BELIEF.
I HAD NEVER DONE--CREATED CHARACTERS BEFORE THAT SHOW.
- MM-HMM.
- IT WAS ALL NEW TO ME.
AND THOSE GUYS WERE ON THEIR FEET, YOU KNOW, AND DAMON WAS ON HIS FEET.
YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T DO THE SAME TAKE TWICE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD TO REDO A SKETCH FOR THE AUDIENCE, STUFF CHANGED, AND, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIENCE CAME TO EXPECT IT, SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY JUST LIKE SECOND CITY TRAINING.
I MEAN, YOU-- - IT WAS LIKE THAT, YEAH.
- IT WAS LIKE THAT.
- AND INNOVATIVE LIKE THAT TOO, BECAUSE SNL HAD BEEN AROUND, AND THIS TOOK IT TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL, ACTUALLY, IN COMEDY - YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
- THAT YOU'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
HOW DID THE SKETCHES ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE INFLUENCE YOU OR NOT INFLUENCE YOU? - UH, WELL SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, AS A SHOW, WAS A HUGE INFLUENCE FOR ME.
THE DIFFERENCE WAS THAT-- THAT SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE WAS MUCH MORE POLITICALLY ORIENTED THAN IN LIVING COLOR WAS.
I WAS NOT A POLITICAL GUY, AND I ALWAYS SAID-- AND I KNEW THIS, THAT I COULDN'T BE TOO POLITICAL BECAUSE MY POLITICS WOULD COME ACROSS ANGRY.
- MM-HMM.
- AND I REMEMBER HAVING ISSUE WITH A COUPLE OF WRITERS BECAUSE I ALWAYS SAID IT HAS TO BE FUNNY FIRST.
- MM-HMM.
- SO IF IT'S NOT FUNNY AND JUST POIGNANT OR POLITICAL, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
- MM-HMM.
- AND WE DID THIS SKETCH WHERE WE ACTUALLY MADE FUN OF THE TONIGHT SHOW.
JIM PLAYED ALAN THICKE - OH, RIGHT.
- AS THE HOST - YES.
- AND WE TOOK THE SKETCH-- THE BIT THEY DID WITH THE WILD ANIMALS.
- RIGHT, RIGHT.
- AND KELLY PLAYED THE ZOOLOGIST WHO WAS BRINGING THE ENDANGERED SPECIES.
- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME JOAN EMBERY.
[cheers and applause.]
HI, JOAN.
- HI, ALAN.
- HE'S BEAUTIFUL.
- YES, HE IS.
THIS IS CALVIN.
HE'S A HOMEBOY SAPIEN AFRICANUS, OR B-BOY, AS THEY'RE KNOWN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
- IS HE ABLE TO WALK? - OH, YES, HE WALKS, BUT, YOU SEE, THESE ARE NEW SNEAKERS, AND THEY DON'T LIKE TO CREASE THEM.
- IS HE DANGEROUS? - WELL, ALAN, LIKE ANY OF GOD'S CREATIONS, WITHOUT LOVE, A PROPER DIET, A DECENT EDUCATION, AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, HE COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
- ALL THESE LIGHTS AND CAMERAS DON'T HELP EITHER.
HE'S GOT A GUN! - BUT THAT'S POLITICAL.
- YEAH, IT WAS.
- RIGHT.
- BUT WE--YOU KNOW, I MADE SURE THAT THE COMEDIC RHYTHM - WORKED.
- WORKED ABOVE THE MESSAGE, AND THAT WAS MY FIGHT WITH THE WRITER.
- MM-HMM.
- SO IT WAS-- FOR ME, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS ALWAYS, "THE FUNNY HAS TO BE FIRST.
" THE MESSAGE WILL COME, BUT THE FUNNY HAS TO BE FIRST.
- COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
AND THE SHOW WAS CULTURALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT WAS ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN, RIGHT, EXCEPT FOR YOU.
- YEAH.
YEAH.
FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS, I WAS THE WHITE GUY.
- YOU WERE THE WHITE GUY, RIGHT.
- YOU KNOW, I WAS THE WHITE GUY.
EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, "THE WHITE GUY.
THAT'S THE WHITE GUY.
" IT WAS LIKE A COMPLETE REVERSE, WEIRD THING THAT WENT ON, AND I GOT TO TASTE THE OTHER SIDE OF [laughs.]
WHATEVER IT WAS THAT JUST, LIKE-- "I'M THE WHITE GUY.
" - YOU'RE THE MINORITY.
- OKAY, I'M THE WHITE GUY WHEN I LEAVE MY HOUSE IN THE MORNING.
- YEAH.
- BUT IT WAS FANTASTIC BECAUSE THEY HAD A COMPLETE BELIEF IN ME AND A COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, FAITH IN ME AND GAVE ME, YOU KNOW, GAVE ME ROOM AND AN OPPORTUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I REALLY THINK IS ONE OF THE-- IF NOT THE GREATEST, DEFINITELY THE TOP.
- RIGHT.
- YOU KNOW, GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES OF MY LIFE, TO BE SEEN IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE-- THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ME.
- JUST CATAPULTED YOU OUT THERE, FOR SURE.
- IT REALLY ENCOURAGED ME, AND IT WAS AMAZING.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, AND I--YOU KNOW, I FEEL GRACED BY IT, FOR SURE.
- AND THEN ACE VENTURA, WHICH WAS ANOTHER HUGE STEP UP.
- YEAH.
- NO ONE SAW YOU COMING IN THE MOVIES, FOR SOME REASON.
- WELL, IT WAS HILARIOUS BECAUSE DAVID ALAN GRIER USED TO MAKE FUN OF ME.
WHEN I WAS--I WAS IN IN LIVING COLOR OFFICES.
ONCE WE'D FINISH OUR WRITING FOR THE SHOW, ME AND STEVE OEDEKERK WOULD STAY LATE AND REWRITE ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE.
- UH-HUH.
- AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, I DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE IN ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE WHEN I TOOK IT.
I WAS LIKE, "WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL WRITE IT-- "I'LL REWRITE IT, AND IF I DON'T LIKE IT, AS LONG AS I HAVE A TRAP DOOR, AND I CAN GET OUT--" - UH-HUH.
- OF COURSE, HIM AND I WERE IN THE OFFICES TILL 4:00 IN THE MORNING EVERY NIGHT AND HOWLING WITH LAUGHTER, GETTING COMPLETELY PREGNANT WITH THIS THING, AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WASN'T GONNA DO IT AFTERWARDS.
BUT DAVID ALAN GRIER WAS ALWAYS MAKING FUN OF ME IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE.
HE WOULD BE-- HE WOULD BE LIKE, "HEY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JIM CARREY IS--DURING HIATUS, "IS GONNA BE DOING A MOVIE "CALLED ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE, AND WE'RE EXPECTING REAL BIG THINGS FROM THAT," KIND OF THING, WHATEVER IT WAS.
[laughter.]
AND EVERYBODY WOULD HOWL WITH LAUGHTER AT ME, AND I'D JUST SIT THERE KIND OF RED-FACED AND GOING, "ALL RIGHT, WHATEVER.
" - YES.
YES.
- YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE MOVIE CAME OUT.
- UH-HUH.
- AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THE VERY NEXT TIME WE WENT UP IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE, DAVID WAS LIKE, "HEY, EVERYBODY.
"LET'S HEAR IT FOR JIM CARREY AND ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE.
" [laughter.]
"IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE.
CONGRATULATIONS, JIM.
" LIKE THAT, AND JUST KIND OF DID THAT DAVID DEJECTED FACE THAT HE DOES SO WELL.
- RIGHT.
- AND, YEAH.
IT WAS A SHOCK TO EVERYBODY.
BUT I HAD SUCH-- THE AMAZING THING TOO WAS I GOT SUCH GREAT RESPONSE FROM OTHER COMICS THAT I LOVE.
- SURE.
- YOU KNOW? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SEINFELD CALLED ME - OF COURSE.
- IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MOVIE AND SAID HE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN HIS LIFE, AND STEVE MARTIN CALLED ME AND SAID HE HAD BEEN, LIKE, KIND OF, LIKE, SHY AND KIND OF, LIKE, HANGING OUT IN HIS HOUSE A LOT, AND HIS FRIENDS TOLD HIM TO COME OUT AND WATCH ACE VENTURA, AND HE WAS LIKE, "I DON'T WANT TO WATCH ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE.
" - [laughs.]
- AND THEN, HE DECIDED TO GO OUT FINALLY, BEGRUDGINGLY, AND HE SAID-- AND IT MADE HIM BELIEVE IN THE WORLD AGAIN, AND-- - WELL, YOU KNOW, STEVE ALSO HAS A LOOSENESS - YEAH.
- AND A SILLINESS AND A CRAZINESS.
- UH-HUH.
HE'S AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING.
- YEAH, HE'S A--RIGHT.
- REALLY, REALLY DEEP-- YOU KNOW, COMPLEX HUMAN BEING.
- YEAH.
WE-- - ABSOLUTELY.
- AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE.
IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY, IN SOCIETY, PEOPLE GET TO LOVE YOU FOR A CERTAIN THING, THEY WANT YOU TO KIND OF STAY IN THAT BOX AND WHATEVER, BUT I'M--I'M GONNA AVOID THAT IF POSSIBLE.
- SO YOU MENTIONED RICHIE PRYOR, SO-- SO YOU HAD TO BE A KID WHEN RICHIE WAS-- - YEAH.
WHEN I WAS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD, I SAW ON THE DINAH SHORE SHOW, AND HE WAS DOING A ROUTINE ABOUT GETTING BULLIED AT SCHOOL AND HOW THE BULLY WOULD BEAT YOU UP BEFORE YOU EVEN GOT OUT OF CLASS, AND HE HAD THE GUY GOIN' - RIGHT.
YEAH, RIGHT, RIGHT.
- YOU KNOW, AND THEN HIM ACROSS THE ROOM CRYING, YOU KNOW? AND I HAD JUST EXPERIENCED THAT, AND I WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF THE TV LAUGHING, AND IT--THE IDEA THAT I COULD LAUGH AT THIS, I WAS LIKE, "WHO IS THIS GUY THAT CAN DO THAT?" AND THEN, I JUST-- EVERY TIME HE WOULD BE ON TV, I WOULD SIT IN FRONT OF THE TV, AND MY MOTHER EVEN TOOK NOTICE, TO THE POINT WHERE, IF HE WAS ON A LATE-NIGHT SHOW, SHE'D WAKE ME UP - OH, THAT'S SO GREAT, WOW.
- AND SHE'D TELL ME, "KEENEN, THAT LITTLE SKINNY BOY IS ON.
" - OH, IT'S SO GREAT.
- SHE DIDN'T KNOW HIS NAME.
SHE CALLED HIM "THE LITTLE SKINNY BOY.
" SHE'D GO, "LITTLE SKINNY BOY IS ON," AND SHE LET ME COME AND WATCH HIM DO HIS THING.
- SO GREAT.
- AND SO THROUGH THAT, I KNEW WHAT I WAS GONNA DO.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW, BUT I KNEW I WAS GONNA BE A COMEDIAN.
- AND NOW, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY'S INTO COMEDY.
- UH, WELL, MY YOUNGER BROTHERS WILL TELL YOU THAT I USED TO PUT THEM THROUGH COMEDY CAMP WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE BOYS BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO DO WHAT I WAS DOING.
AND I WOULD SIT THEM IN FRONT OF THE TV, AND I WOULD GIVE THEM DIFFERENT MOVIES TO WATCH.
I'D GIVE THEM MEL BROOKS MOVIES, AND THEY'D HAVE TO WATCH THAT, AND THEN, WHEN THEY WERE DONE, I'D HAVE--I'D QUESTION THEM, AND THEY'D HAVE TO TELL ME WHY CERTAIN THINGS WERE FUNNY-- NOT JUST THAT THEY WERE FUNNY, BUT WHY THEY WERE FUNNY, AND SO I MADE THEM WATCH AIRPLANE, I'D MAKE THEM WATCH YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.
MONTY PYTHON WAS THE ONE THAT THEY WERE REALLY A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE TOO HEADY FOR THEM, A LITTLE TOO BRITISH.
- YEAH, RIGHT.
- THE ONE THAT THEY LIKED WAS THE, UH HOLY GRAIL.
- YES.
OH, THE MOVIE, RIGHT.
- YEAH, THE HOLY GRAIL - YEAH, SURE.
- WHICH IS--AND OF COURSE, THEIR FAVORITE SCENE WAS THE SWORDSMAN WHO GETS EVERYTHING CUT OFF AND IS STILL TALKING SHIT.
- CUT OFF, YES.
OF COURSE, YEAH.
- YOU KNOW? BUT THAT'S WHEN THEY REALLY KIND OF CONNECTED WITH MONTY PYTHON.
- YEAH, RIGHT.
- BUT I-I-I WANTED--I SHARED WITH THEM MY INFLUENCES, 'CAUSE I WANTED THEM TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE ON COMEDY THAT I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE, AND IT DEFINITELY PAID OFF.
- SEE, I ALWAYS SAY, "COMEDIANS ARE LIKE JAZZ MUSICIANS.
" - YES.
- IF YOU--THEY ALL-- WE ALL SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE.
- YEAH.
- ALL THOSE INFLUENCES.
THERE'S NO COMEDIAN THAT WE'LL TALK TO - YEAH.
- THAT WOULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU ON SO MANY OF THAT.
- YEAH, AND GEORGE CARLIN.
- AND CARLIN, OF COURSE.
- YEAH.
- YEAH.
- KEENEN, THANKS SO MUCH.
THIS IS JUST GREAT TO TALK TO YOU.
- PLEASURE.
- REALLY, GREAT.
- THANK YOU.
- TERRIFIC.
AND SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR YOURSELF NOW? - I'M ABOUT TO DO THE MOST, UH, IMPORTANT, MOST INTERESTING, I THINK COMPLEX WORK OF MY CAREER.
- WHICH IS? - I DON'T KNOW YET.
- OKAY.
[laughter.]
I ACCEPT THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS.
- THANKS.
- I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.
- I'M SO GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
- OKAY, GREAT.
GREAT, JIM.
- REALLY, HONESTLY.
SUCH AN HONOR.
- THANK YOU.
[music.]