David Alan Grier

0:03Well, how you doing fire? Yeah, you enjoyed Evanston loving it. It's the most beautiful city in Canada Well, thank you very much. Absolutely. Have you been here before you played Evanston before never? I've heard tell The most beautiful city in all of this great country, and I didn't believe what people said Have you had a true have you had a chance to look around or you've been sticking to the mall? Look at you Well, I've hit the big time it looks more like a Well, let's see how can I delicately describe this Mid-80s Am I right when I say that stand-up is a relatively recent undertaking for you? Yeah, yeah, I started about 18 years ago and

0:52And okay, so not so recent. Yeah, it's I've been doing it since in living color and living color went on air in 1990 This is 2011. I've always done it You know to a greater and lesser degree. I did a special in 2003 but It was a part of my career, but I never did a stand-up special until then because I had other aspects of my career that Most people know me from television from film right now I've done plays so it was never I mean I always loved to keep it like this kind of thing that I could control women where I worked how much I worked a greater lesser degree and Something I've always done to reconnect with my audience and get back to them and kind of

1:40Have them experienced me unabridged That can be good and bad. Yeah, what is your act like? What are you talking about? What I do things I'm gonna tell you right now a lot of people want to to their own horror But I'm gonna give you the facts here. Thank you talk about the subject I don't think anybody's ever talked about this stuff. I talk about relationships sex politics Hold on religion. Oh, did I say race? Yes, I go there. Hello and You know I have a whole I kind of end on a high note. I have a whole thing It's it's I think personally the most innovative Comedy chunk as we call it in the business. It's called it's it's Bob like who don't tell your wife her butch big But seriously, I think every comic pretty much talks about the same things

2:32it's their point of view and their unique voice hopefully it's unique because I Mean one of the joys I get as an audience member is listening to another comic Talk about things that we've all talked about but from a point of view that I never thought of That's what's brilliant. I mean it's like yeah this thing. I mean that's what draws you that the audience in I mean the whole thing is to talk about something in a way that's unique Original and very funny yet that the audience got to relate to You know that basic human emotion and how that comedy comes. I'm already I'm over pontificating. No, no, it's fascinating How does it relate to sketch comedy though? Does it does it come close for you as a performer? No because sketch comedy is different

3:18I mean first of all is it more like the theater than sketch? Yeah, because I would say so. I mean because it's written. It's planned. It's directed. We do it They're little gyms you even get to edit it clip this clip that you shoot long Maybe you add a few jokes case this one doesn't work You know, it's just a different thing, but a stand-up act is written to is it not for the most part? It is it is but I mean you Okay, I mean you could say that it is but I mean there's more of a live out aspect and it's a floating and evolving act or at least mine is I mean I mean to maybe there's some guys out there that's just like Roped. Yeah, but I mean depending on the audience and the people there

4:05the way they're responding The big and the small of it it expands and contracts and and changes shape That's where their part comes in. What do you prefer more? What do you like best? Women well, I like the guys No, ideally I mean I think my fans are young and old there are people that Followed me from in living color And have been fans and then then there's another group that are much younger that know me from crank anchors and Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Corolla podcast and his radio show and that kind of stuff So it's I like it when it's multi-generational multi-racial Everybody's there together and then I can talk about everything, you know

4:55So that would be my ideal audience, but you mentioned in living color a few times now Is it something that none of you guys? I know you probably don't want to but do you feel like it's something you guys I'll never live down. I have to live up to it. I mean, I'm really proud of that show. I'm not like I remember there was this guy on a Mash and he was like tortured by you know the character he played and all this kind of stuff No, I mean it would be different if I were I don't know if it were something I were embarrassed by I'm amazed and surprised That people are still talking about it. You know, I mean I mean I never even in the moment I never thought that that would happen. I really thought I was gonna do the show and then I Remember talking to my agent. I was headlining, you know little clubs around, you know And doing you done theaters

5:41We done a bunch of stuff But I figured I had maybe 18 months and then that part of my career would go away and I would just become an actor again and you know do that stuff and No, it's it's it's there and and it People are still talking about it and and a whole new generation when they would do these big chunks of rebroadcast Of the original shows and the DVD releases brought all these many more people to watch it Then ever watched originally so it's pretty I didn't expect them Is it something that that's ever been brought up to redo it or do you just think it you got leave I don't I don't think it's for us to redo. I think it's for Reunite like to get the cast together and not the same sketch Reunited for like it the comedy festival one year in

6:34Aspen pretty much we most of us came together, but I don't I mean I don't know if we could what are we gonna do? I really don't want to look like those guys like when the caribou net show came back together and everybody's in gray hair and proff bellies Like the yeah, I don't know I don't want to be together like the 86 Met I mean the work stands We're still alive and and all of us almost all of us are careers are varied and we're active and Nobody's wound up on whatever happened to yet. I was watching at this morning Joe suzu all those guys so yeah, we talked about it and it's it's happened and like you know Tommy and Dave Damon and I have gone on tour and I've worked with other people

7:24From the cash, you know, I still work with Marlon and Sean and Keenan, but never as a complete total TV show What happened to chocolate news speaking of TV shows? Brutally canceled because I've seen clips online. I guess I never saw it when it was on but I but I've been watching clips It's pretty funny. Yeah, thanks You know, that's the greatest compliment when someone kind of mumbles. It was pretty funny. Okay, it was really funny I don't want to I don't want to put you out there. No, no, no, that's funny because someone came into the studio the other day It was like I've heard your show you're pretty good Apply Didn't mean it that way though pretty much I didn't mean it that way I laughed I laughed at some of the clips Without love making good last night

8:14I mean it was we went on in October in an OA We went off in December. So that would have been right before the election. Is that right? It was right after the election right after the election It was right in the midst of the whole economic crisis people were freaking out right it was it was an expensive show to do I do think maybe it would have and also our ratings weren't strong enough for them to say listen, you know The critical praise is enough. We will stick behind the show and give it another year I think I would have gotten another season had it not been like, you know the world's biggest Economic downturn right since you know 1898 I don't know I was watching a clip on there say you were making fun that the Baroque shit He's peaked he should retire. Yeah With the atmosphere it was really testy back then because people were like no don't say anything and you know

9:06We have to be you know PC because there's no more racism in America now You know because of course not if this guy gets elected if Barack Obama gets elected who I love him big supporter it's all gonna disappear and of course You know human beings are human beings. I mean it was an amazing and a historic moment, but that's you know we evolve we change gradually no single act is gonna Change everything overnight, but well it's been two years. What are your thoughts? I talk about it on stage matter fact that that's a big chunk of the when I first hit stage It's my state of the Union what my appraisal. I'm ready for the next black president. Let me put it like that Oh, who do you think it's gonna be if there was more it's more it's gonna be a little blacker

9:54Little more gangster perhaps not gangster just you know more that's what that's what we would That's what I think we're do it like it kind of like Gorbachev Started the process for the Soviet Union glass nose that it took the next guy to really bring them into The free market, but of course now they've reverted Scratch that whole You know what never mind You're a smart guy man. I saw you a millionaire You got pretty far, but I had a girlfriend there and she was like going she wanted to go out to this club I mean cuz they kept you there all day you could there like eight in the morning. It was like nine at night She's like dude Eve the rap singer has buzzed in quicker than you So I had to get in there, but it's nerve wracking you think you know, but then they give you these tricky questions

10:42But you did very well 125 thousand dollars. Yeah, and see I've in my estimation. I did 275 but you know Right. Yes, you did get that question. You would have had you know, but it was I remember one of the questions was Kleenex You know when was it was it invented in was it invented originally at the post surgical? Dressing or something yeah, dressing was it a men's cosmetic because it was invented 1921 men's cosmetic a woman's makeup remover. I mean You have to do you have to? Disact all that because of 1921 what man would want a cosmetic now nobody that throw that out We all know the consistency of Kleenex it can't be post-surgical throw that out. Mm-hmm. So makeup remover I think that was what I chose. Yeah, we took a while

11:28May for the people who haven't seen that they don't care at all, but Fascinating for the two of us. That's another thing I do on stage. I talk about all my all my answers on a million Yes, just go through the entire show every single night. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's where I lose them. I think Possibly I would yes. Well, this is Canada. Let us hope you never know what what's next for you. What do you got in the works? Well, let's see I have a movie coming out in the fall called the people with Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson from the office. Oh, no, Daryl. Yeah, very funny very very funny and Right now I'm on tour for these for the next few months well a couple of months I was doing a plan Broadway last year. I gave an amendment one. Yeah race and then I went right into this

12:17movie I really After these few more data I really need to sit at home I have a young daughter and I really feel like I want to spend some time there So I'm developing things and writing things with a couple of people but ideally that's what I would Want to do but unfortunately the business right like what are you doing next? Right? Yeah, you gotta keep you busy those people to make money, right? Of course of course of course race is a heavy play Um it could be but I mean I think well people see you as a funny guy. I think for the most part. Yeah, not that night They did not know but the one time it's really funny across the street. There was this we were at the Barrymore theater there's this little coffee shop across the street and

13:03Cashier told me that these older white women from the south they came in they said is raised about mass character I person No, honey, it's about black and white people Not what they'd hope no they thought it was gonna be Dale Jr. Reliving his greatest wins What what comes easier to you comedic acting or dramatic? Good acting good writing is the easiest to do I mean the hardest thing to do is something that is ill conceived or badly written You know, I mean That's the scariest part apart where they go. It's basically we're gonna bring you in you just do your thing Funny or okay, so we don't even want to write it because that's how

13:50Much we like you then those are the scariest part because I don't what wait a minute, you know, so Now what it's really well written and Rastless it was one of those roles when I read it. I said not only can I do this I have to do this You know and that's really really rare because most of the time as an actor It's the other way like you said with I squeeze this it's like a pair of pants that are too long or too skinny Or you know if I lose weight if I put this on okay Under this or bend it and make it work. That's usually most acting jobs, which I don't doesn't feel great I haven't seen the play myself, but would it work as a film? Do you think it's gonna? Oh? Why don't oh, I don't know I know they're gonna do I heard they were doing a production of it in London and

14:39That was really interesting. We got a lot of letters from people in Germany abroad, you know who come to come to New York and We're fascinated and amazed at the way America has this ongoing and continuing public discourse on race Religion but this race because this is really what we were talking about and they were all like the next door neighbor Well because in Germany or whatever we don't have these problems, but it's amazing that you guys can talk about I'm like really Okay Yeah, I'm sorry. No, you have to ask David Mamet They're gonna do it as a movie before I let you go. We got to do five questions something we do on the show every day Five quick questions one word answers. Yeah acting or stand up Comedy timing

15:35Acting or stand up. Oh, I see acting. Yeah, let me know McCartney Lenin what's most important in comedy timing or the punchline? That you've written you're most proud of Well, it's my latest joke because it's new and therefore it's not about black guys with big afros What is it about it's about my daughter? I mean what she says to me and I tried not to You know, I mean be that guy. Well. Yeah, but everything has been said But when she said stuff that's really funny that I think is really funny You got to put it out there So you're gonna be like the cause with your kids say the darndest things I will if they're making money, baby And at that the case I got to get her on them Gary Coleman drug And in one word David Alan Greer

16:26Oh, you mean the one word that describes me. Yeah, amazing Ooh good word. I made it up. That's why I like it. I like I like fresh words Well, I do too when they sound good or and not when Sarah Palin makes them up you like wait a minute Well, because that could potentially ruin the country that's I know I don't declare war I declare positive military military ACT you're like what wait a minute What does that mean? It's got to mean something wrong?