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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 |
When did you decide to become a comedian and how did that affect you playing football
in college?
Any good comic can’t even answer that…it was just is. When I decided to get on stage it was ’92
and I was heckling some guy in the audience and he said “why don’t you get up here if you think
you’re good” and I give him credit for just saying something; but it was going to happen anyway
because it was all I could do – ever. I’m what they call a jack of all trades and a master of none.
So what happened with you playing football?
I didn’t like it. You got to love football to play it. You have to like practicing and you have to like
everything about football. You can’t just play it because it’s something you’re good at it. In order
to be really successful at it, you have to love football and I didn’t love it. I liked playing and
hitting the guy and talking shit; but I didn’t like it.
What comics do you enjoy watching?
Richard Pryor and George Carlin
When was the last time you bombed?
Last week! I bomb all the time. I bomb every chance I get. It makes you a better comic.
How would you describe your comedy style?
I changed from wanting to kill. You change and grow as a man and then you grow as a comic at
the same time. Sometimes I would want to get the crowd to laugh the hardest and fan approval
was most important. The most important thing now is I say what I want to say and some people
were with me when I said it. I want to be more of a cult comic. I wanna have a bunch of people
who are into what I say.
Tell me about Shorties Watching Shorties and how that project came about?
Jim Serpico, Denis Leary and Apostle [Productions] took a liking to me. I did Comics Come Home
and Contest Searchlight. They’ve helped me a lot. They needed to punch up the show and they
needed characters to bring in the comic’s bits that they animated; but they needed something to
transition between comics. Me and Nick DiPaolo are the guys who transition the stuff.
How is working on Tough Crowd different than Chappelle’s Show?
I only did Chappelle’s Show once and it took 10 or 12 twelve hours. Colin’s show is one hour. I get to wear my own clothes and get to say what the fuck I want to say. That’s the difference. [On Chappelle's Show], I gotta act and be up there for ten hours in a goofy fucking suit and say what someone wants me to say as oppose to Colin -- I say what I feel like saying. And it’s eleven hours less time.
in college?
Any good comic can’t even answer that…it was just is. When I decided to get on stage it was ’92
and I was heckling some guy in the audience and he said “why don’t you get up here if you think
you’re good” and I give him credit for just saying something; but it was going to happen anyway
because it was all I could do – ever. I’m what they call a jack of all trades and a master of none.
So what happened with you playing football?
I didn’t like it. You got to love football to play it. You have to like practicing and you have to like
everything about football. You can’t just play it because it’s something you’re good at it. In order
to be really successful at it, you have to love football and I didn’t love it. I liked playing and
hitting the guy and talking shit; but I didn’t like it.
What comics do you enjoy watching?
Richard Pryor and George Carlin
When was the last time you bombed?
Last week! I bomb all the time. I bomb every chance I get. It makes you a better comic.
How would you describe your comedy style?
I changed from wanting to kill. You change and grow as a man and then you grow as a comic at
the same time. Sometimes I would want to get the crowd to laugh the hardest and fan approval
was most important. The most important thing now is I say what I want to say and some people
were with me when I said it. I want to be more of a cult comic. I wanna have a bunch of people
who are into what I say.
Tell me about Shorties Watching Shorties and how that project came about?
Jim Serpico, Denis Leary and Apostle [Productions] took a liking to me. I did Comics Come Home
and Contest Searchlight. They’ve helped me a lot. They needed to punch up the show and they
needed characters to bring in the comic’s bits that they animated; but they needed something to
transition between comics. Me and Nick DiPaolo are the guys who transition the stuff.
How is working on Tough Crowd different than Chappelle’s Show?
I only did Chappelle’s Show once and it took 10 or 12 twelve hours. Colin’s show is one hour. I get to wear my own clothes and get to say what the fuck I want to say. That’s the difference. [On Chappelle's Show], I gotta act and be up there for ten hours in a goofy fucking suit and say what someone wants me to say as oppose to Colin -- I say what I feel like saying. And it’s eleven hours less time.
PATRICE O'NEAL
Note: This is the entire interview by Tasha A. Harris. The edited version was originally
posted on Two Drink Minimum, June 2004.
Note: This is the entire interview by Tasha A. Harris. The edited version was originally
posted on Two Drink Minimum, June 2004.
Patrice O’Neal is a dynamic gentle giant who defies the rules and shatters
audience expectations with his brand of humor that is unapologetic and
brutally honest. He has emerged as one of the hardest working comedians
in the business, juggling as a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and
the co-host of the new animated series Shorties Watching Shorties on
Comedy Central. Most recently, he landed his first magazine cover story for
Stop Smiling, was selected as the reader’s choice winner for “Funniest
Comedian of the 2004” on Comedy Newspaper.com and added to the cast
of the FOX-TV drama, The Jury. After wrapping the last episode of Tough
Crowd before a two-week break, Patrice discusses working with A-list actors
and why he doesn’t need an audience to be funny.
audience expectations with his brand of humor that is unapologetic and
brutally honest. He has emerged as one of the hardest working comedians
in the business, juggling as a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and
the co-host of the new animated series Shorties Watching Shorties on
Comedy Central. Most recently, he landed his first magazine cover story for
Stop Smiling, was selected as the reader’s choice winner for “Funniest
Comedian of the 2004” on Comedy Newspaper.com and added to the cast
of the FOX-TV drama, The Jury. After wrapping the last episode of Tough
Crowd before a two-week break, Patrice discusses working with A-list actors
and why he doesn’t need an audience to be funny.