Popular stand-up comic Brian Regan, who will perform on the famous stage at the Ryman Auditorium on Nov. 8, takes time to field questions from Life Staff Writer Anne Timmel. Regan, who has been heralded with numerous different awards, including the American Comedy Award for Best Comedian in 1996, answers questions about comedians he admires and how he manages to keep his comedy clean.
Vanderbilt Hustler: Are all of your stories based on real-life experiences?
Brian Regan: Some of my jokes are about real-life things, and some are not. Comedy is a fun, weird world, in which the lines between reality and fiction are blurred. Impressionist paintings are about real life things. They are truth and fiction simultaneously — same with comedy.
VH: I know Steve Martin had a lot of influence on you. What about him really inspired you to pursue a career in comedy?
BR: I liked Steve Martin a lot when I was young, and I still do, but I wouldn’t say his comedy inspired me to become a comedian. When I first became a fan of his, becoming a comedian was not even on my radar screen in terms of possibilities. At first I wanted to be an astronaut. Then I wanted to be an accountant. Then I wanted to be a guy that cleans lint out of pants cuffs. Then I hit on the idea of becoming a comedian.
VH: Do you think your family had a big influence on your sense of humor?
BR: Yes, my family had a big impact on me becoming a comedian. My dad’s actual name on his birth certificate is Bozo. And my mom’s actual name is Bozette. What could they do but have clown kids? Actually, there was a lot of humor in my family growing up. My dad, mom and all my brothers and sisters had — and still have — great senses of humor.
VH: What do you think was really the turning point in your career? When did it hit you that you've actually made a success of yourself through comedy?
BR: There were a number of turning points in my career. One big night for me was when I won $10,000 in the Funniest Comedian in New York contest. Up until that time, I had trouble getting good spots at the (New York) comedy clubs. After that night, I was treated differently. It was really cool.
VH: What is your favorite part of performing live in front of an audience?
BR: My favorite thing about performing in front of a live audience is the food. For some reason, people bring hot plates — casseroles and various yam dishes. It’s quite a treat. Actually, one thing I like about doing comedy live is the truthfulness of it. People fake applaud all the time. People don’t fake laugh; you know, to the bone, whether or not you’re doing well when you’re doing stand-up.
VH: What is the funniest thing a fan has ever done for you?
BR: I don’t know if this is the funniest thing a fan ever did for me, but I’ll tell the story anyway. Once, after a show, a guy asked if I would sign a Pop-Tarts box for his mom (I do a joke about Pop-Tarts). I said sure, took the box and asked her name. He told me her name, then proceeded to tell me she had recently had some medical problems and that he had given her my CD to help her pass the time while recovering. As I was signing the box, I said, “That’s very nice. How is she feeling now?” He said, “Interesting you should ask. When she listened to the CD, she laughed so hard she had a stroke, and we had to put her back in the hospital.” Then he grabbed the box and walked away.
VH: What do you think is the secret to having an act that gets more than just laughs, one that actually achieves that level of humor that really touches people?
BR: I’m going to selfishly glom onto that as a compliment, so thank you. I don’t want to give an answer that sounds too self-serving, but I think a comedian’s point of view is important. There is a lot of comedy out there about how much the world stinks. There is a big place for that kind of comedy, because comedians are supposed to help nudge people, but I think it’s also OK to celebrate life a bit. It doesn’t all stink.
VH: You manage to keep your act clean while maintaining your side-splitting sense of humor. Are you ever tempted to delve into material that might be deemed inappropriate for some audiences?
BR: There are times I wonder about experimenting with a different kind of comedy, maybe something that might occasionally include stronger language. But then I think, that ground is already being covered by other comedians. At this point, I like that my audience can rely on the fact that my comedy won’t make anyone feel too uncomfortable.
