Gaffigan
Question: This is far from your first time in Phoenix. In addition to your stand-up shows, you appeared in 2009’s ‘Away We Go’ alongside Allison Janney out here. What was it like working on that movie?
Answer: You can definitely see why people adore working with Allison Janney. She’s one of those people that in addition to her humor and talent you want to be best friends with. You see why people adore her because she’s so engaging. What I remember most about shooting ‘Away We Go’ in Phoenix at the dog track was that it was so hot that there were times the dogs couldn’t run. We literally had to shoot but couldn’t have the dogs running because it was too hot. So, it was too hot for the dogs but the humans are gonna do this? It was so blistering hot, but that’s Phoenix in the summer.
Q: These days you’ve gotten more personal with your act in regards to your family life. Getting onstage is already a vulnerable experience. What is it like delving deeper?
A: It’s against my instincts to be so autobiographical ... I never wanted to be one of those comedians who was like, “me, me, me, me, me.” But there are ones who are good at that. But that’s how I was raised; you don’t talk about yourself. I know we live in this voyeuristic and exhibitionist era, but I feel as though people don’t want to hear it. As an observational guy, I know they’d rather hear bacon jokes than hear about my appendix getting removed. But people do gain a curiosity about your life and if you can talk about it and be funny, it tends to be universal.
Q: That was apparent in your last special.
A: In “Noble Ape,” when I’m talking about my wife’s brain tumor, there was a realization that everyone has a medical emergency that takes over your life or a family member spending two weeks in the hospital and weeks of recovery. Everyone’s kinda had that emotional experience. I was reluctant to talk about it but it ended up being fruitful.
Q: In this age, do you feel more pressureto get political in your humor?
A: My social criticism or commentary has been hidden behind McDonald’s or some food topic. But it shifted around 2016, and what I saw in doing comedy clubs is that at both sides of this polarized political landscape there is a fatigue on the topic. When people go out to see stand-up they don’t want (politics) affecting their escape time. I remember thinking, ‘Obviously, I’m a concerned citizen. Should I participate in this?’... I was worried if I had to talk about it, but I feel as though people are not coming for my political opinion. I find politics fascinating but I kind of
Q: You’ve had a number of stand-up specials, books, albums and a sitcom. Would you ever have expected any of your success when you were first starting out in comedy?
A: None of this would have entered my consciousness. For the first eight years I felt such gratitude to find something that I felt passionate about and was under the belief that I get to do what I love and this is how the universe or God has given me. I had every expectation of being the weird uncle who lived in a dirty apartment in New York City. That was going to be my life.