Eddie Griffin: Still sayin' it
One of Eddie Griffin’s most vivid memories of performing stand-up happened when he was getting his start at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
“I was on stage and they did a drive-by,” Griffin said. “That’s L.A. for you. The Comedy Store had a window. They started firing, and I dove down on the stage, and the crowd dove down on the floor. Everybody was OK, no one was scathed or anything, so I kept telling jokes until the police got there. That’s the topper. I don’t think anyone can beat that in terms of wild comedy shows.”
Griffin’s Friday and Saturday performances at the Cleveland Improv should be slightly less dramatic, but no less humorous.
Griffin has performed stand-up since 1990, appearing in numerous comedy specials of his own. He parlayed his talents into a successful acting career on the big and small screens, starring in the hit television comedy series “Malcolm and Eddie,” as well as the movies “Undercover Brother,” the “Deuce Bigalow” series and even alongside Denzel Washington in “John Q” to name just a few. He’s also stayed busy with a Las Vegas residency, just a short drive from his home, and as for upcoming projects, he’s got “three in the can.”
To Eddie, it’s all the same, and it’s all good.
“They are all a piece of the pie called Eddie Griffin.”
Griffin has never written down a joke, always performing spontaneously while using his “photographic memory” to keep the bits of his show that get the best reaction.
This week, Griffen spoke about his start, his soiree with reality television and why he thinks being too politically correct will soon be a thing of the past.
Q. Have you always been totally off-the-cuff live? Did you ever write down jokes when you first got your start?
A.” I’ve always been that way. I never write anything down. As a comic you better be able to do it without writing it down. You can’t stand up there with nothing coming out of your mouth!”
Q. Who had the biggest comedic influence on you?
A. “There were really only a couple. The Godfather of Comedy himself, Richard Pryor. Bill Cosby I liked for his storytelling ability. And George Carlin for being daring enough to say anything and jump off stage.”
Q. What are your fondest memories of Richard Pryor?
A. “I knew him for about 17 years. He called me ‘Junior’ and I called him ‘Pop.’ There’s too many to mention. There’s numerous great memories, but I remember the roughest acting job I ever had was when I played him on the Showtime series ‘Pryor Offenses’ based on his book. ‘Cause you’re sitting there playing the guy and he’s sitting on the set. So I’d ask him, ‘How was that Pop?’ And he’d say, ‘(expletive), do it again!’ That was tough, man.”
Q. What was the most memorable or enjoyable part, if anything, about your reality series “Going For Broke?”
A. “Nothing was enjoyable about that. Not one thing. It sounded like a good idea when they pitched it, but then when you do it they can’t stop (expletive) around with the cameras. It was too intrusive. I’d never do anything like that again.”
Q. Can a comedian ever cross the line?
A. “If you’re worried about saying something someone’s gonna be offended by, get out of the business. You’re not being true to yourself, and if you can’t be true to yourself how can you be true to your audience? You have to paint a picture. If you don’t paint a picture, you’re not an artist. You’re a statue.”
Q. Do you think our culture has become too PC?
A. “That’s all starting to blow away. People are tired of all of that. All the top comedy is rated R or uncensored. Everything runs its course. They tried to censor everyone for a while, but all that’s going away. I never cared anyway.”
Reach B.J. at 330-580-8314 or bj.lisko@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @BLiskoREP
WHO: Eddie Griffin
WHEN: 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday
WHERE: Cleveland Improv, 1148 Main Ave. Cleveland
TICKETS: $30 at www.clevelandimprov.com or by calling
216-696-4677.