Louie Anderson – Out Of His Head

An AmericasComedy.Com Interview

Versatile and lovable, veteran comedian Louie Anderson has been performing stand-up since 1978.

His first brush with the big time or, as Anderson calls it, “The Henny Connection,” was in 1981 when Anderson won third place in the first “Midwest Comedy Competition” in St. Louis, hosted by comedy great, Henny Youngman. Soon afterward, Anderson began to write for Youngman. Now, Anderson has his own showroom in Las Vegas and plays to standing-room-only crowds. He was the beloved host of the television show, “Family Feud,” recently wrapped up “Stand-Up Boot Camp” in San Francisco with Kyle Cease and . . .  so much more.

Best-selling author
Anderson is the author of two best selling books, “Dear Dad — Letters from an Adult Child, ” a collection of letters from Anderson to his late father, and “Good-bye Jumbo . . . Hello Cruel World” for those who struggle with self-esteem issues. He has received thousands of letters from readers expressing their gratitude for the help they received from his books. Anderson recently finished his latest book, “The F Word: How to Survive Your Family,” a comedic family survival training guide with big heart.

“Life with Louie”
In 1995, Anderson created the Saturday morning animated series, “Life with Louie.” The long-running series based on Louie’s own childhood and his life with his father won three “Humanitas Prizes” for writing on a children’s animated series, making him the only three-time recipient of this award. It also earned a “Genesis Award” for its depiction of the proper treatment of animals and, most significantly, two “Emmy Awards.”

Compassion, humanity and connection
Comedy is Anderson’s ministry, so to speak, as Anderson sees his role to be “. . . a pain reliever. If I do my job right, that pain relief will last for at least 8 hours.” Anderson’s rich and varied experience in a variety of media (is there any medium in which Anderson has not worked and thrived?) gives his work the dimension and depth that connects human beings to one another. His humanity and compassion shine throughout his comedy.

AmericasComedy.Com had the great pleasure to talk with Louie Anderson recently.

Healing
Writing “Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult Child” was cathartic for Anderson. He was on tour in Milwaukee and decided to write his dad, who had been dead for ten years, a letter. About ten years prior to writing the book, Anderson had taken a friend to visit his dad’s grave, where his friend read aloud several letters he had written to his dad while Anderson waited in the car. When his friend returned to the car, he saw a profound transformation. Although it took ten years, the experience stayed with Anderson and he began to write the book.

“That book changed my life. The idea behind it was just trying to get that stuff out, to figure out where it belongs. It was very cathartic. The book helped me, but it also helps a lot of people. I got about 10,000 letters from people who said that the book really changed their lives.”

Dedication to helping others
Anderson dedicates himself to helping others heal from whatever dysfunction they’ve had with their own families, and he works with many charities. Shortly after 9/11, Anderson did a show in New York City for the New York police and fire departments’ “Widows’ Fund.” He is also the co-founder of H.E.R.O., an organization designed to  empower people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless to “attain maximum self-sufficiency.”

“I am interested in the things that ‘could’ sparkle . . .”

Any normal, non-dysfunctional comedians?
A lot of Anderson’s comedy is based on his earlier pain. AmericasComedy.Com wondered if Anderson knew any non-dysfunctional comics who have risen through the ranks, are funny and who are not dealing with some kind of eternal conflict or dysfunction.

“Seinfeld seems normal at some weird level. When I think of Jerry Seinfeld, I think, ‘He seems normal.’ He’s really funny. He’s a little neurotic, but he seems normal compared to a lot of us. That guy’s funny and not crazy. I think, though, that that really was why his comedy was reflective of that. You know those people who are always witnessing all kinds of stuff but aren’t necessarily in the dregs of it? And then he teamed up with Larry David and Larry David is as tortured as can be.”

The great thing about comics
Comics put themselves out there, full monty. They reveal what most of us hide. They risk vulnerability and they give us permission to do the same.

“I think the great things about comics is that they wear their stuff on their sleeve where other people don’t wear it. And they wear it in a humorous way, where you look at him and go, ‘Oh my God, that guy’s crazy, but he’s so funny.’”

Comics are mirrors
They reflect our own fears, anxieties and flaws so artfully that we can relax, breathe and laugh.

“Everybody experiences some difficulties, and I think comics are able to show you the train wreck and how to get out of it.”

Lessons from Vegas … a great show and always something new
Anderson continually refreshes his material, doing something new every night. He does 15-minutes of crowd work in each show, and it’s from this interplay that he gets a lot of his ideas for his new material. A comedian of great sagacity and experience, Anderson continues to learn and add dimension to his shows.

“One thing you do learn in Vegas is that you need a beginning, a middle and an end . . .  a real show. The really important thing in Vegas is to do a great show, have a lot of content, but you change it up to some degree. I’ve had people come to my show who have said, ‘I could watch your show every night, because there’s always something new. I really work on making something new every night.’

Crowd work
Crowd work is how Anderson created all his material. He began his set with fat jokes, then he worked the crowd. Afterward, he’d listen to the recording and, as he listened, he’d pull material out and incorporate it into his performances.

Stand-up Boot Camp curriculum
“Stand-up Boot Camp,” born last fall, is a five-day workshop for stand up comedians to learn about their craft from industry experts and other comedians. The comedians who enlist in Boot Camp have varying degrees of experience, which range from being newbies to road headliners. The course itself is still a work in progress. Anderson’s goal is to lay out a “curriculum that people could use forever, using lots of tremendous comics.”

“My goal is that you go to the car wash and we don’t miss any spots. If you are really willing to endure it, you’ll get what you need. You will hear what you’re supposed to at Boot Camp, if you’re listening. Now, actualizing what you need depends upon your commitment to the art. And it’s definitely an art.”

On rumors of being dead
Anderson, alongside Bill Cosby (whose death has been “tweeted” four times) was reported “deceased.”

“The best call I ever got opened with, ‘Louie, are you dead?’ I said, ‘Let me check. I think I’m still here.’ I just hope people do realize when I am actually dead, so they don’t miss the funeral.”

Out of his head and into his heart
Anderson relies on prayer and meditation to help him help others and to be as funny as he can possibly be.

“Prayer and meditation have saved my life. You’ve got to have a little prayer and meditation in your life. I believe in the fact that all human beings are spiritually connected and that when we try to separate ourselves from each other, we’re done for.  It can be proven in this way. When there’s a catastrophe, all colors, race and religion disappear. It’s only when we have too much time on our hands that we start separating ourselves from each other.

I need to start my day not worshiping me, but doing things in gratitude to a higher power. Here’s why. I need to get out of my head and into my heart as often as possible. I always tell people that, when you’re a comic, here’s how you do your comedy: take everything in your head and filter it through your heart. Don’t take what’s in your heart and filter it through your head. Take what’s in your head and filter it through your heart and it will glow. If it goes through your head, it will shoot out and who knows how people are going to take it?”

“I need the prayer and meditation before I go on to center myself and to ask for me to get out of my head and to have enough sense and gratitude to know how special the gifts I was given are and how important they are, so I can stay out of my head and present it in a way where the people watching can, absolutely, undoubtedly, forget their troubles. That’s my goal.”

“Diary of a Fat Man”
“Diary of a Fat Man” is coming down the YouTube pike soon.

“I’ll just tell you this about ‘Diary of a Fat Man’ . . .  it’s going to be the most important thing I ever do. ‘Diary of a Fat Man’ is a chance for me to be unfiltered 100 percent.”

If you would like to see Anderson perform up front and personal, he will be headlining “Pepperbellys Comedy Club” in Fairfield for one night only at 7:30, Aug. 27. He will then return to Las Vegas to open his new “Louie Anderson Theater” at the “Palace Station Casino.”

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