Artie Lange's Podcast Channel - 14 - KEVIN FARLEY

Episode Date: December 24, 2019

Artie Lange & Mike Bocchetti interview Kevin Farley, stand-up comedian, actor and member of one of the first families of comedy! Presented by TheComicsGym.com Thanks to MyBookie.ag - If you're going ...to wager this weekend go to http://bit.ly/MYB-Artie and use code Artie to get a 50% signup bonus. Thanks to Blue Chew. Go to BlueChew.com and get your first shipment FREE (just pay $5 shipping) when you use the promo code ARTIE. 

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Arnie Lang's Halfway House. What's up, guys? I'm here with my co-host, Mike Boschetti. Mike, what's up? How you guys doing? Welcome. Oh, fuck, I just fouled up. That's all right.
Starting point is 00:00:26 Let me host the show. You can do whatever you want. No, no, I got to listen and walk half way. No, no, you don't have to listen to anything. Just be Mike Boschetti. That's your job. Okay, okay. And you're doing a great job.
Starting point is 00:00:36 I'll be a fuck up, okay. The other semi-regular on the show, the great Ali Breen. Hi, guys. Ali's here. Yeah. Great comedian, my friend. Going to be working with me a lot on the road, as is Mike. And look who's here.
Starting point is 00:00:47 Look at me. Look who it is. It's been a while. The great Kevin Farley. The great. Yes. The great. Yes.
Starting point is 00:00:54 What's up, buddy? I'm good, buddy. How are you? It's love and norm. Hey, man. It's the great Kevin Farley. He overhypes you. He oversells everything.
Starting point is 00:01:04 He overhypes you. He overhypes you. That'lllls everything. He overhypes you. That'll make you do some bit of comedy or something. Yeah. Like when we were doing the Norm show, Kevin and I met. Kevin Farley, of course, a stand-up comic, great actor, comedic actor, brother of Chris Farley. Yeah. The great Chris Farley.
Starting point is 00:01:20 The great Chris Farley. I mean, absolutely. Yeah. Been gone for 22 years now. Yeah, just recently. He died December 18th. 22 years now. Yeah, just recently. He died December 18th. December 18th. That's right.
Starting point is 00:01:28 Absolutely. I'll never forget where I was when I saw him. Never be another Chris. No, I was in Los Angeles airport. I had just seen him, too. And I saw the dates underneath him while I was getting a drink at the bar. And I'm like, oh, my God, that's when it hammers home. But I met Chris where I met Kevin doing the movie Dirty Work.
Starting point is 00:01:45 Yes, yes, yes. And you're in the Don Rickles scene. I was in the famous movie scene where we all lined up. We all worked for the movie theater. And Don Rickles chews us out. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, we didn't know what he was going to say was the point.
Starting point is 00:02:01 Like, I've told this story a bunch of times. This is my first, you know, scene. The first shot in a big fucking movie. You know, an MGM movie, it's like a buddy comedy. I'm one of the fucking buddies. Yeah, yeah. And Don Rickles is going to improvise insults in my face. And I don't know what he's going to say.
Starting point is 00:02:19 No. Because he couldn't remember the fucking lines. He made the mistake of writing them jokes. Like, he's going to memorize our jokes. So he's in a machine, right? So he just pointed to, like, me, Kevin, and Norm, who all look ridiculous in these bow ties and shit that were supposed to be in the movie.
Starting point is 00:02:34 And we were playing movie theater employees. And I'm the first motherfucker he comes up to, and he just goes, look at you, you baby gorilla. And I left. I left 20 straight times. We couldn't get through it. Look at you, you baby gorilla. And I left. I left 20 straight times. We couldn't get through it. Look at you, you baby gorilla. And then we, after
Starting point is 00:02:50 20 times of that cut, then he starts talking to my belly, like, having fun ice cream, dancing around? But my favorite thing he said was, he said, Baskin Robbins called me and said, you ate them down to only five flavors. Like, where did that come from?
Starting point is 00:03:06 And then he's making fun of, like, a Middle Eastern guy saying, you're going to be tearing tickets in Kuwait, sucking sand. Yeah. Everything was, like, insulting and offensive. That was all improv, remember? He just insulted us off the top of his head. Because he had lines, but he couldn't do the lines. No.
Starting point is 00:03:22 So he just said, all right, just do whatever you want, Rob. Whoa. And he just went off. Yeah, he went off. And we could not keep it straight. he couldn't do the lines. So he just said, all right, just do whatever you want, right? And he just went off. Yeah, he went off. And we could not keep it straight. We couldn't keep it straight. Nobody could keep it straight. No, no.
Starting point is 00:03:31 And that was in Toronto. And I remember, you remember me and you had dinner in Toronto together. Yeah, we went out to dinner. We had a nice dinner together. It was nice. Good dinner. It was great. I had a good time. And, you know, that's actually Chris's last movie.
Starting point is 00:03:42 That's the last movie. Last movie he ever did. Yeah. And we weren't even, I wasn't on set with my brother at that time. That's the last movie. Last movie he ever did. Yeah. And we weren't even, I wasn't on set with my brother at that time. That's right. But he was coming. He was coming to set. Right.
Starting point is 00:03:51 And we shot your scene first. Right. And you said, let's have dinner. And you just ate. And I can remember you were worried about him. At that time, yeah, for sure. But the face you made, when I think about it, it's touching to me. Because I could see the concern. He was doing a little okay. And then, you know, when I think about it, it's touching to me because I could see, like, the concern.
Starting point is 00:04:06 He was doing a little okay, and then, you know, it's ups and downs, man. At that time, he was, I thought, okay, you know. I thought, you know, you never know. At that time, I obviously was worried a lot, but at the time, and people say this now, they're like, were you shocked? You know, I mean, how could you be shocked? Right, of course. But the truth is, I was.
Starting point is 00:04:25 Yeah, well, still, he's 33 years old. He's a young man. He's your brother. And I'm talking to him, and, you know, I'm thinking, like, you're going to be all right. You're going to be okay. Just, you know, don't touch that stuff. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:04:35 And, no, yeah, so at the time, you're always concerned, but, you know, it was shocking. It was shocking for me. Your other brother, John, is an actor, and I've worked with John. Yeah, yeah. And a good guy guy and you're all funny guys what the fuck was it like growing up with you guys this big irish family it must have been nuts what was that like thanksgiving basically we had we had you chris farley and john we had like uh a whole basement down to ourselves like we didn't have an upstairs we had like five bedrooms downstairs yeah. Like we didn't have an upstairs. We had like five bedrooms downstairs.
Starting point is 00:05:06 Yeah. And so we didn't, nobody came down there. Like my mom and dad never came down. I wouldn't either. I'd be scared to death. How much older was Chris than you? He was a year older.
Starting point is 00:05:16 And he was, he was the oldest. He, no, no, no. I, my sister,
Starting point is 00:05:19 Barb, and then, and then my brother, Tom, I have another brother, Tom, Tommy. Okay.
Starting point is 00:05:23 Tommy. And then, and then my, and then Chris and then myself and then John's the youngest baby. So did Tom go into show business too? Well, no. No. He's not funny.
Starting point is 00:05:34 I don't know what happened. How are you not funny in that film? I don't know. It's weird. He's very serious. It must have been hard to be funny. Like you guys one-upping one another. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:05:45 No, you had to have your chops. Yeah. That's probably what happened. He was locked in the basement with you guys and he was like, enough. Oh, my God. Oh, God. Yeah. Well, if you weren't funny, you were absolutely just destroyed.
Starting point is 00:05:55 I mean, if you were like, Chris usually won. When we get together downstairs and start throwing the ball at each other, and then Chris would do some kind of character or whatever. And all those characters that I saw him do later, he was doing that when we were 12 down in the basement. All those things. That's why when they got famous with him, I was like, he did that when he was 12.
Starting point is 00:06:18 That's got to be famous? That's crazy. He could make anything funny. He could. And back then, I didn't even realize he was that funny. I just thought he was insane. Yeah. And he would do anything, you know.
Starting point is 00:06:30 He would literally like, hey, you know, run around the block nude or whatever like that. That was like nothing. That was nothing. He's like, come on, challenge me. Come on, challenge me. And he was an athlete too, right? Good athlete. Very good athlete. Did you play sports as a kid? Yeah, we all did. And he was an athlete too, right? Good athlete. Very good athlete.
Starting point is 00:06:45 Did you play sports as a kid? Yeah, we all did. Football? Because my mom wanted us out of the house. She was like, you're signing up for everything. You're signing up for everything. I can't imagine the amount of food that must have been consumed. A lot.
Starting point is 00:06:57 Spade came over one time, I remember. And we had basically a trash bag that we passed around the house. When we were done, we'd just shovel it in like a restaurant, and we called it the yuck bag. The what bag? The yuck bag. My mom would go, put this in the yuck bag. But we'd have like –
Starting point is 00:07:14 What was it, like leftovers that you chewed or something? We just went through seconds and thirds. The whole concept of seconds, like I look back on it now, like who wants seconds? I mean, seconds? You mean like thirds? We'd have thirds go back for fours. I mean, seconds is just part of the meal. Right, right.
Starting point is 00:07:31 My mom cooked in, like, giant pots. I saw Chris, I remember, because it was a big budget, you know, for the biggest budget I've ever been involved with, the dirty work, they had it catered. The craft service was amazing. And then the caterer would get steak. So everyone had lunch in Norm's trailer. He craft service was amazing. And then the caterer would get steak. So everyone had lunch in Norm's trailer. He would invite everybody in.
Starting point is 00:07:48 And I remember Chris would take a steak and he wouldn't cut the steak. He would put a fork in the middle of the steak and then just put it into his face. And the steak would just have to bend into his mouth. It was like something out of the Flintstones. And he put butter
Starting point is 00:08:04 on it. He would take a whole piece of steak, dunk it in butter or sauce, and then just go It was like something out of the Flintstones. And he put butter on it. You know, I mean, good God. He would take a whole piece of steak, dunk it in like butter or sauce, and then just go like this. And then the steak would just bend into his mouth. Oh, yeah. No. How does a man not have fun watching that? I look back and go, wow, do we eat.
Starting point is 00:08:17 I mean, we used to go to this place in Chicago called Gibson's. I've been to Gibson's. I've been to Gibson's. And they'd have the lobster that was as big as this table and we'd order that for an hors d'oeuvre. Right. And then we'd start eating. And it was like, that was our hors d'oeuvre.
Starting point is 00:08:32 It was this huge lobster. And then we'd have steaks and a giant, giant, remember those giant desserts? Oh, I mean, eating at Gibson's is like, I mean, I always say that that's like, I can even, even in my slobbest of days, I'm like, this is a lot of fucking eating. I mean, it's like literally every time I went to a steakhouse like that with my buddies, it's like when you put your foot in a trash can, like how much more shit can I feed myself? Just put it in the hole of my fucking head.
Starting point is 00:09:01 It is. And everything's cream, cream of spinach, cream of corn, cream of cream. Yeah, cream of cream fucking head. It is. And like, everything's cream, cream of spinach, cream of corn, cream of cream. Yeah, cream of cream. Yeah, and it's decadent.
Starting point is 00:09:12 The Gibson's is decadent. It's just huge. Every portion's huge. It's really Chicago kind of place. Well, so Chris moved out to get into Second City. Were you involved
Starting point is 00:09:20 with Second City too? Yeah, yeah. After Chris, you know, when we were all growing up, like, I didn't even know you could do
Starting point is 00:09:25 comedy as a living. Like, I thought, what? And he goes, no, I want to go do this thing, Second City, and I think I'm good at comedy and all that. Did he do it in college or something? Or just with all sports? Yeah, he went on stage a couple different times in college as a theater thing. But, you know, him and Pat Finn, I don't know if you know Pat.
Starting point is 00:09:43 I know Pat. You know Pat. I know Pat. Pat Finn is in another movie I'm in called know Pat. I know Pat. You know Pat. I know Pat. Pat Finn is in another movie I'm in called The Bachelor. Yeah. Yeah. He was a funny guy, Pat. He's great.
Starting point is 00:09:50 And we all played rugby together. And then those two guys went down to Chicago to be in Second City. I just didn't even know you could do that. So I'm like, fuck. Oh, sorry. Can I swear? Go right ahead. Go the fuck ahead.
Starting point is 00:10:03 So I was like, I was selling asphalt for my dad at the time. I'm like, well, I'd rather do that. Is that what your dad did for a living? Yeah, we sold asphalt. The company, we had a family business that sold asphalt. So Tommy Boy was kind of based on your father. Yeah, yeah. Totally.
Starting point is 00:10:17 Denny, he's a character based on your father. Totally, yeah. Dad was a really good salesman. Yeah. He was a great salesman. He sold asphalt, which is kind of like auto parts, you know? Yeah. And Chris worked for him right out of school for a little while.
Starting point is 00:10:30 Right. Kevin, did you ever meet, I'm sorry, but did you ever meet John Candy? I loved him. I never did. I wish I would have. Nah, he died a long time ago. Yeah. In 93 he was out.
Starting point is 00:10:38 Was he? I think 93 he died. Yeah, no. He was one of the best. I loved John Candy. I wish I would have met him, too. I never did. Well, all those guys, they could all be sweet.
Starting point is 00:10:46 You know, like, you could be very sweet, and your brother was sweet. Like, he could make you cry. Right. But also be, like, bombastic and funny, too. Oh, absolutely. Like, outrageously. And then have a soft side. But Candy had a real soft side.
Starting point is 00:10:59 Oh, yeah. I love him. Oh, no, he was great. So many people come out of the Midwest that are funny. Belushi and stuff like that. So I'm sure John Belushi was like a hero of you guys. Yeah, you know, not so much me, but Chris really enjoyed him just because he was a bigger guy that could move.
Starting point is 00:11:11 Yeah, he was graceful. When we saw John Belushi as kids, we were like, that's a guy that's, first of all, he was the first, like, kind of bigger guy. I wouldn't call him fat, but for television, you know, you didn't find any, like, big guys. Besides Jackie Gleason. We all love Jackie Gleason, too.
Starting point is 00:11:29 But for sketch comedy like that, it was like the Carol Burnett show and stuff. It wasn't edgy, Woodstock-type shit. Everybody was pretty skinny. Yeah. You know, but this guy, all of a sudden, was kind of heavy, but he could move, and he was funny, and it was great. Well, Belushi's the reason I got on MADtv. After that, every sketch group that came along needed a Belushi guy. You know, you need the fat guy, you need the bigger guy.
Starting point is 00:11:50 But your brother was even more unique. He was just a force unto himself, you know. But so you got involved in Second City, too, which is like, you know. Did you study with Del Close? Yeah, I did a bunch of shows with Del, and he was a character. Oh, God, that guy was unreal. Another drug guy, actually. Well, he was.
Starting point is 00:12:12 Eventually, he was a major heroin addict for a long time. I don't know. His health failed at the end of his life. I mean, I don't know how long he lived, but, wow, he lived. Created Second City. Yeah. But when you look at all the Chicago guys, Bill Murray, you guys, Belushi, I mean, that's like such a, such a, you know, reservoir for comedy.
Starting point is 00:12:33 Yeah. I mean, I look at, I always tell comedians, if you're going to start, go to Chicago because it's a great little place to fail. And it's an awesome town, too. And it's a great town. It's the Paris of the Midwest. Right. But you can fail. And it's an awesome town, too. And it's a great town. It's the Paris of the Midwest. Right. But you can fail.
Starting point is 00:12:47 Like in New York, you fail on stage here and people kind of see you. I always tell people you better be ready if you get in front of a casting director in L.A. or New York. If you suck in front of them, you put your career back five, ten years. Yeah. Right. There's more stakes out here. Right.
Starting point is 00:13:02 But in Chicago, you know, you can fail a little bit if you're really young and you're just starting out. When you guys are already funny and you go to Chicago, what happens when you have to apply rules to that? When they give you rules of improv? Oh, we break them. Yeah. I hated those improv. Yeah. It seems like it wouldn't help if you already had them.
Starting point is 00:13:20 The funny thing is they have a lot of rules, and the funny thing is when you get good, you break all of them. Yeah. You know, and so the really good improv teams that you see are just breaking those rules that you set up for all these things. Well, I think every great comedian breaks rules. Yeah, that's the nature of it. My favorite thing that Chris did sometimes in an improv would just go, you know, he'd come up to them and go, I got nothing. Yeah. Yeah. But he always committed.
Starting point is 00:13:49 I mean, when you talk about. Oh, absolutely. Right. No one committed more than him. Nobody committed. And so that, I think, was his whole thing. If he wasn't sure about what something was funny or not, you know, we used to have this guy in high school. He was a football coach, and he said this thing that always rang in our heads.
Starting point is 00:14:06 If you're going to make a mistake, make an aggressive mistake. Well, yeah. Well, I don't think they teach kids that anymore. No. No aggressive shit. That's too toxic masculinity. Imagine on the football field, toxic masculinity. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:20 So he was always making aggressive mistakes. Whether it was right or wrong, whether it was funny or not, it was going to be pretty aggressive. Just go for it. Just go for it. He did that really well. Yeah, and so now when I met you, were you doing stand-up at the time? No, I was always doing sitcoms and little tiny parts on sitcoms,
Starting point is 00:14:40 movies here and there when I lived in L.A. And then I decided, like, why don't I just start into this? I started, Norm goes, hey, why don't you come across country with me because you need a ride, I guess. Hey, man. Hey, man. Farley can drive us. Farley can drive us.
Starting point is 00:14:56 Yeah, exactly. So I said, yeah, well, I want to learn how to do this. I don't know how to do stand-up, and I'm going to learn from the best. Norm, to me, is the best. As good as it gets. Norm is the direct, like, the worst insult a comedian can give somebody is to call him a hack, which basically means you're derivative. Like, it's not original shit you're doing.
Starting point is 00:15:15 Norm is the direct opposite of a hack, which is the best compliment you could get. He's got original material and the most original delivery, you know, and persona on stage. I open up for Norm in about 10 cities when Dirty Work came out. And he would every show, he would go, I'm not going up there, man. I'm nervous. You just do like three hours.
Starting point is 00:15:38 And I'd be like, I can't do that. I'd bust my butt. He'd go, you just do like three hours. I can't go up there. And I said, we're gonna have to cancel the show. He looked really like fucking, you know, scared to death. And then he would walk out and he would the entire time, he's holding his chest like he's having a heart attack
Starting point is 00:15:53 or an ulcer and destroy. Just destroy. Destroy for two hours. Just destroy for two hours. And then he likes fucking with people. Doing that sitcom, The Norm Show, there'd be a studio audience there and I didn't write the fucking jokes
Starting point is 00:16:06 you know a lot of times it would suck whatever so I would say my stupid line to him and it would bomb and then he would just
Starting point is 00:16:13 stop the take and go hey did Artie think that was funny like I just made it up like don't you guys think Artie sucks like boo
Starting point is 00:16:20 he's blaming you he's blaming me for it I didn't write the shit. So he said to you, why don't you come out with me on the road? Come out and go through Canada. I basically went and I opened for him. Which he is like a god there. I mean, I saw him once.
Starting point is 00:16:35 The walls move. He's killing so hard. And so that's how I started it. And I just learned from there. Learned from the best. Watched Norm. And Spade is as good as a stand-up gets. Spade's a fantastic. And I opened up for Dave. And I just learned from there, learned from the best, watched Norm. And Spade is as good as a stand-up gets. Spade's a fantastic, and I opened up for Dave, and I learned.
Starting point is 00:16:48 And all I did for, like, the first, I started in, like, 2012. Right. I just listened to those guys. Yeah. And I just started, like, all right, you know, what do you do and how do you do it, you know. So that was much later because we shot Dirty Work in the summer of 1997. Wow. In Toronto.
Starting point is 00:17:02 That's what it was. That's what I said 23 fucking years ago. It's crazy. So you started much after that, but you got a lot of acting work. A lot of acting work. A lot of, yeah,
Starting point is 00:17:12 mostly just like, I did a, you know, in the early 2000s, I did a boy band thing. That was probably the biggest thing I ever did. That's fantastic.
Starting point is 00:17:19 Which was like, together. I remember that. I remember that, yeah, yeah. And we were like a fake boy band. Which is great. Yeah, yeah. That was were like a fake boy band. Which is great.
Starting point is 00:17:25 Yeah, yeah. That was probably one of the bigger things I did. Did you have to do any faggy shit for that? Yeah, you know, dancing around in a freaking jumpsuit, you know, and all that kind of stuff. But, you know, hey, the chicks dug us. That's the problem thing. Whatever. Well, a boy band, you got to get the pussy.
Starting point is 00:17:43 But you mentioned Spade. What was your relationship? What was Spade's relationship like with your brother when he passed away? Because he didn't go to his funeral, I know. I know, but I think that was a sense. They were very close, and they were kind of like, they were like, they always. Creative fights, right? Right.
Starting point is 00:18:01 Well, I think, who directed Tommy Boy? Pete Siegel. I used to always say they were like a bickering old right? Right. Well, I think what's, who directed Tommy Boy? Pete Siegel, I used to always say. They were like a bickering old couple. Right. And that's kind of really the best way you could describe it. You know, they were like always, and it was all creative fights and that kind of thing. But it was like a bickering old, when you find these comedy duos that really work well. They all hated each other.
Starting point is 00:18:21 They all cut it. For at least a little while. Exactly. Yeah. And I think that was sort of what it was like. Yeah, yeah. But here's how funny Spade is. Spade in a scene
Starting point is 00:18:28 with your brother could hold the scene, which is hard to do. Right, because he wasn't intimidated by him or he would actually make fun of him and all that
Starting point is 00:18:38 and I think that Chris liked that. Yeah. He liked that he could like take him down and not... Because he liked... But he liked
Starting point is 00:18:45 He was doing that with me a lot In Dirty Work Yeah You know Because I'm not I said that I'm not fucking With Chris Farley at all Yeah
Starting point is 00:18:51 On camera And the last scene Chris ever did I'm in It's just me and him He's releasing the skunks Out of like those Big skunks
Starting point is 00:18:59 That was outrageous Yeah And he was smoking In between takes He was smoking And he had a jacket On that didn't fit him. I said, Chris, you've got to give a little lesson because you're going to have a heart attack.
Starting point is 00:19:08 And he's like, let's have a cigarette! Jesus. I like when he pushes G7 in that. He's like, to me, that was, you know, I obviously didn't laugh at a lot of stuff because I'd seen it all, you know, growing up. It's a bar fight, and he accidentally hits Pina Colada. G7, right. I love that. G7!
Starting point is 00:19:28 And also just, you know, when he starts, like, the hooker's yelling at him to get in the car and he goes, blah, blah, blah. But again, stuff like that. It's an Asian hooker and he goes, shut your cake, Cole Yoko. Oh, God. That I laughed at.
Starting point is 00:19:42 Dirty Work is, like, the most homophobic movie. There's no... No way. I mean, you couldn't make it now. No, no. That I laughed at. Dirty Work is like the most homophobic movie. There's no... No way. I mean, you couldn't make it now. No, no. No, that's true. You couldn't make that movie right now. No way.
Starting point is 00:19:52 How long did it take to shoot? About two months. About two months. But, you know, you, besides being funny, were always like just the sweetest guy. I fell in love with you that night we had dinner. I was like, this is a great... this is a good man, you know. Yeah, I mean, I think that down, you know, we grew up, we weren't like, I never came from the side of comedy that's like the, I guess.
Starting point is 00:20:16 New York pretentious asshole. Right. I don't try to rip people a new asshole. I never have come from that angle. Mike's an asshole. No, I'm not to rip people a new asshole. Right. I never have come from that angle. Mike's an asshole, but. No, I'm not an asshole. Yeah, yeah. Leaves that movement.
Starting point is 00:20:27 The self-deprecating thing is kind of more like the Farley way. Oh, absolutely. You know, that's sort of the way I come from, you know. I think that's funnier. I think it's way. I just get more mileage out of it that way. Even in stand-up. Like, what is your stand-up?
Starting point is 00:20:39 Just, like, observations about stuff? Sort of. My life, you know, self-deprecating, that kind of thing. You know, but nothing, anything, anything like real crazy or controversial or anything. I never have been. I just never have been. I don't know why. More clownish.
Starting point is 00:20:53 Like Chris is more of a clown. Oh, absolutely. I like to be more of a clown. But edgy. But edgy. Not something like, you know, pussy-ass clown. No. No.
Starting point is 00:21:00 Like an edgy clown. More like a John Wayne Gacy edgy clown. 100 bodies under the basement. Yeah, Chicago could either go real funny or real dark. You get the Chris and Kevin Farley and the John Wayne Gacy. John Wayne Gacy. The John Wayne Gacy model. So now you moved to New York from L.A.
Starting point is 00:21:18 I just moved like two years ago, two and a half years ago. Right. Why'd you do that? For stand-up? The stand-up was taking off, you know. It's the capital of stand-up, New York. It really is. You know, L.A.'s got everything, but, you know.
Starting point is 00:21:30 L.A.'s got the comedy store, it's got improv, and then the Laugh Factory. Those are really the only three. Yeah, you can't really, you could do like eight sets in a night here, you know. You could take the subway and go, you can't really, you know, you do the Comedy Magic Club at nine, and then at nine o'clock the next night night you can get to the fucking Laugh Factory
Starting point is 00:21:48 on the 205. Right. So if you want to hone your act, you know. I'm also on the road a lot, so that flight back was just killing me. And so I just thought, well, the East Coast is where it's at for stand-up. Oh, absolutely. It really is. Because besides Chicago, Boston's got amazingly funny guys.
Starting point is 00:22:04 I mean, Ali from Boston. You know, again, I like that. Cities where it gets cold and there's big sports teams. Like, that's where funny comes from. That's where funny comes from. You're absolutely right. Like, it just doesn't come from the Midwest. I mean, from the West Coast.
Starting point is 00:22:18 No, I don't think it does. People are too nice out there. Yeah, they're very friendly. Yeah. Yeah. Soon you can't get funny when people are so nice to you. No biting saw cares. Well, the first time I played the San Diego Improv in 1996,
Starting point is 00:22:31 I had gotten on MADtv and I was starring in a book, and I actually opened for Otto and George, the very trillical. Whoa. And so the first time, me and Otto both almost bombed, right? Not bombed, but we didn't do well. So the manager of the San Diego Improv says, well, you guys sound mean. I'm like,
Starting point is 00:22:46 what the fuck are you talking about? He goes, you see that you sound mean. People here aren't mean like that. I'm like, what are you talking about? So Otto and I go on stage.
Starting point is 00:22:52 Because you're East Coast. Well, Otto and I go, we're being sarcastic. What the fuck if that's mean? Yeah. So I, you know, I said it's not
Starting point is 00:23:00 where I come from. Four months out of the year there's snow with dog shit on it. They got a parallel parking. You know, it's not 82 and breezy. Right.
Starting point is 00:23:07 So, Otto and I say, okay, we'll try to be nicer. So, I go on stage and I hate, I start to hate the fact that I'm trying to be nice. So, I get even more evil. Me. And I scream. And I basically call everyone an asshole. I leave. Otto goes on stage with his dummy.
Starting point is 00:23:28 And he tries to be nice for three seconds. Three seconds. And then three seconds he goes, fuck it, fuck you motherfuckers. He starts yelling at a Mexican woman
Starting point is 00:23:33 in the front row with the dummy and he totally abandons even trying to be a ventriloquist. So she doesn't know whether to look at the dummy or him.
Starting point is 00:23:41 He goes, you fucking filthy Mexican whore. He's calling her a Mexican whore. She starts to cry and the dummy or him. He goes, you fucking filthy Mexican whore. He's calling her a Mexican whore. She's like, she starts to cry. And we almost got arrested. Not only did we not get paid, we almost got arrested.
Starting point is 00:23:51 You did not take the note. No. You did not take the note. The note was to be nicer. He called a woman a Mexican whore for no reason. With a dummy. With a dummy. I did a gig in Buffalo with
Starting point is 00:24:05 George. It had eagles at the end or woogles or shoogles. Something like that. It was outside of Buffalo. It was like a shitty gig. We were getting paid 800 bucks total. He was getting 600. I was getting 200. That's how long ago it was. I show up and the
Starting point is 00:24:21 manager almost has a bat. He goes, hey, your boy isn't here. He took the $800 and left. I said, what are you talking about? Oh, shit. He goes, your boy left with the $800 for you guys. It was like a half an hour before the show. So I said, I don't take this.
Starting point is 00:24:35 That's when it breaks your heart. I said, don't take this the wrong way. Are there any crack houses around? I said, he has a bit of a crack problem. No way. And I never smoke crack. I smoke crack a little bit. You know, I dabbled in it. I said he has a bit of a crack problem. No way. And I never smoke crack. I smoke crack a little bit. You know, I dabbled in it.
Starting point is 00:24:48 I dabbled. I go to a crack house row, and the third one in, I find Otto. No way. He's smoking crack next to another crackhead with George the Dummy in between him and a crackhead. And he goes, you want a hit? And I sit down to do a hit, and we missed the show. I smoked crack. We smoked crack for two days. hit? And I sit down to do a hit and we missed the show. I smoked crack.
Starting point is 00:25:05 We smoked crack for two days. I really thought that was going to be a same day. I spent the $800. Now there's like a, the guy,
Starting point is 00:25:11 fuck a wuss, the guy I think was connected, he wanted to kill us. Oh yeah. We just didn't show up for two sold out shows. You never showed up
Starting point is 00:25:17 for two sold out shows. I love that you started it out by saying, don't take this the wrong way. Yeah. But that gives me hope because I was getting nervous. I said, don't read into this, Mr. Sensitive. Are there any crack houses around?
Starting point is 00:25:31 Don't let this worry you. Me, Otto, and the dummy. And an African-American gentleman. We're all smoking crack. Wow. Gentlemen. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, so my point is,
Starting point is 00:25:40 how do you think Chris would fend in this climate nowadays? No, he wouldn't have done well. No. I mean, that's obvious. Yeah. I always think, like, yeah, wow. I mean, he would have never survived. You think so?
Starting point is 00:25:56 Never. No. God. I mean, he can make anything funny, but still. No, he liked to pull his pants down. You think he would have been Me Too'd by now? For sure. Absolutely for sure.
Starting point is 00:26:11 There's no question. It's a shame you're giving him a nightmare. It sucks. I'm currently being Me Jude by my age. I'm being Me Jude right now. He would have never survived. I mean, he would have never survived. He just was, his whole philosophy was to push it to the limit.
Starting point is 00:26:27 Right. But that's what fucking comedy is. That's what it is. Exactly. But he wanted to, like, push it all the time. And he did things that, you know, obviously you see on SNL and we've all looked at. But the stuff that he did off screen that we were growing up with. Oh, I know.
Starting point is 00:26:42 Other stories he told in Norm's trailer that I think Norm has on tape. Was outrageously funny, but you could never repeat it. I mean, there's stuff that's actionable, I think, that he said. Yeah, who cares? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. No. And so it's like, no.
Starting point is 00:26:57 I mean, no. There's no chance. Well, I mean. Because he was kind of a, he really, really, I've never met anyone that really wanted to make you laugh or you laugh or anybody. He loved making you laugh. He loved it. No matter who it was.
Starting point is 00:27:09 Yeah, he loved it. Loved coming in, making a huge scene, and then getting out of there. But, like, the scenes that he would create were outrageous. And they still talk about it. Just in real life. No, yeah, they still talk about it, you know. And he was just like that since he was born, you know. Right.
Starting point is 00:27:24 He was fucking around in school all the time. But here's why Dirty Work was a fun experience. Norm talks about this all the time. So you and Don Rickles are up there. Then your brother Chris. Adam Sandler came for a week. Chevy Chase came for two weeks. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:39 Jack Warden. Sandler did a small part in it. So it's like it was just all these amazing people and they were all fun to hang out with. They were all fucked up. And, you know, in their own way. Yeah. No, it wasn't like one of those sets
Starting point is 00:27:56 where you're like walking on eggshells or anything like that. No, no, that was a fun set. Well, gay humor. You can't make gay humor anymore. Not at all. Not at all. And Chris loved gay. He said the word whore a lot.
Starting point is 00:28:08 He did everything bad. His character, his nose got bit off by a Saigon whore. Whore, which you could never do. Norm loves the word whore. He does. He uses it a lot. I feel like certain people still get away with it a little bit. He seems like he would.
Starting point is 00:28:21 Well, I can't stop. You don't think so? Well, Folly is so funny. But he was already iconic. But you do have to adjust. Today, he would have been nailed. I mean, Eddie Murphy is, you know. Don't you think Eddie Murphy's going to get fucked a little bit?
Starting point is 00:28:35 He wants to do these Netflix specials and shit. You know, they're going to pull out his old specials. And, I mean, come on. I think he's one of those guys that thrives on that controversy, too. He's also got a trillion dollars. Yeah, it doesn't matter. But he's also one of those guys that like, he can't help it.
Starting point is 00:28:50 Like he's got to say something. He said that Cosby joke, which I think was really funny this weekend. What was it? Oh, he said something like, who's the best father now, Bill Cosby? Yeah, because Cosby was, here's how crazy the Cosby thing,
Starting point is 00:29:02 I do an insanely offensive joke about, you know, he has that weird eye that goes the other way. I say the way you got that is when you're raping a girl, you got to keep one eye on the door. I actually do that in my head. Again, I've given up. But here's how fucked up the Bill Cosby thing. Not only was he sexually assaulting and drugging women, while he's doing that, he's preaching
Starting point is 00:29:23 to America, not just America, to other brilliant comics like Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. He's telling Richard Pryor, you cursed too much. I mean, the hypocrisy is outrageous. He's calling Richard Pryor up and saying, you cursed too much, and Pryor probably knew what the fuck was going on.
Starting point is 00:29:39 And imagine he's like, okay, I cursed too much. Can we get to you now? Can you imagine what they knew back then? And they're like, oh, Bill, Bill, Bill. Yeah, Bill. That's enough. Bill, you don't want me to say this, Bill. You don't want me to say this.
Starting point is 00:29:53 America's fucking dead. They're afraid to say it at the time. They couldn't say it really. Of course not. Well, that's how powerful he was. He was a powerful guy. No doubt. How much acting do you still do?
Starting point is 00:30:02 I'll do whatever I can. I'd love to do more. Yeah. I go on auditions and that kind of thing. But I, you know, I booked a few things last year, you know, just whenever I can get it. Can you describe to the audience, do you still work with Norm? Have you worked? I haven't.
Starting point is 00:30:16 What is it like working with Norm on the road? Because he's such a unique, I mean, I know it. I'm one of the rare people who knows. You know, he's funny. It's like the one time he came out on stage and he goes, I did my act. I go backstage. And all of a sudden I hear him go, who wants to see me and Kevin wrestle? Onto the audience. By the way, I think this is on YouTube.
Starting point is 00:30:42 And I'm back in the green room, right? And I kind of hear it and I'm like, what is he doing? I'm like, what is he saying? And they're like, of course the audience is like, yeah, yeah. Of course, who wouldn't want to see that? I'd yell, yeah, absolutely. And then somebody goes, hey, Norm wants you out on stage. And I'm like, oh, no, I don't like this at all.
Starting point is 00:31:01 So I go out on stage. I go out on stage. And I look into his crazy eyes. And he goes, I guess they want us to wrestle. And he attacks me on stage. He just attacks me on stage. And I'm going, what are you doing? And we're wrestling around, you know?
Starting point is 00:31:22 And he's like, really trying. And I go, you psycho. I'm bigger than him. Yeah, of course. I picked him up and I body slammed him. And then he gets off stage and he goes, what are you doing? Right. He goes, I was kidding around. I go, you punched me in the head
Starting point is 00:31:40 for God's sake. He's more into fucking with you as the opening act than making the crowd laugh. He really is. Like, one time we were in San Francisco at the Palace of the Fine Arts, okay? Yes. I worked with him in Seattle once, and the review in one of the small papers was a two-sentence review. It said, Mr. Lange made me nauseous, Mr. McDonald made me throw up.
Starting point is 00:32:03 That was... Okay, all right. So, in San Francisco, Norm goes to me, said, Mr. Lange made me nauseous, Mr. McDonald made me throw up. That was... Okay, alright, so okay. So, in San Francisco, Norm goes to me, hey man, I know you're doing your stupid little act, but... This is San Francisco. No fucking gay jokes. And I go, well dude, I've played San Francisco
Starting point is 00:32:19 where you guys, nah, those clubs, man, this ain't the punchline. It's Palace of the Fives. This is my career, dude. There's critics out there. No fucking gay jokes. I'm like, all right, fine. He goes, X-Day on the faggy. So I'm like, all right, fine.
Starting point is 00:32:34 So I struggle through 20 minutes for no gay jokes. I go, Norm MacDonald, first thing out of his mouth, not how you doing, not good to be here, not what's up, San Francisco. First thing he goes, hey, how about that AIDS? And he goes, hey, how about that AIDS? Oh, no. And he goes, like rumbling. And then he goes, you know, I always read bad
Starting point is 00:32:51 stuff about AIDS, but then I read AIDS doesn't discriminate. And that's kind of nice. Oh, no. And then Jim Brewer had a similar story. And then you hear Norm go, where are you going? Like three seconds, then he goes, where are you going? People are leaving. But that critic loved him.
Starting point is 00:33:06 Like, they got the irony. Right. I mean, sometimes they get him, and other times they don't. Where are you going? Where are you going? Where are you going? How about that AIDS? How about that AIDS?
Starting point is 00:33:17 Oh, man. No, it was a trip going across Canada with him. And you worked with Spade, too, another master stand-up comedian. Master stand-up. No, he's a joke great, a great joke teller. No, I learned from those because I figure those two guys are the greatest.
Starting point is 00:33:32 The artist stand-up, and again, I worked with Spade and I did a movie with Spade and then I hung out with Spade a lot. I wish I could have, I wish I should have put out an album of Spade's answering machine messages to me. Oh yeah. Goofing on me. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:46 Because they were just masterful. They were so fucking funny. And he's got stories. When texting first came about, I made the mistake of texting LOL to him after I texted him. And he goes, first of all, I'll tell you when something's funny. Whoa. He goes, you're not texting with a fucking cheerleader. LOL.
Starting point is 00:34:07 LOL. Did you really just write LOL? But he... Remember we went to the Borgato. Remember you, me? We were... Remember that? With Spade.
Starting point is 00:34:18 With Spade, right? We had dinner at the Borgato. That was fun. No, he... I got to do this commercial, but I got to tell you my favorite space, just the way he would goof on you. Again, again, it's all about, that's what it's about. That's what the comedy cellar table used to be.
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Starting point is 00:36:04 We thank them for sponsoring the podcast. All right, so, again, we're talking about this fade in norm. And, again, it really is about abuse. It's about abuse. They both love abuse. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They do. But, okay, so when evil – you got it?
Starting point is 00:36:21 You all right with it? Yeah, sorry. We just gave that some blue chew that month. It's black and hard I alright so when maybe you had
Starting point is 00:36:32 this experience around them too even just hanging out with them at dinner like if you tell a joke that bums if you try to be funny it was so
Starting point is 00:36:38 it was like playing Carnegie fucking Hall just making like trying to make a witty comment yeah yeah yeah and like if it sucked you go man you're awful. You're terrible.
Starting point is 00:36:46 Like, quit. Freddie Wolf is like that, too. I love Fred. Fred will give up a laugh more than those two guys. Oh, absolutely. No, you're right. Oh, yeah. Spade almost never laughs.
Starting point is 00:36:57 Yeah, no. I mean, but he'll go, he'll say something like, oh, yeah, that was pretty good or whatever. No, actually, I don't think he's ever complimented me. I'm thinking about it. I'm like, I don't think he's ever complimented me. I'm thinking about it. I'm like, I don't think he's ever complimented me. I mean, he's just a funny asshole. I mean, I love him. So, if I would tell
Starting point is 00:37:13 a joke that bombed in front of them, I had this thing if we were at dinner where I would bite my straw. It was just like a nervous tick. I'd say a joke that bombed at dinner and I'd get nothing. I'd just go like this. So Spade would like always go
Starting point is 00:37:26 like in front of chicks. Like if I said something and I tried to be funny and no one laughed I was gonna bite on a straw. So this is how amazing. So cut to five fucking years later. Five years after like the last time he did that to me. It's almost forgotten. Right. I'm doing
Starting point is 00:37:44 the Stern Show. We're in Vegas. Spade's a guest in Vegas. And Howard in Vegas had, like, a blackjack table with drinks on it. And we're all having drinks. And we all had straws. So with an audience there, Spade, five years have gone by. I forget.
Starting point is 00:38:00 No one knows this joke but me or Spade. Oh, wow. I say something that bombs, gets nothing. I look at Spade. He goes like this with his drink. He doesn't forget a damn thing. And he remembered that. And it hit me like a tidal wave of laughter. It's one of the
Starting point is 00:38:17 funniest fucking things I've ever seen in my life. Just because of how long he waited for the perfect moment to abuse you. Yeah, exactly. I said something that bombed in front of thousands of people and on national radio and he went, I'm. And I think that.
Starting point is 00:38:32 And Howard's like, what the fuck you two idiots laying around? They make an art form, those two guys, make an art form of abuse. Yeah. Which actually is kind of fun. You know, I got. But I think that's what funny people do is they abuse each other. They do. I mean, it's the art of busting balls.
Starting point is 00:38:46 That's going out the fucking window. That's going out the window. Everybody's too sensitive now. Yeah. No, I actually enjoyed it. I used to laugh. Of course. I used to love it.
Starting point is 00:38:56 Well, I've seen people almost, assistants like cry and like sue Norm. Like, I don't know. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. But, I mean, really, really. But, like, see, like, Mike Dizer's hair is chartreuse That's The color is chartreuse
Starting point is 00:39:09 It's really It's really like super Super Now how do you not goof on that How do you not bust balls Chartreuse Where did you find chartreuse Well he asked me one day
Starting point is 00:39:17 Kevin He goes What color is that hair I go I was being a wuss I go It's chartreuse I just said that Oh wait so now
Starting point is 00:39:23 You were goofing on me Yeah yeah Motherfucker I came full circle Motherfucker Speaking of full circle Look at Mike's stomach Hey hey
Starting point is 00:39:35 That was the funniest Fucking thing ever So now So what are you doing So how often Do you do the road Oh every weekend Pretty much
Starting point is 00:39:42 I'm always doing that I'll just tell my guy Listen I want to work So let's get out there I'll go out every weekend And you much. I'm always doing that. I'll just tell my guy, listen, I want to work, so let's get out there. I'll go out every weekend. And you're going the day after Christmas? You're at the Hard Rock at where? In Tulsa?
Starting point is 00:39:51 Tulsa, yeah. In Tulsa. And then I've got to go to Minneapolis. So you're actually doing it, yeah. Yeah. Then I have a podcast I do, Kevin Farley on the Road. I do that. Where do you do that?
Starting point is 00:40:00 I do that out of the comic strip. Oh, okay. So here in New York? Yeah. Is that where you play the most here? of the comic strip. Oh, okay. So here in New York. Yeah. Is that where you play the most here? Like a comic strip? Legendary club. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:40:09 I do the comic strip. I do my podcast, Kevin Farley on the Road, on there, and then go on the road a lot. You know what else was touching about back in the days when your brother was part of SNL and you being in his family and Johnny and everything is how supportive people like Sandler and Spade and Norm were when your brother died. They really loved him, man. You could tell.
Starting point is 00:40:32 They did. I think Sandler wrote a great song and put it on SNL. That was awesome. That was really cool. Do you still talk to Adam a lot? Once in a while. John is always in his movies.
Starting point is 00:40:46 He still gets in his movies. And you want to be in a Sandler movie because that's instant money. Definitely. You've never been in a Sandler movie? I've been in a few. Waterboy. You're in the Waterboy. I was in Waterboy.
Starting point is 00:40:57 And, oh, I don't know. I've been in a few of them. I love the fact that you can't remember them. I know. There's so many of them. There are a lot of them. But John usually gets in you can't remember them. There's so many of them. John usually gets in there. He'll go... Does your brother John, does he do stand-up?
Starting point is 00:41:11 No. He's just cruising along. He's just doing the acting. That's incredible. If you know Adam Sandler, you're alright. I used to bust Norm's balls because he always wanted to be in Sandler movies. How can I get in a fucking Sandler movie? I said, you've been right. I used to bust Norm's balls because he always wanted to be in Sandler movies. How am I going to get in a fucking Sandler movie?
Starting point is 00:41:26 I said, you've been in like 80 of them. Yeah. Because I'm one of the guys you went to college with. So I said, you know, I would bust Norm's jobs. I'd say, you know, Norm, you know what a triple threat is in show business now? If you went to junior high, high school, and college with Sandler. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Then you're a triple threat.
Starting point is 00:41:41 Because Sandler just pointed to friends that were on his dorm floor. And said, come on along. They're all worth a billion dollars now. Oh, rich now. It's crazy. I think Alan Coburn was the doorman of the improv. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I like Alan, but what the fuck?
Starting point is 00:41:54 He's great. No, I know. Listen, I mean, Adam's a loyal guy, man. As loyal as it gets. As loyal as it gets. He's great. He's always been very sweet to me. Because when I got on Howard, Howard back in the day, I think since I've left, Adam went on the show.
Starting point is 00:42:08 But, you know, he didn't like Adam's movies. And he was so. Howard didn't? Yeah. And, you know, Howard. And I would always defend him. He goes, I just want to be in those stupid movies. I'm like, no.
Starting point is 00:42:18 I like him. And I do. I think Adam is brilliant. Oh, yeah. And I always have. His albums, everything. Yeah. And whenever I saw Sandler, he was always very sweet to me.
Starting point is 00:42:26 He goes, congratulations on that job. That's a great job. And I go, yeah. But did he know that Howard didn't like it? Yeah, I mean, I guess he did. I mean, I think it kind of disappointed him. I think he was a fan. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:42:36 And, you know, I would tell Norm all he'd have to do is do the show. But the thing is, Sandler didn't need him. No. It's like he would give Springsteen shit, but Springsteen don't need, they don't need each other. Sandler didn't need Saturday Night Live. He didn like he would give Springsteen shit, but Springsteen don't need, they don't need each other. No, Sandler didn't need Saturday Night Live. He didn't do Saturday Night Live. He was his own man.
Starting point is 00:42:49 Well, I think, I think Lorne Michaels passed on Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Oh, that's what his mom, right. I don't think he's ever gone back to host the show, right?
Starting point is 00:42:58 Well, yeah, it's just recently. Oh, he did? Just recently, yeah. See, I'm not up on this show. But I don't think before that, though. I've been in jail. That's when I was big in jail right now. Just recently, yeah. See, I'm not up on this show. I don't think before that, though. I've been in jail.
Starting point is 00:43:06 That's when I was big in jail right now. It used to be. I was in jail for the last year. Did Adam host Saturday Night Live? He did. But that's why it was such a big deal, because he hadn't for so long. I don't think he ever hosted it before. Not until this past year, yeah.
Starting point is 00:43:18 Oh, wow. Yeah, this past year. This past year? Yeah. And what about Eddie Murphy's going to do it? Did he do it already? He did it last night. The fuck? Are you still in jail? I've got to get the? Did he do it already? He did it last week. The fuck?
Starting point is 00:43:25 Are you still in jail? I got to get the fuck out of here. I'm in fucking show business jail is what I'm doing. I'm sitting next to Shaw True's hair bo-shetty over here. I'm doing blue-chip commercials. Yeah, well, I mean, again, can you believe the years that have passed by? How old are you now? Well, I'm old.
Starting point is 00:43:44 In my 50s. Me too. I'm 52. I'm 52. And so, yeah, you and I are about the same age. Yeah. As you get into this age, you're like, holy shit, I guess it's coming to an end. You know?
Starting point is 00:43:54 No, no, no. Yeah, but first of all, I thought it was coming to an end a long time ago. Well, yeah. You know what's funny? We're all glad you're here. When your brother passed away, I was 29. He was 33. We had just done that movie.
Starting point is 00:44:04 And again, I was in LAX airport and I saw the dates under his name. 64 to 97. Yeah. And I'm going like, wow. Like, that's only in a... Like, you know, I'm the same gender. Like, that really... It cleaned me up for a little while. I wish it had cleaned me up forever. Robin Williams said that about
Starting point is 00:44:19 John Belushi. He said when Belushi died, he got clean for a long time, I guess. That went the way it went, too. You know, it's hard. Did you ever have addiction issues? Yeah. I mean, well, I'm Farley, so we're Irish. You know, I mean, it stems in the family, you know, and I think...
Starting point is 00:44:35 Just drinking, mostly? Mostly drinking. Yeah. I mean, but now I'm sober, you know, and I've done the whole thing. Yeah, but you gotta stick close to the program. Yeah. And I think that's what helps me a lot. And also just God.
Starting point is 00:44:49 Yeah. You've got to stick close to God. Were you Irish Catholic and really hardcore? Yeah. I mean, I'm Roman Catholic. Yeah, you know. But I abandoned the church when they started fucking me. You've got to get back to it.
Starting point is 00:44:59 You've got to get back. Even though the church, you know, I always see has got some problems. Yeah, well. It's still the church. And I go back to the church. Well, I mean the see this has got some problems. Yeah, well. It's still the church. No, no. Well, I mean the concept of it. I go to church every Sunday. Are you Catholic?
Starting point is 00:45:10 Yeah, I pray for people every day. Yeah. Are you Catholic? No, I'm not religious at all. I mean, were you brought up Catholic, though? No, I'm half Catholic, half Jewish. Oh, there you go. And I was brought up with nothing.
Starting point is 00:45:19 See, there you go. Yeah. I mean, I got a little bit of each religion. This is my favorite. I tell this joke in my act. This is to offend both. A priest and a rabbi are walking down the street. They see a 10-year-old boy.
Starting point is 00:45:29 The priest says, you want to fuck him? The rabbi goes, out of what? Oh, yeah. That's one of my favorite church books. I don't know who wrote that, but he's the funniest guy of all time. Was there a specific incident that made you get sober? Was there, like, something that happened, or was it just over time? Well, Chris, certainly.
Starting point is 00:45:43 So after that. And then after that, I had a long time. I thought I could get back into it a little bit. You can't dabble in it. You can't. You can't go back. You have to have the mindset. You just can't have another one, you know.
Starting point is 00:45:54 So I don't touch it anymore. Good for you. It's one of those things where it's like not for me, you know what I mean? How long have you been sober for, if you mind me asking? Well, right now, about three years. Good for you. That, how long have you been sober for? Right now, about three years. That's a long time. Prior to that, I had about 15. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:46:11 You just think something... You thought you could do it. Relationship went south. Life throws curveballs. Life throws curveballs. All of a sudden, you think you can handle it. It's not good. It's never good.
Starting point is 00:46:26 But I think that, you know, I think the only thing that sticks me is stay close to your faith and then stay close to some kind of program and also talk to people. Absolutely. That kind of helps. I got 10 and a half months. That's the longest I've had, you know. I'll be 23 years. Can you believe this?
Starting point is 00:46:41 23 years. That's great. I stick close to guys like you because, you know. You look better. That's great. I stick close to guys like you because, you know. You look better. That's right. Because 23 years is a long time. That's why Mike is here. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:46:51 Do you have a problem drinking? Oh, yeah. It was horrible. I started drinking at 14. Are you Irish? I'm Italian. Very Italian. He's Staten Island, which is Pacific kind of drunk.
Starting point is 00:47:02 But the 23 years is great. It is, but what you do, what you did is almost more mature because you had 15 years, you go back out, and then something in your head goes, it's just the right thing to do to stay well, you know,
Starting point is 00:47:16 to get better again. Right, and also, when you're getting up and creeping up into the 50s, you're going to die. Yeah, of course. Absolutely. I can never handle a hangover
Starting point is 00:47:24 like I was in my 20s. That would be horrible. I'm sure you look so hot hungover. Yeah, of course. Yeah, absolutely. I could never handle a hangover like I was in my 20s again. That would be horrible. I'm sure you look so hot hungover. No, no. No, but two-day hangovers were horrible, getting that drunk. Oh, so bad. Pushing out and saying all stuff to people you'd regret. And also just be like, it's funny how people talk.
Starting point is 00:47:38 Yeah, like, hi, I'm Mike Bocchetti. No, no, no. Just like blacking out and like saying inappropriate stuff. Don't bring the blacks on television. It is funny. Like, when you've been sober for a while and you kind of think, and you're like, welling out and like saying inappropriate stuff don't bring the blacks on television it is funny like when you've been sober for a while and you kind of think
Starting point is 00:47:48 and you're like well I'm sober now I've been you know three years or whatever you'll run into that one guy and be like you still drinking a lot and I'm like
Starting point is 00:47:54 what the fuck who are you talking about yeah come on let's go your reputation doesn't change no I know for a long time and that's what sucks about it
Starting point is 00:48:03 well you know Bobby Slayton the great stand up guy one of my favorite people. Around 2006, I was doing stand-up Super Bowl Eve at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. And I was with my fiancée at the time, Dana. And, you know, Dana was trying to get me to be good, you know. And so I think I had put together in Vegas 30 seconds clean. And it was over. So, but I think, you know, Bobby kind of knew that. Or maybe he didn't. I don you know. And so I think I had put together in Vegas 30 seconds clean. It was over. So, but I think, you know, Bobby kind of knew that or maybe he didn't.
Starting point is 00:48:28 I don't know. But this is what I say to him. Like, you're Slayton. You're right there. A foot from me. I go, Bob, how you doing, man? This is my fiance, Dana. And this is what he does.
Starting point is 00:48:38 He goes, how you doing, sweetie? Hey, you want to go to Hooters and do coke? I go, Bob, maybe he didn't hear me. Hi, Bob. This is my fiance, Dana. Right, yeah. Want to go to Hooters and do coke? I go, Bob, maybe he didn't hear me. Hi, Bob, this is my fiance, David. Want to go to Hooters and do coke? Is there a worse sentence
Starting point is 00:48:50 you could say in front of someone significant other? Want to go to Hooters and do coke? First of all, yeah. Yeah, I do. Of course I fucking do.
Starting point is 00:48:59 Instead, I'm going to hear about her day. Instead, I'm going to hear about her day at the spa and how her fucking shoes are the same as her sister's so she's got to get a new pair. I can't wear the same shoes
Starting point is 00:49:10 as my sister. I'd hate to go to Hooters and do blow off some chick's fucking tits. With Bobby Slade and all that stuff. I wouldn't want to live through that hell again.
Starting point is 00:49:20 It really is, I mean, the whole thing of getting sober is you say to yourself, will I ever have fun again But you know I guess you can
Starting point is 00:49:27 Oh yeah I haven't yet but No Yeah you gotta give yourself A lot of time And then you gotta give yourself You know once Once you get
Starting point is 00:49:35 Enough time behind you And then you don't have Any cravings anymore Yeah But you still have that Fucked up brain That goes Sure
Starting point is 00:49:43 You know And that will never get rid of No you get rid of the drugs And the drinking But you still have that fucked up brain that goes. You know, and that will never get rid of. No, you can get rid of the drugs and the drinking. But you still have a. You still got you. A fucked up brain, yeah, that says, like, I like a drink, a bottle of vodka. Oh, yeah, yeah. That sounds like a good idea.
Starting point is 00:49:57 Jack Danielson, Cocoa Nut. Oh, yeah. Now, I mean, you're in a relationship now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, would you say you're in love? Yeah, yeah, she's great. Now, what happens if she. We've been together for a while. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, would you say you're in love? Yeah, yeah. She's great. Now, what happens if she...
Starting point is 00:50:06 We've been together for a while. If she flies the coop. Oh, no. I mean, the diamond went with the light. She doesn't drink, no. But I'm saying, what happens if something went wrong there and she left you? Well, then, yeah. I have to bring up a dark faith.
Starting point is 00:50:16 Deal with that. I know, I know. Come on, buddy. Let's go to Hooters and do coke. What's it going to take? I think when those dark things happen, that's where you've got to turn to faith. If you don't have a God, then you've got to...
Starting point is 00:50:29 So the higher power thing... It's all of it. And being around people, I would think. If you're by yourself and you feel bad, I think it's so easy to cave. If you're around people who care about you. You've got to have prayer. You've got to pray. You've got to do it.
Starting point is 00:50:43 If you don't do it, then, you know. God is the boss. We're just loyal employees. Yeah. Well, someone's not so loyal. I totally am. I know Kevin. If there's a guy.
Starting point is 00:50:53 If I was you, I'd be pissed off at God. I'm not mad at him at all. Things happen. You know what I'm saying? I think things happen. He's obviously. Clearly God drink. He's giving you another chance.
Starting point is 00:51:04 Oh, I'm fucked. Yeah, 15 of them. Yeah. So he God drink. But he's giving you another chance. Oh, it's about 15 of them. Yeah, so he wants you. Let me ask you, Kevin. You're not done yet. As someone who knew me a little bit, were you writing me off? No, I thought that, you know, like most of us. You could say yes.
Starting point is 00:51:16 No, no, I would never do that. I would never write anyone off. I would never write anyone off. I was just like, you know, you hope, you just hope. It's like my brother, you know, you just hope, you hope. Yeah, no, no. I always keep hope alive. I mean, for God's sakes, you know, because that's where the prayer comes in.
Starting point is 00:51:32 You got to keep the prayer going because that's what hope is. It's powerful. Sure. It's very powerful. I mean, you know, not to get all Shawshank on us, but hope is, it is. It's all you got. You've got to keep hope. You've got to keep hope.
Starting point is 00:51:43 Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I never gave up. A lot of other people did, though, and I'm just kidding. One of those people is called show business. I'm still here, bro. You're still kicking it, and you never know. By the way, show business is such a fucked up thing. And it's very different now.
Starting point is 00:52:00 It's sporadic. Look at this. Years ago, I'd have to be know, paving a fucking bathroom. Right. Instead, I'm, you know, here. You can still do it. Exactly. Well, also, now you're in a movie, and who knows who sees you, and you're on YouTube,
Starting point is 00:52:13 and eight million kids are following you. It's completely different than before. Wait, you were doing another TV show, weren't you, doing another one? Yeah, Crashing. Crashing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I've always been very lucky. I've always worked. Yeah. Yeah, because, yeah. I mean, I've always been very lucky.
Starting point is 00:52:25 I've always worked. Yeah. Yeah, because you're good and you're talented. So, you know, it's not over for you. There's always things that you can do. And that's what you've got to have hope. You've got to have hope that something's down there. Well, that's why I have Mike, to look better and to seem more talented.
Starting point is 00:52:39 Yeah. I mean, again, dude, it's like I didn't realize how much recovery was involved in your life there. But that is it. It really is impressive to me as someone who's tried to get better a lot over the years that someone has all that time, goes back out for a while. How long did you go back out drinking? Probably like eight years. Oh, wow. Well, OK. Yeah, but it was slow.
Starting point is 00:53:02 You know, I would take one drink and be like, all right, I can handle it. And then it crept up on me. You know, like pretty soon I was off to the races, you know. But that's what happens, man. You know, I can't do, again, I can't dabble. I can't do one thing. No, no.
Starting point is 00:53:17 You can't have one drink, not one freaking drink, which is fine. Like, yeah. But you can't. Right, sure, some people can. Some people can. Those people are called pussies. Those people are called normal. We you can't. Right, sure. Some people can. Some people can, which unfortunately... Those people are called pussies.
Starting point is 00:53:26 Those people are called normal. We're not normal. That's the one thing. You're not a normal person. Right, but don't you think you wouldn't be in this business if you were normal? No, exactly.
Starting point is 00:53:35 It's not normal to do stand-up comedy. It's not normal to do... It's an odd way to make a living. It's an odd... We're like clowns. It's like circus clowns. I'm not a clown. Think about it. A bunch of people overpaying for drinks that you don't know and are going to It's an odd. We're like clowns. It's like circus clowns. Think about a bunch of people
Starting point is 00:53:45 overpaying for drinks that you don't know and are going to talk about an airport. The thing about one drink is my goal is just to get shit-faced, not just one drink. Well, you succeeded. You've got a shitty face. Thank you. When did it start for you guys? When you guys were kids living in the basement? Were you guys already
Starting point is 00:54:01 drinking? Well, yeah. I mean, in high school, like everyone, I didn't know what alcohol was. I didn't know that. I didn't know there was such a thing as being sick with that. So, no, we had beer parties, and I found myself
Starting point is 00:54:18 just like everyone. I don't know. Really, honestly, I would drink more. I would just go crazy and drink more and do stupid. Were you ever – did you think you were ever drinking more than Chris? Was there ever like – Well, no. No, no, no.
Starting point is 00:54:33 He always was – and that took the light off me because he was always getting in trouble. I mean, that's a hard – I mean, again, I was a partier. And I was the sneaker in the back, you know, and I was the guy since Chris was, like, getting all the heat, I could kind of, like, hang out and take the drink and be like, I don't know if Chris is fucked up or not. Meanwhile, I'm loaded, you know.
Starting point is 00:54:56 That's a guy you can hide behind. Right, exactly. When we were doing dirty work, I went to a fucking strip club in Toronto with Chris. He had chicks hanging off his arms like King Kong. Right. He made a big spectacle. Live in a van.
Starting point is 00:55:08 Let me ask you about the Matt Foley guy, the motivational speaker. Was that based on anybody you know? Yeah, it's a combination. I live in a van down by the river. It's a combination of our football coach, my dad. Oh, your dad, too? Yeah, my dad and our football coach, and then, yeah, a couple other people. What kind of father was your dad?
Starting point is 00:55:23 Was he like a disciplinarian? No, he was. Just a fun guy? He was both, I think. But he was loud and he was really kind of boisterous. Oh, of course. That was kind of like the Matt Foley guy. He was like, hey, what's in here?
Starting point is 00:55:39 That's kind of how my dad sounded. But yeah, he was loud and boisterous, but a good guy. You know, we loved our dad. Chris loved our dad, you know. Is your mom still around? Yeah, she's, yeah, in Madison, yeah. Oh, she's still hanging out. Well, that's nice.
Starting point is 00:55:54 Yeah. Your father passed away, though. He passed away not too long after Chris, you know, 99. You know, it was a tough, tough couple years. That is rough, man. It was rough. It tough, tough couple years. That is rough, man. It was rough. It was a rough couple years. But you seem happy.
Starting point is 00:56:08 You know, I want to say it's a pleasure to see you. It's been a while. I know. You seem happy, man. I feel okay. I feel like you're in a good place. I like being on the East Coast. Right.
Starting point is 00:56:17 I like being away from LA. Yeah, stay here, dude. You're better off. Yeah, I like being out here. You're a real person. That's right. New York is a cool place. I love doing stand up
Starting point is 00:56:25 It's fun You know And so yeah I am I'm happy You got anything You want to Anything you want to plug
Starting point is 00:56:30 You got the podcast My podcast Kevin Farley on the road Kevin Farley on the road And I do I do voices on F is for family Which is
Starting point is 00:56:38 Oh cool An animated thing With Bill Burr That's nice I love Bill He's such a good guy Bill Burr is great Absolutely He got me a little part on Bill Burr is great. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:56:45 He got me a little part on there, which is nice of him. So I do that and, you know, doing my stand-up. But it's good. Good for you, man. So where do you – like Twitter and all that shit? Oh, yeah. I'm Kevin Farley on Twitter. And then Kev Farrell's on Instagram.
Starting point is 00:57:02 Well, thank you so much for coming in, man. Tell John, your brother, I said hi. I will. I definitely will. Best to everybody. Allie, thank you so much for coming in, man. Tell John, your brother, I said hi. I will. I definitely will. Best to everybody. Allie, thank you. Yeah, thanks for having me. What's your social media?
Starting point is 00:57:10 I'm at Allie Breen. At Allie Breen. And Mike, what about you? Grab me on Cameo. Keep that money coming in. That's right. Let's kick an ass on Cameo. That's great on Cameo.
Starting point is 00:57:18 We got to get Kevin on Cameo. It's free money. No, no. I know. It's free money. I should do it. Especially if you do voices. People love that.
Starting point is 00:57:24 Change your thing all day. Really? Yeah, more Asian jokes. I know. It's free money. I should do it. Especially if you do voices. People love that. Change your old name. Really? No, again, more Asian jokes. Terrible. That's a Norm thing. Hey, I'm an Asian. Again. What the fuck?
Starting point is 00:57:32 More Asian jokes. This one was for Norm. All right. Hey, Kev, I love you, buddy. I already got it. I love you, baby. I'm glad to have you here. You're the best, and I'm glad to be a part of this whole thing.
Starting point is 00:57:45 I was glad to come in. Good to see you. All right. Artie Lang's Halfway House. We'll see you next time. We'll see you next time.

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