Tommy Davidson is best known for being one of the original stars of the hit TV show In Living Color, working alongside Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, The Wayans Brothers, and even Tupac! Tommy went on to play countless roles in a number of films and TV series, and he never stopped doing stand up. He has three Showtime comedy specials: Takin’ It To D.C., Illin’ In Philly, & On The Strength In NYC. Tommy is in town performing this weekend at the Chicago Improv. He was nice enough to give advice for comics, discuss the ups and downs of fame & success, talk about working with Tupac, and of course, sharing his wisdom from the other side of the barricade. Enjoy!
TALKIN’ SHOP
COMEDY OF CHICAGO:
You’re a very animated comedian. Where does that come from?
TOMMY DAVIDSON:
There’s a few things: 1) I’m natural like that. I always used to be the kind of
kid that was real descriptive about things. So that’s somethin’ that’s just in
me. It’s like a natural part of how I am. 2) WATCHING. The comedians that I
liked and the comedy that I’m attracted to is somebody who moves a lot and can
convey a lot of ideas in a short amount of time. I never was attracted to the
kind of comedians who go, “Sooo...I’m from Kansas City...annnd in Kansas City,
we have this and we have that...” [laughs]
I like something loud and fast-paced and energetic. And 3) LEARNING. Learning
from stage and learning from improv, how to take that to another level.
COC: Some
comics limit themselves by saying “they only do this”, or they’re only “this
type of comic”. But how important is it to be able to do as many different
things as you possibly can?
TD: That’s
why I like martial arts. It’s one thing being able to block, and it’s one thing
being able to use your hands, but if you also added your feet, it’ll make you
more of a complete fighter. Or like, a basketball player: The better you can
dribble, the more opportunities you have to shoot, which means the more
opportunities you have to run an offense, which means the more opportunities
you have to steal, and so on ‘n so on. One gives way to the other.
COC: How do
you break out of your shell and get out of your head in order to be as
energetic as you can in front of so many strangers?
TD: I’ve
only seen that done two ways: 1) You stay on stage as much as you possibly can
and 2) You stay on stage as much as you possibly can! [laughs]
COC: You’re
known as “The Bruce Lee of Comedy”. Have you always been involved in Martial
Arts?
TD: [laughs] I wish! I’ve always loved it.
It takes A LOTTA practice to get good at it, just the regimen of it. So, comedy
is one of the pursuits that I stuck with, with the regimen that I’ve stuck with
and mastered
COC: You’ve
been doing comedy 30 years! What is the key to having a long lasting career in
comedy?
TD: Just
getting on stage as much as you possibly can. Because if you’re used to it,
then nothing else matters. If you don’t have a TV show, you can go on stage! If
you don’t have a movie, you can go on stage! If you don’t have a commercial,
you can go on stage!
COC: Did In Living Color and all the other movies
& TV shows you’ve done ever take you away from doing stand up?
TD: No. I
never stopped doing stand up. As a matter of fact, I did six movies AND the TV
series, and three Showtime specials, all within about a 15 year period.
COC: Wow. So, what
is a typical daily schedule like for you?
TD: There
is none. I’ve been traveling a lot, so a typical day on the road is to get up
and do media, then do the show that night. A typical day at home is having
meetings and then just doing what everybody else does, like going and getting
your car washed ‘n stuff like that. But, there is no typical day.
COC: Who were
your mentors? Any comedians that took you under their wing?
TD: All of
them. A lot of them talked to me and showed me different things. Pryor, Eddie
Murphy, Sinbad, alotta guys... But you get most out of watching. And the guys
that taught me most of what I know came from D.C. They were older, black,
chitlin circuit comedians. So by the time I got to Hollywood I was already
ready for that.
COC: I was
just watching the In Living Color sketch with Tupac. What was it like working
with Tupac? What was he like in person?
TD: It was
cool! He actually was like a really cool ‘lil dude. He didn’t act like he acted
on his videos ‘n stuff like that. He was really nice, man. Just a really humble
dude. Just very like, “Hey what’s happenin? It’s really good to be here!” He
wasn’t all like, “Ay yo wussup man, wusuup?! Wussup foo? Wussup?!?” [laughs] He wasn’t like that at all. He
was really nice and he was just really happy to be here. He wasn’t demanding or
anything.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGER COMICS
TD: I had
a lot of fun with that level. It was a good chance to interact with the
audience and hang out at the clubs, try new material, and see how the whole
thing works. Those were fun times for me. And that’s why I say, the key to the
whole thing is staying on stage, and staying in the clubs. Like, staying IN the
clubs 7 days a week. Working on your stand up is the best thing you can do.
I’ve seen comics that just STEAL material for YEARS, but they kept going to the
clubs and now they’re big stars! [laughs]
COC: Trying to
get IN at these comedy clubs takes a really long time! How are you supposed to
have a career if you spend all your time just trying to get IN?
TD: It’s
like chicks. Just because one chick turns your down, you’re not just gonna go,
“OK forget about her forever!” Ya know? You’ll be back at the coffee shop trying
again and again. Right?
COC: [laughs] Okay. In past interviews,
you’ve said that it took you a lot of struggle and a lot of pain in order to
figure yourself out. Why must pain be part of such a process?
TD: It’s a
big component because I don’t seem to remember anything unless I get in pain
about it. Ya know? And I’m not willing to do something about something unless I
get in pain about it. I had to just be shaped by pain. And I’m just like
anybody else with the same traits: the tendency to be jealous, the tendency to
want too much, the tendency to push for what I want, the tendency to bend the
truth for what I want, or falling short and being content...all those things
that we have to learn ourselves out of.
TOMMY DAVIDSON WISDOM
COC: You have
a very positive philosophy. Where do you think that comes from?
TD: I
started at one point being attracted to people who could really handle their
surroundings. They could get what they wanted without hurtin’ somebody else.
They looked like they could be HAPPY with what they had.
COC: What is
it about that high level of success that makes people in Hollywood “go crazy”?
TD: I can
only say this about myself, but you look for ways to relieve stress. And
sometimes it can backfire—drinking, drugs, whatever. Everybody’s got a little
somethin’ that gives them a little bit of relief—whatever it is. It could be
overeating, whatever. And it can get out of hand if you’re not careful. Because
if you’re using something to numb the pain instead of healing the wound itself,
it’s gonna keep coming back. So it’s a case of them having to do what they had
to do, to get to where they had to go.
COC: Why does
it take SO long to “make it” in comedy?
TD: ‘Cause
it’s competitive! Whenever there’s something to be had, something of value,
you’re not gonna be able to get anything of value just by walkin’ in on the
first day. You can’t just walk on the field and be like, “Hey, I wanna be an
NFL player!” Know what I mean? If you are on that field playing for the NFL,
you have gone through test after test after test...and you are finally there.
And when you’re finally there, you are equipped with just what you need to be
able to compete on the highest level.
COC: Why do we
see people in comedy & show business who don’t work as hard, yet they get more
things than the people who are working harder for it?
TD: I
mean, it’s the same reason why a man can have a warehouse full of beef while
another man across the way is starving. You know what I mean? There’s really no
rhyme or reason to that one.
COC: It’s just
not fair and you’ve gotta get used to that...
TD: Yeah.
FAME & FUTURE GOALS
COC: What are
you still seeking to accomplish that you haven’t accomplished already?
TD: How
about the #1 box office draw, how is that one? And then that one again, and
again!
COC: Wow. Do
you think you’ll ever stop doing stand up?
TD: No.
Not at all.
COC: Amazing. How
do you maintain this high level of hunger & motivation after all the
success you’ve experienced?
TD: I just
do the same things I’ve always done. I did what I did to get it, so I make sure
I stay in the clubs. Right now fortunately, I can stay in the clubs.
COC: You were
very young when you first experienced fame & success. Was it distracting?
How did that affect you?
TD: Yeah,
it did. Anything new is going to distract you, ya know? Anything that is
outside of what’s normal for you. I think one of the main things that caught me
off guard was the way that people behaved towards it, and the way they behaved
towards me. And I’m not talkin’ about fans.
COC: What kinds
of things happened?
TD: All of
a sudden you’re in a position where people THINK that you have something that
they want. And so they go about all these ways to get what they want from you.
As opposed to just being a friend. You see those fake friendships just for
people to get what they want. I had never been exposed to fake friendships. And
the only way you really know is when you find out that the friendship wasn’t
real. And that takes a long time! [laughs]
COC: Final thoughts
/ words of wisdom?
TD: Never
take “No” for an answer. Stay at the clubs. You got alotta good stuff this
mornin’ ma man!
COC: [laughs] It’s been a pleasure and an
honor talking to you, thanks for your time!
TD: Thanks
‘lil brotha have a good one.
Contributing Writer: David Gavri
David Gavri is a stand up comic, writer and founder of the online comedy sites Gonzo Fame and Comedy Scene in Houston