I've known Larry since I'm 12, and we have an argumentative love that in a moment's notice can make us very annoying toward one another. There's an episode called "The Baptism" that's one of my favorites, and he made me come to his office in LA during rush hour. It hadn't rained in years, and it was 105 degrees, and it took me three hours to go 13 miles. He was sitting there, and I said, "What's the scene," and he said, "You're angry with me because I stole your outgoing answering-machine message." Fortunately for me, I couldn't help but use my anxiety from driving over there — and him looking so calm, cool, and collected — so I did somehow wind up being really angry with him in that scene.
We met at a camp when we were young, and we were arch-rivals, and I despised him, and he despised me. He was a gangly, annoying jerk. . . . I wasn't an alcoholic at 12; I just knew sober and clear that I wanted to kill the guy on the basketball court. It was a sports camp in New York. When I was in New York working as a comedian with Leno and Crystal and Freddie Prinze and Elayne Boosler, he came in about half a year after me. He was already a fan, though on his deathbed he won't admit that he ever called me "Mr. Lewis."
I love acting, but I haven't done as much as I like. If something comes up, I'll try, but stand-up is at the core of my life. I needed some validation for a lot of anxiety, and that's where the black clothes came from — I thought I could be like a shadow. You see, I gave you a break there, and you didn't even ask me anything.
Richard Lewis with JB Smoove | The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont Street | Saturday, January 16 @ 7 pm | $29 - $45 | (617) 248-9700 |www.thewilburtheatre.com
