This weekend he'll be playing a role fans don't get to see too often: David Koechner. His slate of stand-up shows at Tampa Improv gives him a chance to share comedy in a different way: Live and without cameras. We caught up with him to ask about comedy, charities and what would happen if his most famous characters fought.
Playing characters has always been part of your comedic career, from Second City and Saturday Night Live to memorable roles in television and on film. But as a stand-up comedian, it's just you. What do you get out of stand-up that you can't get from those other forms of comedy?
I love doing live performance. I always have. That is how I got my start, doing sketch and improv in front of a live audience. It is a special relationship. I may even say sacred to make it sound more intense, sophisticated and mysterious.
But let's face it, who doesn't like to make a room full of people laugh?
You probably get this question a lot, but we have to ask: Who would win in a fight, Todd Packer or Champ Kind, and why?
I have actually never gotten that question, so well done. Packer would try some way to cheat like throwing pepper in Champ’s face, but Champ’s rage would win the day. Plus, Champ always carries those brass knuckles, and he has been in over 2,000 fights in his life. He still does some underground street fighting.
How did your background in improv and sketch comedy prepare you for acting?
In improv you must always be actively listening to your partner. That is also key for acting.
How much does your stand-up set change from one night to the next, and how do you determine what material to do on stage?
I have a set show that I intend to do every performance. However, I love to improvise and, based on the mood and attention span of the crowd, I always allow for some real life to be explored. In that regard, no two stand-up shows are exactly alike.
We're guessing people like to recite your famous movie or television lines when they see you. What's the most obscure quote someone repeated to you, and has anyone ever mentioned a line that wasn't even yours?
Most obscure? I guess from Run Ronnie Run: "I'm the principal!"
And, yes, they have often said lines that are not mine. Most often: "I love lamp."
Regarding famous lines, if you had a dollar for every time someone has said "Whammy!" to you, what kind of car could you buy? Toyota? Porsche? Bugatti?
Hmmm, how about a sweet Moto Guzzi ?
Sometimes the toughest part of being a comedian or actor is finding work, but you always seem to keep a full schedule. How do you choose your projects, and what do you do when you're not working?
My first criteria when choosing, like most actors, is economics. Second: Is it close to home? I still have young children, so I like to be home as often as possible. Third: Is it interesting and/or fun? Fourth: Why did they ask me?
You're a Kansas City native. The Royals are one of four AL teams with a worse record than the Rays. What's going on?
It's early, it's baseball, it's life. Anything can happen. Both teams also traded away the money players after the rings got delivered. (Editor's note: Kansas City won the World Series in 2015. Tampa Bay won the AL pennant in 2008. Tampa Bay beat Kansas City Monday and Tuesday night this week. Go Rays!)
You were in the movie Priceless , which wasn't funny at all. That's because it wasn't a comedy, but a serious film dealing with human trafficking. What drew you to that project, and was the deviation from comedy a one-off thing, or something you'd like to do more of in the future?
I was drawn to it for the reasons you mentioned, to bring awareness to human trafficking and to stretch as an actor. Please donate to childrenofthenight.org.
They save young girls between the ages of 11 to 17 from being trafficked and help them get out of the horror of forced prostitution. Human trafficking is a bigger business than drugs in this country. As you read this, some young girl is being held against her will and forced to prostitute herself all day and night. As you read this, another young girl was kidnapped or forced into a horrifying situation. She is someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's future wife and mother. Save her! Please donate now.
Speaking of the future, what are the next couple of projects people will see you in?
I am doing my "Symphony of Chaos" comedy tour for the rest of the summer.
On June 1-2, I head to Kansas City to participate in Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, benefiting the Cancer Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital. I co-host the annual event with Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet and Jason Sudeikis, and we invite a few dozen celebrity friends to join us. We have raised around seven million dollars for pediatric cancer research over the last eight years. You can donate and get involved at bigslickkc.org.
An independent movie I shot last year called Bernard & Huey will be in select theaters starting in June, and I am negotiating to join a new TV show this fall now that Superior Donuts (on CBS) will not return.
For people who only know you from your famous characters, what will surprise them about your stand-up show? What can they expect from you on stage?
I am in no way like Todd Packer or Champ Kind in real life. I have a wife and five kids who I love and adore.
They can also expect a show that is like a carny tent on fire while a preacher screams from a bullhorn inside, all on a 40-foot flatbed trailer going down the road at 90 mph being chased by the cops and irate congregants. Also, a lap dance.
This article appears in May 17-24, 2018.