MAY 12, 2006
Mi Vida MAS
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Latino laughs
Funny man Paul Rodriguez leads new talents looking for place in ha-ha history BY MATT MUNOZ Más staff omedian/actor Paul Rodriguez, is not one to rest on his laurels. Tirelessly performing on stage, television and film for more than 25 years, Rodriguez is one of the most wildly popular Latinos in Hollywood history and will be in Bakersfield tonight as part of the Crown Royal Latin Kings of Comedy at the Fox Theater. Born in Culiacan, Sonora, Mexico, Rodriguez, 51, was raised in East Los Angeles. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force with hopes of college and law school. While attending elective drama classes in college, Rodriguez found his true calling … the stage — not as an actor, but as a stand-up comic. Starting out as a comic on the comedy club circuit in the 80s, Rodriguez would score a big break warming up crowds on the set of TV producer Norman Lear’s sitcom, “Gloria.” Soon thereafter, Lear approached the young comedian about developing a comedy sitcom with a “Latin twist.” Titled “aka Pablo,” the show was the first sitcom about a Mexican-American family in commercial television history. Although “aka Pablo’s” life on the tube was short lived, that didn’t stop Rodriguez from continuing his journey into the dangerous waters of Hollywood. The following decade, Rodriguez would remain a familiar face on both TV and movie screens, landing starring and supporting roles in such feature films as “Born In East LA,” “El Show De Paul Rodriguez,” “Ali” and “Tortilla Soup,” among others. Turning back to his stand-up comedy roots, Rodriguez would also take the stage in between projects on HBO’s Latino comedy showcase, “Loco Slam,” and his own one-man shows, “Live in San Quentin,” and “Idiots and Armadillos.” In 2002, the well-journeyed comedian was the executive producer of the successful “Latin Kings of Comedy Tour” concert film, featuring Cheech Marin, and a rising star by the name of George Lopez. The concert was filmed and released on DVD and into homes of millions of fans. With the success of the first “Latin Kings” tour and DVD, Rodriguez is at the top of his game, not only as a headliner, but as mentor to up-and-coming comics. Now in 2006, the Crown Royal “Latin Kings of Comedy” tour continues its mission of spotlighting Latin comedy’s hottest talent, with this May 12 event here. Via telephone from Los Angeles, Rodriguez spoke to MÁS about the latest “Kings” tour, his comedic beginnings and legacy:
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Q: How does it feel to be going strong in entertainment after all these years? A: A lot of times, being a flash in the pan is a lot easier than staying in the limelight. I’ve surprised myself. I figured by now, I’d be retired or in an old folks home. The audiences are still coming out, and now I’m basically introducing a whole new breed of talented young guys. Q: How did you get your start in comedy? A: I had just gotten out of the U.S. Air Force and was going to college, but I really wasn’t finding what to do with my life. In college I needed some pretty easy electives, and they turned out to be drama courses. I had no intention of becoming an actor or a comedian, but drama class was where all the pretty chicks were. Once I got there, I found the stage to be alluring. Q: Who are your comedy influences? A: They are and have always been: Cheech Marin, Richard Pryor, Robert Klein, George Carlin and I’ve met them all. The only one I didn’t get to meet was Freddie Prinze. He (Prinze) had an impact simply because he was the only Latino I could point out. I like monologists who go up on stage with nothing but an idea and words and crack you up. It’s an awesome power when you consider we’re playing to crowds of five-, six-, seven-thousand people. Q: Do you remember your first comedy gig? A: I got paid 50 bucks to perform at a “children’s” party. I had three jokes that weren’t vulgar. I remember telling a joke about Eula Love (kitchen-knife wielding woman shot 12 times by LAPD in 1979, while trying to keep a gas maintenance man from turning off her gas,) and saying that any cop who has to re-load after that many shots should be fired for being a bad shot. I guess it was a bit too hip and social for 12-year-olds. Those kids all looked at me the same way I look at “Jeopardy,” but I was learning. Q: What is the Latin Kings of Comedy Tour about? A: It’s pointing out and showing the next wave of comedians who are bound to make it, and become the next George Lopez. When we did the first Latin Kings tour, George hadn’t had that kind of exposure and that DVD we released arguably “broke” him out. Then he (George Lopez) got a series and other projects.
I believe in this next go-round, (comedians) Luke Torres and Johnny Sanchez are definitely going to wind up with their own TV sitcom. They’re that good! Q: How was the line-up chosen? A: I must’ve seen 30, 40, 50 comedians. There’s a lot more who are ready to go now, and I wish I could give them all the opportunity, but you can’t, so you have to make the best with what you got. You better see these comedians now, because just like I told everybody about George (Lopez,) a couple years ago when we did Latin Kings I, you may not be able to afford them the second time around. Q: How successful was the first Latin Kings of Comedy Tour and DVD release? A: To date, 1.2 million sold, and possibly half that number dubbed (copied) and pilfered. Most of them by my family members! That’s how I used to get my videos, so I guess it’s a little payback. But it has been great. We’ve allotted a percentage 5 percent of those sales to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund. It’s a good cause and terrific way to give back. Q: How do you feel about the Latino comedy scene today? A: It’s booming. You have Carlos Mencia taking care of business on Comedy Central, George (Lopez) is going strong on his sitcom, me and a bunch of guys right here on the road. When I started out 28 years ago, it was a pretty lonely situation. A Latino comedian was just an anomaly, but now it’s mainstream. Q: What is the Latino comedy take on all the immigration protests and marches? A: We have a whole list of comedy beliefs suggestions on who should march: First, we believe that fat people should march. If you’re legal and Latino, you should march in place. And if you’re illegal, you should march backwards back to where you started. There were a lot of comedians in the
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middle of the whole thing, but we’re too lazy to march. Q: Any words for the younger generation? A: I always tell young people, “When you find that light illuminating where you feel born to do something, it’s a wonderful thing.” Because when you go through high school, a confusing time in your life, you try to find out what you’re supposed to do. I was lucky enough to find what I was meant to do. Some people go their whole life without finding it. Q: What’s next for Paul Rodriguez? A: I’m going to take these last years, or however long the Lord allows me to live, and just smell the roses. Hopefully have grandkids, and not “sweat” it, knowing in my heart that whatever legacy or history I’ve made is done and in cement. I hope that the road I carved out gets paved into an eight-lane highway.
Crown Royal presents The Latin Kings of ComedyTour 7 p.m.,Friday,May 12 The Bakersfield FoxTheater Tickets:$50,$40,$30. Call:661-322-5200 www.vallitix.com — LISTEN TO MORE OF MATT MUNOZ’S INTERVIEW WITH PAUL RODRIGUEZ ON THE BAKOTUNES PODCAST: EPISODE 19. HTTP://WWW.BAKOTOPIA.COM/ BLOG/