PROFILE

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CLASS CLOWN

Winter Park’s own Carrot Top started his career by TELLING JOKES on the beach and now entertains audiences in Las Vegas

By Linda Marx

Stand-up comedian Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson recently drove through a Wendy’s in Las Vegas to order a hamburger and Frosty frozen treat. When the waitress in the window asked if he wanted anything else, the “always on” funnyman replied, “Yes, please, a dose of the coronavirus vaccine.”

Befuddled for a few seconds, she quickly realized who he was and laughed. “I should have known it was Carrot Top!”

The native Floridian, who was born in Rockledge and raised in Cocoa Beach, has spent his career performing in clubs, acting, and guest starring on TV—appearing 32 times on The Tonight Show alone. In 2005, Thompson, now 56, began a permanent residency at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. “I love to laugh and get others to laugh,” says Thompson, who was influenced by his NASA scientist father, a witty man with great timing. “Humor keeps me young and doesn’t feel like work. I always say, ‘I can’t believe I am doing this!’”

Under his current contract, Thompson performs six nights a week for 40 weeks out of the year. During his shows, he makes clever use of an arsenal of props—more than 200 that fill a dozen trunks. While he was a marketing major at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, he learned that people like to be involved and often need that extra boost to sustain their interest. “I love my props and change them constantly to keep up with the news and pop culture,” he notes. “Props are visually stimulating and help people remember my act.”

On his 12 weeks off each year, Thompson accepts other gigs and returns to his waterfront home in Winter Park. “I love my house and boat,” says the comedian, who’s also an avid jogger and fitness advocate. “When I am back in Winter Park, I ski and enjoy the water, weather, and friends. It is my home.”

To stay current, Thompson continuously updates and improves his show. Over the years, as his audience members’ attention spans have shortened due to mobile phones and busy lives, he has increased the pace of the production. “I write new jokes and move faster to keep on top of everything because I am so fortunate to have had this long career, and I want to continue. It is demanding work, but I love using props and also performing straight stand-up. I hope to keep my audiences happy for a long time.” «