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Dad Jokes and More: 7 things to know about
The Comedy
Monster
heads to tampa
Here are 7 Things to Know About America’s Funniest Dad, Jim Gaffigan
by Brie Gorecki, photos provided by Jim Gaffigan
For years, Jim Gaffigan has been a household name. Best known for his stand-up comedy, the comedian brings his latest show, The Dark Pale Tour, to Tampa's Straz Center from Feb. 9-11. Not only will guests be treated to his hilarious antics about being a parent and dealing with life’s crazy challenges, but these shows will also be filmed for his newest upcoming comedy special. Choosing The Straz as his next filming location has been exciting for both fans and those involved with the performing arts center. “I love Jim Gaffigan’s work and his comedy,” says Greg Holland, president and CEO of The Straz Center. “I’m so impressed that he’s chosen to film The Dark Pale Tour here. It speaks to what the Straz is.” One of the things Jim is known best for is his take on parenting. He and his wife Jeannie are parents to five children, Marre, Jack, Katie, Michael and Patrick - ranging from ages 10 to 18. “So much of his humor is built around the warmth he feels for his family,” Holland says. “He speaks to that brilliantly.” We recently had the chance to chat with Gaffigan about his upcoming show as well as his family, new projects and his ties to Tampa. Be sure to scan the QR code for our full-length Q&A, but in the meantime, here are seven things to know about him.
1
He’s a former Tampa resident Right after he graduated from college, Gaffigan moved to Tampa and lived in an apartment right off Bayshore. He insists that he’s far from an expert on the Bay Area, but he has fond memories of frequenting local establishments around town and loves returning to perform. “I'm super excited that I’m filming in Tampa because of a couple of factors. I've obviously performed in Tampa numerous times and always had a great time. But I also feel like Western Florida has a lot of Midwesterners, and so being a Midwesterner, there’s a feel of familiarity there too.”
2
The Dark Pale Tour is based on events that took place in 2020 With the COVID pandemic taking over the world in 2020, Jim knew that was one thing that everyone everywhere could relate to. He took relatable topics such as distance learning, mask-wearing and quarantining with his family and turned them into hilarious bits. “After having gone through the pandemic, that's kind of set in just in like the past couple of years that we've all dealt with it.” Gaffigan says the material for The Dark Pale tour will be a little bit darker than some of his previous material, but that audiences like that. “You develop a relationship with people that come to shows and you know the expectation is that it's gonna be funny and that's the most important thing. But it also evolves.”
3
A lot of his content is inspired by his family With five children, Gaffigan has had his fair share of parenting adventures. A majority of his comedy is inspired by his wife and kids, which many parents can relate to. “I would say that they are an endless source of material. And if you're not complaining about your kids, you're not present enough.” In addition to focusing on them on stage, they’ve also been a big part of his career in other ways. “Luckily for me, I've been able to travel a lot with my kids. I would say like the past three times I've performed in Tampa, my kids have been with me. So, I will strategically plan tours around summer, Christmas or spring break, so some of that is being very tactical with how you do shows and bringing everyone with you.”
4
He’s been in the industry for over 30 years When Gaffigan decided to take on comedy, he didn’t even consider that he would end up doing it for a living. “Thirty years ago, it was not really a realistic occupation. I mean, there were people that could do it and make a living, but it would be hard to support a family.” The rise of YouTube and satellite radio has transformed Gaffigan’s career to where he now performs in theaters and other major venues. “You can do it and afford a family of five kids, which is amazing.”
5
His content is kept “clean” so it can still be family-friendly One thing you won’t see in Jim’s comedy is profanity or anything that can’t be heard by ears of all ages. And though he keeps his comedy “clean,” it hasn’t deterred him from being one of the most popular comedians out there. It stems from his roots: Cursing just wasn’t a thing in the small Indiana town where he grew up. While in New York City, where he currently resides, “If you’re cursing a lot, it’s just how some people talk.” He noted that it also gives kids the freedom to enjoy his material. “My kids could look at my material and they wouldn't be offended or shocked or embarrassed. But then again, all kids are embarrassed of their parents, right?”
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He’s also a TV star, movie star, best-selling author and Grammy nominee In addition to stand-up, Gaffigan has written several best-selling books including “Dad is Fat, Food: A Love Story,” and “When Life Gives You Pears.” He’s also starred in numerous TV shows such as “Law & Order,” “My Boys,” “That 70’s Show,” and “The Jim Gaffigan Show” and movies including “Super Troopers,” “13 Going on 30,” and “Chappaquiddick.” Jim has released numerous comedy albums and is currently nominated for his seventh Grammy for his latest release, “Comedy Monster.”
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He’s voiced familiar characters in children’s movies and will play a major role in an upcoming Disney film Your kids may recognize Jim’s voice from several animated roles such as Van Helsing in “Hotel Transylvania 3” and 4, and Lorenzo Paguro in Disney/Pixar’s “Luca.” “For ‘Hotel Transylvania 3,’ I brought my kids and I think that was the first time my youngest, who probably was 6 at the time, was really impressed. He was like, ‘That's you doing that voice!’ Also, for Luca because Pixar is such a part of childhood … Those Pixar movies are so good that I think they were really impressed by that.” This year, families can watch Gaffigan play the role of Smee alongside Jude Law’s Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action “Peter Pan & Wendy.”
