Louie Anderson has gathered a large contingent of fans from all different parts of his career, whether it’s from his animated series Life with Louie from the ‘90s, his time as host of Family Feud, his four books (including his most recent, Hey Mom) or his Emmy-winning role as Christine Baskets in Baskets. But when Anderson isn’t working on any of those projects, he returns to what got his career going, his stand-up; and he will do so at the State Theatre in Falls Church on July 22.
How did you first hear about the role of Christine Baskets?
I got a call from Zach [Galifianakis] and Louis [C.K.] asking me if I would do a part in Zach’s new sitcom. I said ‘yeah.’ They said would you play Zach’s mother and I said ‘Yeah, I will. Sounds fantastic.’ Just the idea was so funny to me and I just loved it. I did a little part in the pilot; people seemed to really like it. Right before I shot the first scene I said to the director, ‘I think I’m just going to speak in my regular voice.’ He goes, ‘OK, that sounds good.’ I think that was a really good choice and I think that really paid off. People really found the character compelling and interesting, and the writing was so good. It really was just like a gift.
You have said you based Christine off your own mother. What were some of the things you took from her for the character?
All my mom’s nuances. All her looks and gestures and her disappointing or disapproving look. Really her humanity is what I really brought into that character that I think people embraced.
How has stand-up changed from when you started your career to today?
For me, I don’t know that stand-up has changed all that much. I do know this: People weren’t looking at their phones while you were working back then. Now you see people checking their phones, it’s kind of like an appendage. It almost seems like a heart monitor for people; they have to look down there to see what’s going on. That thing has changed.
I’m as excited about my stand-up as I was back then and I think that’s what is so exciting for me. I just did a new special called Big Underwear. I just love doing stand-up. Of all the stuff I do it’s probably the thing that gives me the most excitement because I know I’m going to be able to make people forget about their troubles for the next 90 minutes and give them a break from the daily grind.
Are there any topics you consider off limits for a joke?
Well I’m not too much on the politics, just ‘cause it’s not in my wheelhouse. I’m all about the F-words: the family, food, being fat, being over 50. Those are the things I concentrate on. I think people get enough of politics; I don’t know how you could do more. I think the president does all the politics you need; he’s doing stand-up on a lot of levels. He’s got a lot of funny things going on. I think people don’t come to the show, for me, for politics. They come kind of for the family-friendly. You can bring your mom, you can bring your kids, you can bring your grandma. I have a kind of act that is funny, but really for all ages and all people.
What are you feeling before you go out on stage and do your routine?
I do a mantra and a prayer asking God to make me the best stand up tonight that I can be and to make people feel better in their troubles and their difficulties. Help me wipe those out for the time I am on stage and give them some comfort and give them some nostalgia for their family and for their growing up and all those things. I really center myself, get ready. My goal is to make it hard to breath while I’m out there, so you’re laughing so much that you’re going, “Stop, stop, stop.”
(July 2018)
