The Sandbox: One crazy cat: Bobcat Goldthwait explains it all

What are you up to, Bobcat?

I just finished directing a movie for Comedy Central called Windy City Heat. It's like a real-life Truman Show.... a movie where this guy didn't realize that he had auditioned for a fake movie, and we went and filmed the movie around him.

Was he pissed after he figured it out?

No, I don't know if he's actually comprehended it yet. These two guys have done this kind of stuff to him for 11 years. I don't think he can realize that his friends aren't really his friends. I think his head would explode.

You've been doing other work for Comedy Central, directing segments for "Chappelle Show" and "Crank Yankers". Do you do a lot of prank phone calls?


My mom always told me that if you got sucked into the puppet porno world you were stuck.


Tell me about your new CD called "I Don't Mean to Insult You, But You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait." What can we expect?

A lot of ballads. [laughs] No, it's a night of me doing stand-up. My act always has a bit of a free-form nature to it, and I'm pretty happy with it because it's the most accurate recording of what it's like to see me live. I mean, I've done HBO specials, but this is more like if you went out and saw me in a club.

You're headlining Charlie Goodnight's in Raleigh this weekend (Oct. 23-25). Is stand-up something you still love to do?
I've always gone out on the road. I'm a comic first, and I like doing stand-up because it's an immediate response from the audience and the fact that there's not a committee involved in what you're presenting.

Does it piss you off that--in spite of your subsequent success--Goodnight's website is still billing you as "Bobcat Goldthwait, Police Academy star"?
No, because, you know, when I die that'll be my obituary photo--me in a police uniform. So I've learned to deal with that.

On a bright note, it did afford you the opportunity to work with the greatest actor of this or any generation; Tell me, what is Steve Guttenberg really like?
You know, he's just as nice on-screen as he is off. [laughs] You're very intimidated working with him. I ran into him and he had put some weight on and was kind of bald, and I thought, 'Oh, how the worm has turned.'

I heard that your new CD would tell us why you got kicked off of "Hollywood Squares."
Yeah, I think it was because I cursed too much and wouldn't read the jokes. Maybe they were just downsizing.... Maybe there'll only be six squares next season.

I don't think anyone wants to work with Roker anymore. What's next for you professionally?
I'm going to keep doing stand-up and keep directing. I write scripts. There's a lot of talk involved in getting any movie going. Adam Carolla wrote a script with another guy that we're hoping we get to make.

You've mentioned Adam and Jimmy Kimmel. What's your relationship with them?
I'm their bitch.

Well, if you have to be someone's bitch, I guess it's good to be theirs.
Yeah, at least they're nerds.

Discussion

Share and discuss “The Sandbox: One crazy cat: Bobcat Goldthwait explains it all” on social media.