Sporting a beard that would make Grizzly Adams proud, Zach Galifianakis' act consists of non-sequiturs interspersed with random piano chords. His comedy might consist of wry observational comedy (""I had just gotten a henna tattoo that said ‘forever.'"") to an extended bizarre song about his ex-girlfriends forming an a capella group to sing about STDs.
Galifianakis has a healthy dose of television and film work with projects such as Comedy Central's ""Dog Bites Man"" and ""Wondershowzen"" to his credit. A video he appeared in for Fiona Apple's ""Not About Love,"" which featured the gruff comedian lip-synching to Apple's soulful lyrics went viral last year, adding to his acclaim.
Galifianakis, who performs at the Barrymore Theatre tonight, exchanged e-mails with The Daily Cardinal to talk about cucumbers, bad television and stand-up in general.
The Daily Cardinal: How did you get into comedy?
Zach Galifianakis: I got my start doing stand up in the back of a hamburger restaurant in Times Square. I bombed many times.
DC: How would you describe your style?
ZG: I am not quite sure. It varies. Sometimes I am a snowflake and sometimes a snowstorm. With a little Hilary Duff mixed in.
DC: How did the piano get brought into the act?
ZG: There was a piano in a club where I was performing one night and I just sat down and started making up chords and speaking over them. It felt nice. Kind of like how a cucumber must feel inside. Not inside someone but how a cucumber feels inside itself.
DC: I was saddened to see ""Dog Bites Man"" didn't get picked up, what was it like working on that show? Any unique moments?
ZG: One episode that did not air was the highlight of my so-called career. We went to a real KKK rally under the false understanding we were going to a ""family picnic,"" but as actors we knew we were going to a genuine KKK gathering. I got to ask the Grand Wizard of the Klan if he ever saw ""Big Momma's House 2""—he stated that he had not. And I just kept telling him how great a movie it was. All the morons in the Klan were wearing guns on their belts.
DC: Has stand-up changed since you got into the business?
ZG: I think so. This is a very exciting time to be in stand-up. There are many great comics who are doing some very experimental things. A few years ago stand-up seemed so formulaic. Everyone was trying to get their 10 minutes of material so they could be discovered by Hollywood jerkoffs. You don't need the system as much any longer with the advent of the Internet.
DC: Is the unkempt appearance one of the ways you sell yourself or is it just laziness?
ZG: I am not much of a groomer. I think guys who spend a lot of time primping might not have too much to offer. I could gift wrap a decayed tooth with a diamond-studded ribbon on the package. But inside all you have is someone's old tooth.
DC: What are some projects you have lined up?
ZG: Next week I plan on going to Arby's.
DC: In the past couple years you've appeared in shows with cult followings such as ""Dog Bites Man,"" ""Wondershowzen"" and ""The Sarah Silverman Program,"" how did working on non-mainstream shows such as those contrast with the more standard ""Tru Calling?""
ZG: I take what rolls my way. I disliked the show ""Tru Calling,"" or ""Truly Appalling"" as I called it but it was a job that was offered to me at the time so I took it. I realized that I probably will not do a show again where I did not have some kind of creative input. Of course I will probably run out of dough and I will be forced to do a shitcom about three crazy bachelors who are just looking for love who happen to have a zesty back-talking vacuum cleaner.
DC: Your collaborations with Fiona Apple have created some pretty bizarre performance pieces with such a large dichotomy between you two, how did that relationship come about?
ZG: Fiona and I performed from time to time at the same dinner theatre in Los Angeles and we became friends. I gave her a video where I was lip syncing an Anita Baker song. She liked it and asked me to be in her video. She lives in my neighborhood. She walked over to my home and we shot it there.
—Interview conducted by Kevin Nelson
