Five Questions for: Kevin Nealon

The comedian of Saturday Night Live fame is coming to Miami this weekend.

Comedian Kevin Nealon – one of Saturday Night Live’s longest running cast members and current star of the CBS series Man With A Plan – is performing his stand-up comedy show Miami this weekend. It’s Nealon’s 40-city “Silent but Deadly” tour and is slated to feature his famous unique sense of humor and dry wit. Nealon is a prolific actor with extensive television credits that include Weeds, which has been honored with a string of Golden Globe nominations. He also has a far-reaching film career with roles in Anger Management, Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, which grossed over $200 million worldwide. Nealon will be at the Improv in Doral this weekend Friday February 7th and Saturday February 8th (click here for tickets)  and we sat down with him and got his answers to our five questions.

Will you do anything different for your Miami audience?

I always do something different – I remember growing up and watching comics come to our hometown and the people go crazy for it. You can even mention a street and they love it. So I try to find out something special about the area and make fun of it. Miami is a beautiful community.

 

Have you spent a lot of time in Miami?

Yes, and last year I went to Cuba. It’s a 40-minute flight and I just loved it. I loved that it was Cuba! It was off limits for so long, and I loved seeing how it was changing, the new buildings and also the third world part of it. Also, I enjoyed seeing people at the airport bringing TVs from Miami to Cuba. Big screen televisions.

 

I know you’re in Los Angeles now, but where are you from?

Bridgeport, Connecticut. It’s an industrial town with crime and gangs. Bridgeport is the Detroit of Connecticut. We also have racketeering and corruption.

 

What about Miami makes you look forward to performing here?

I’ve always enjoyed Miami because the audiences are so good and expressive. People tell me all the time, “You bring in such as nice audience.” One time, a club owner said, “You bring a red wine crowd.” Some comedians bring a beer and chicken wings crowd – they know to stock up on those things. But for me it’s a nice red wine crowd and those people tip well. It doesn’t matter where I go, the people who are my fans will come out, and they’re not always emblematic of that area.

 

What’s something about you we don’t know?

Lately I’ve gotten into artwork. I love to draw caricatures that I post on my Instagram, @kevinnealonartwork. I used to sketch a lot when I was at SNL, I did one of Chris Farley. Recently, I drew Freddie Mercury and also Kobe Bryant.

I also have a hiking show, where I hike with a different celebrity each week. I’ve hiked with 80 so far including Courtney Cox and Conan O’Brien. He was very revealing about his history and his life. It’s just me, my camera and my selfie stick. It’s been fun watching it grow.