Watch: 'Brigitte Quinn's 22 Minutes' With Louie Anderson
In this installment of "22 Minutes," 1010 WINS anchor Brigitte Quinn sits down comedian, actor and television host Louie Anderson.
Anderson has had an active career in comedy for the past 37 years, much of it spent in the Midwest.
BQ: What is it like when you are in the city, is the New York crowd different?
LA: You know what I love about New York? If you want to know about diversity, that's the street. There's every person walking down the street in New York City. It's not like any other city in the country that I see. I haven't been here a lot, but I always judge my audience with the best intentions. My goal is to make them laugh and forget about their troubles and their goal is to surrender to that and enjoy themselves.
BQ: When you do a routine, do you do that stuff that people have come to expect from you or do you work a lot of new stuff in?
LA: Well I'm at a crossroads now, 'cause I will always do some of my greatest stuff that I think that people are looking forward to. Then I'm working on a new special. I'm trying to find the bones to that and that's always a lot of fun. You know I've been testing out people being inclusive, but what does that mean? Who should I be including?
Anderson even weighed in on the 2016 presidential race, adding that he is a Democrat.
LA: You know the Democrats are excluding the Republicans' thinking and the Republicans are excluding the Democrats' thinking. They should be really speaking to the public. So I'm listening to the people who are speaking to the public and half of them are already gone. I find something good and interesting about all candidates, for the most part.
Anderson also opened up about his role as Christine Baskets in the Jonathan Krisel and Louis C.K. television series, "Baskets" and the way his mother inspired the role.
BQ: What did you think when you got the call?
LA: You know I got there, I put the clothes on, I put the wig on. It was a new experience. I had never really put my mom's clothes on before. When people put lipstick on you, it changes you I think. I never let anyone call me Louie on the set… The role is about being a mom and my mom was a very powerful person in my life, raised 11 children, put up with my dad, so I channel that.
BQ: Do you think there's a dark side to all comedians?
LA: I think so. All that humor has to come from somewhere. I learned how to turn that darkness into humor… There is a truth to that. I think I was the kind of kid who wrote funny lines for the bullies so that they wouldn't pick on me. I've always used humor as a defense mechanism to survive.
You can check out the full interview with Louie Anderson in the video above.
About Louie Anderson:
Louie Anderson is one of the most versatile and successful comedians working in Hollywood today, loved by the television audiences who never missed his nightly hit series "Family Feud" or his appearances on late night chat shows. He is adored by standing-room-only crowds in Las Vegas and respected by readers of his books. He is worshiped by the rising comics he mentors and encourages with his honesty and wisdom.
About Brigitte Quinn:
Brigitte anchors mornings at 1010 WINS radio and has worked in broadcasting for more than thirty years. She was a TV anchor at the Fox News Channel, MSNBC and NBC. She holds an MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a BS from Cornell University. Her first novel, "Anchored" was published in 2015.
Follow Brigitte Quinn @BrigitteQuinn11
