Shakespeare Is Arrogant: An Interview With Anthony Jeselnik

Matt: You once said that the most important thing for new comedians is to continue with your act even when no one is laughing so they can practice being heckled. What are some of the most memorable hecklers you’ve had to deal with?

Anthony Jeselnik: That quote is wrong, actually. What I said was that comedians should continue with their act even when no one is laughing because you never know who is watching or who is going to walk in the room. Rodney Dangerfield called it “Being a tank.”

That doesn’t help with hecklers. If someone heckles me, I shut them down. I’m usually pretty nice with a heckler, actually. But I was just in Toronto and some 21-year-old rich kid heckled me within a minute of taking the stage. I kept asking him “who are you that you think you could come to a show and act this way?” All he would say was “my dad is well known in Toronto.” That just made me more furious. Finally, after I trash this kid for a few minutes the club throws him out. As soon as he’s gone, the kid’s friends say “his dad is ‘The Cash Man’” and the audience goes crazy. Apparently, “The Cash Man” is the “Crazy Eddie” of Toronto. He buys used jewelry and makes a lot of bizarre, corny commercials and everyone hates him. I went on to have the set of my life.

Shakespeare Is Arrogant: An Interview With Anthony Jeselnik / thelaughbutton.com / October 7, 2010