A STAR WITH ICE IN HIS VEINS BRAD GARRETT REVISITS CLUB THAT GAVE HIM HIS START.Byline: Martin S. Gonzalez Staff Writer `People come up to me all the time and they say, 'How do you get into stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. ? I want to be a comedian,' '' said Brad Garrett Brad Garrett (born Brad H. Gerstenfeld[1] on April 14, 1960) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American actor and comedian known for his roles on the television sitcoms Everybody Loves Raymond and 'Til Death. , star of the Emmy- winning sitcom ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' and himself a two-time Emmy winner for his portrayal of Robert, Ray's beaten-down and generally forgotten brother. ``The thing is the ones who really do it, they never ask. They get up. They can't not do it. If you're 31 or 32 and still thinking about it, most likely it's not in your blood. You want to do it because you think it's fun or exciting, not because you have to do it.'' Humor has always been in Garrett's blood. He said he has been working on his stand-up act since he was in junior high school, by then already 6 feet tall and still growing, in Woodland Hills. ``I was 13 and already 6 feet tall and I couldn't play a lick of ball. I had no athletic ability, whatsoever,'' said Garrett. ``Humor was my thing.'' Coming off of a seven-year hiatus from stand-up comedy  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. , his boost
into the national spotlight from his role on ``Everybody Loves
Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond is an American sitcom originally broadcast on CBS from 1996 to 2005. It is one of the most critically acclaimed American sitcoms of its time. ,'' and two Emmy awards, Garrett is returning to the
Ice House in Pasadena, the club where his comedy career began. Garrett
will join ABC ABCin full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. star George Lopez
George C. Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He runs and produces his own show called George Lopez. , Craig Shoemaker and an all-star cast of big-name comedians for the Ice House 43rd Anniversary show on Oct. 19. The show will benefit Pasadena's Hillsides Home for Children. A number of special guests are expected. ``I started at the Ice House in 1982. I was 22 years old when I started there,'' said Garrett. ``It was one of the first rooms I ever really played. It was really where I got my foot in and got my ground and my home club for several years.'' Bob Fisher For the chess player, see . For the baseball player, see . Bob Fisher is an American screenwriter living in Los Angeles, California. Writing credits include Wedding Crashers, The Trouble with Normal and We're the Millers. , longtime owner of the Ice House, saw Garrett's tremendous talent early on, but also appreciated the kind of guy Garrett was and still is. ``Nicest guy in the world,'' said Fisher. ``He was our Tuesday night emcee at the club, for $25 a night when he started out. Actually, he used to bring Christmas presents for people who worked here. No other comedian in the 43-year history of the Ice House has ever done that.'' ``Bob really brought me along and really worked with me and helped me out,'' said Garrett. ``He was really a mentor of mine in those early days.'' From his early days as the Tuesday night emcee at the Ice House, Garrett quickly moved his comedy career along. He was the first $100,000 grand prize winner on ``Star Search'' in 1984, which led to his first appearance on ``The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson
``He moved up from emcee to opener at the Ice House in record time,'' said Fisher. ``He was one of those guys you knew had great potential. You sensed the energy he had on stage and he was very likable.'' Television and film appearances followed, along with constant touring as an opening act for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and Julio Iglesias Noun 1. Julio Iglesias - Spanish singer noted for his ballads and love songs (born in 1943) Iglesias . After he landed his coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. role as Robert on ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' in 1995, Garrett decided to take a much-needed break from stand-up comedy. ``I was traveling a lot and then I got 'Raymond.' I thought, 'I've been doing stand-up for 17 years. I'm allowed to take a break.' '' Garrett remembered first auditioning for ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' and convincing producers he was perfect for the role of Robert, the sad-sack brother who constantly plays second fiddle second fiddle n. Informal 1. A secondary role. 2. One who plays a secondary role. second fiddle Noun Informal a person who has a secondary status Noun to Ray, the favorite of the family. ``They weren't looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a giant actor,'' said Garrett. ``They wanted a Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor, director, and an Oscar-nominated producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal of "Louie De Palma" on the popular ABC and NBC TV series Taxi (1978–1983). type, kind of small guy, you know, small and scrappy scrap·py 1 adj. scrap·pi·er, scrap·pi·est Composed of scraps; fragmentary: scrappy evidence. scrap . So I told them, 'Why don't we play it the other way, what if we play him as a big guy who is just beaten?' '' Garrett said he actually draws little from his own life - growing up with three older brothers whom he got along with and admired - for his role as Robert. ``The way I see it, Raymond is an only child. They just forgot to tell Robert,'' said Garrett. ``He's just something you have to walk around when you're in the kitchen. But he's not dumb, he's just wounded.'' Garrett picked up his second Emmy this year for his role as Robert, but it was the Emmy ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' received as best comedy that brought him the greatest satisfaction. ``It was very exciting. I was really happy for the writers of the show for finally winning best show,'' said Garrett. ``The writers are really the reason we are able to do what we do.'' With his return to the comedy stage, Garrett is also looking forward to more acting roles. He owns the rights to a script by ``Untamed Heart'' screenwriter Tom Sierchio, which he will star in, and is eager to explore his current comedy voice on stage. ``My act has changed greatly,'' said Garrett, ``because in the last seven years I've gotten married, I am now a father of two, and I have a different perspective on things. I know what it's like now to live in the public, coming into people's homes every week. Stand-up is the hardest craft in show business. It's either the greatest feeling or the worst. I'm just trying to figure out my footing and see where my voice in stand-up is now.'' ICE HOUSE 43RD ANNIVERSARY SHOW Who: Brad Garrett, George Lopez, Craig Shoemaker and other comedians. Where: Ice House, 24 Mentor Ave., Pasadena. When: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Tickets: Only $100 seats remain, and they include 10 free passes to future Ice House shows. Call (626) 577-1895. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Brad Garrett Cesare Bonazza/WireImage.com |
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