>> AND WE LOVE HAVING YOU IN BIRMINGHAM.
YOU WERE THERE LAST NIGHT.
>> I START TONIGHT.
>> YOU WILL BE HERE TWO SHOWS THE NIGHT.
>> ONE TONIGHT AND TWO TOMORROW.
>> DO MOST PEOPLE REFER TO AS POPS BECAUSE I AM GETTING OLD.
I WAS GRANDDAD ON THE BOONDOCKS.
>> DO YOU FORM A CONNECTION WHEN YOU PLAY THEIR DAD ? >> YES, THEY’LL LIKE MY SONS.
>> I USED TO BE IN LOVE WITH MARLON.
YOU TO OMIT LAST YEAR, HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN DOING STANDUP COMEDY?
>> OVER 40 YEARS.
>> YOU WOULD NEVER RETIRE?
I GET SICK OF TRAVELING BUT I DO NOT THINK I WILL RETIRE.
>> WOULD YOU PREFER TO JUST ACT?
>> WHEN YOU ARE ACTING, YOU ARE IN A CERTAIN SPACE, YOU STAY THERE AND DO NOT TRAVEL.
BUT, COMEDY YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL.
>> THAT USUALLY MAKES YOU MORE TIRED.
EVERY TIME YOU ARE HERE, YOU ARE CASUAL OFF STAGE.
>> I PUT ON MY BOWTIE.
>> THE WHITE SHOES.
>> THOSE WERE KILLING ME.
I CANNOT WEAR THEM ANYMORE.
THEY DID NOT HAVE SUPPORT.
MY FEET GOT OLD.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT THE FEET GOING.
>> WHAT IS INSPIRING YOU NOW?
IS THERE SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, THIS IS GOLD?
>> I KEEP WORKING.
A LOT OF OLD PEOPLE WILL ME THAT WHEN I WAS COMING UP.
IT VIEWS STOP WORKING, YOUR BODY DOES THIS.
THAT IS WHAT KEEPS ME GOING.
AND THE CHECK.
I WAS BROKE WHEN I WAS A KID.
WE WERE IN DETROIT, LIVING KIDS.
I WORE TO LEFT BOOTS -- TWO LEFT BOOTS TO SCHOOL.
I WAS A MIDDLE GET.
-- KID.
>> ANYBODY ELSE AN ENTERTAINER?
>> A BROTHER WAS A WRITER AT MOTOWN.
A COUPLE WERE DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS AT TV STATIONS IN DETROIT AND DID VERY WELL.
MY SISTER IS A PREACHER.
>> I COULD SEE YOU BEING A PASTOR.
PEOPLE GRAVITATING TO YOU.
>> GIVE ME SOME OF THAT MONEY!
>> 40 YEARS AGO, WERE YOU ALWAYS FUNNY AND THAT IS WHAT HAD YOU GETTING ON STAGE?
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INSPIRATION?
>> MY BROTHER AND HIS WIFE, I STAYED WITH THEM FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEY WOULD GO TO HIS ACTING CLASS AND THEATER GROUP.
I SAID THAT IS PRETTY COOL AND I WANT TO BE AN ACTOR.
I FOUND AN ACTING SCHOOL IN THE YELLOW PAGES AND I SIGNED UP.
I STARTED DOING SHAKESPEARE.
I WAS NOT CARING ABOUT.
-- CARING IT UP.
>> HE PUT ON A COMEDY SHOW ONCE A YEAR AND SAID I WANTED YOU TO BE IN THE SHOW.
I SAID I WAS AN ACTOR.
HE SAID, TRY SOMETHING, YOU CAN PROBABLY DO IT ALL.
I TRIED AND STOLE THE SHOW.
>> DID NOT GET OFFENDED YOU DID SHAKESPEARE AND SAID, YOU DO COMEDY.
>> IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, TELL ME, HE SAW IT IN ME.
>> DO YOU HAVE A ROLE THAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?
>> "VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN" WITH EDDIE MURPHY YOU’RE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN A SCARY MOVIE TO SCREAM AND HOLLER.
IT IS VERY FUNNY.
>> DO MOST PEOPLE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADD LIVE -- AD-LIB?
>> WE WILL DO ANOTHER "FRIDAY." ICE CUBE SAID HE WOULD GIVE ME THE SCRIPT WHEN HE IS FINISHED.
>> MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME.
>> HE WILL LET ME MANIPULATE MY PART.
>> YOU JUST MET MY DAY.
YOU HAVE TO COORDINATE.
>> YOU HAVE TO COORDINATE.
>> WAS THAT WRITTEN FOR YOU?
>> THE ENTIRE SCENE WAS AD-L IBBED.
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HE WOULD SAY AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WOULD SAY.
>> LET’S START WITH THE OUTFIT.
DO YOU TELL WARDROBE YOU NEED THIS?
>> NO.
THEY SHOT THE SCENE IN NEW YORK.
THEY SAID EDDIE MURPHY WANTED YOU TO PLAY THIS PART AND "BOOMERANG." THEY WANT YOU TO BE A COUNTRY BUMPKIN AND EMBARRASS HIM WHEN THEY COME TO DINNER.
EMBARRASS HIM WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ON.
THEY FLEW ME TO NEW YORK AND I WENT TO THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT BY MYSELF.
I SAID LOOK AT THESE MUSHROOMS.
>> THAT WASN’T MADE FOR YOU?
>> NO.
YOU GO INTO THE WARDROBE THAT HAS WHATEVER YOUR SIZE IS, EVERYTHING FITS YOU AND YOU SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO PUT ON.
I SAID, THIS IS IT.
YOU HAVE TO COORDINATE.
>> ONE OF THE MUST FAMOUS MOVIE LINES.
>> I SAID IT WHEN I WAS A KID, WE HAD TWO PARAGRAPHS AND THREE SHIRTS -- ARAB HANDS AND THREE SHIRTS -- CARE OF PANTS AND THREE SHIRTS.
ONE SHOW TONIGHT AND TWO SHOWS TOMORROW NIGHT.
THE YOU HAVE A PROJECT -- DO YOU HAVE BIG PROJECTS?
>> ANOTHER "FRIDAY." >> IS CHRIS TUCKER INVOLVED?
>> I DO NOT KNOW.
HE IS DOING ANOTHER JACKIE CHAN MOVIE.
>> "RUSH HOUR." >> THEY WANT TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK IN THE FIRST AND SECOND "FRIDAY." >> A ROLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY, SHAKESPEARE?
>> I COULD NOT DO SHAKESPEARE NOW.
>> DO YOU DO STAGE WORK?
>> THEY TRIED TO GET ME TO DO PLAYS.
>> I CAN SEE YOU KILLING IT ON STAGE.
>> EIGHT SHOWS IS A LOT OF SHOWS EVERY WEEK.
>> YOU HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT, HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE, NO, THANK YOU.
>> HOW MUCH MONEY, HOW LONG, NO.
>> YOU HAVE EARNED THAT.
YOUR SHOWS ARE AMAZING AND YOU LOOK WONDERFUL ON STAGE.
THIS IS CASUAL.
>> I HAVE A BRAND-NEW BOW TIE.
YELLOW.
>> YOU SAY YELLOW AND IT IS FUNNY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN WITHERSPOON.