IRISH,
IRISH, TO
IRISH, TO MEMBERS OF RIVERDANCE ARE IN OUR STUDIO, WE ARE
GETTING A SHOT AT IT4@ A LITTLE
BIT LATER ON IN THE SHOW.
>>> MORE OF OUR CONVERSATION
WITH COMEDIAN JUSTIN McKINNEY4@
HE NOW LIVES 20 MINUTES AWAY IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. >> HE HAS 4@HAD MORE4@4@ THAN H
SHARE 4@OF CHALLENGES IN LIFE, @
HIS MOTHER DIED WHEN SHE WAS
ONLY EIGHT 6 YEARS OLD, FOR A
WHILE, WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP,
HIS FATHER WAS HOMELESS AND AN
ALCOHOLIC.
ALCOHOLIC. AFTER COLLEGE, HE WORKED FOR
SEVERAL YEARS AS A SHERIFF'S
DEPUTY THEN STARTED DOING
STANDUP COMEDY.
STANDUP COMEDY. >> HE GOT A BIG BREAK, HE
THOUGHT HIS LUCK HAD FINALLY
TURNED AND PUT HIM ON THE ROAD
TO STARDOM.
TO STARDOM. PLEASE JOT4@ WELCOME JUSTIN
McKINNEY.
McKINNEY.
McKINNEY. >> I HAVE AN AGENT OUT OF L.A.,
THAT GOT ME IN FRONT OF A BUNCH
OF NETWORKS, I WENT AND I HAD A
DEVELOPMENT DEAL IN 98 WITH
WARNER BROS.
WARNER BROS. FOR MY OWN SITCOM, SO LITERALLY
OVER A YEAR HAD BEEN OUT OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT, 4@YOU KNOW?
>> DID YOU PINCH YOURSELF?
15 MONTHS AGO I WAS RIDING
AROUND IN A CRUISER WITH
250,000 MILES ON IT4@4@, NOW, I
TALKING ABOUT A TV SERIES WITH
EXECUTIVES IN L.A.
>> ED4@ SEEMED A LITTLE, I DIDN
REALIZE HOW LUCKY 4@I WAS, THE
TIME, FELT LIKE I WAS MAKING,
JUST GOING FORWARD WITH
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> HE GOT ANOTHER DEAL TO
DEVELOP A TV SHOW, THIS ONE
WITH 4@CBS, THE SHOW NEVER CAME
ABOUT, BUT THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL
IN HOLLYWOOD, IN ANY EVENT, HE
GOT PAID HANDSOMELY BY THE
NETWORK.4@
NETWORK.4@ SAMAK I GOT A THING ON COMEDY
CENTRAL, SO I WAS OFF AND
RUNNING, YOU KNOW, I FELT
REALLY GOOD, 4@IN 2000, THE NEW
YORK TIMES SAID I WAS DESTINED
FOR STARDOM,4@ SO 4@I WAS ON A
PATH.
PATH.
PATH. SAMAK DIDN'T REALIZE THEY
STARTED KINDERGARTEN BEFORE
THEY4@ STARTED SCHOOL, YOU HAVE
TO GO THIS ORIENTATION, THEY
ASK YOU QUESTIONS LIKE WHERE IS
YOUR CHILD THAT ACADEMICALLY? 4@
THE BEGINNING.4@
THE BEGINNING.4@ >> McKINNEY EARNED SIX FIGURES
FROM EACH OF THE TWO DEALS, HE
PUT THAT MONEY INTO STOCKS HE
BOUGHT BASED ON TIPS FROM A
WAITER AT A COMEDY CLUB4@4@4@,
WAS ALSO A PART-TIME
STOCKBROKER, THE STOCKS TANKED.
>> I LITERALLY GOT COMPLETELY
WIPED OUT, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO
GIVE LEADER4@S TIPS, 4@NOT TAKE
TIPS FROM WAITERS, THIS GUY, I
WAS LEFT WITH FROM LITERALLY4@4
FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO
$10,000 PER
$10,000 PER >> AT THAT POINT, YOU PICK UP
THE PIECES, START MOVING
FORWARD, SO WHAT DID YOU WANT
TO DO WITH YOUR CAREER THEN?
>> WELL, THE PLAN WAS4@ 4@TO TR
KEEP MOVING FORWARD, I HAVE
LOST ALL THE MONEY BEFORE, I
HAD DONE JAY LENO, AND 02 AND
04, I WAS STARTING TO FEEL LIKE
I WA4@S GE4@TTING BACK ON MY FE
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> LOOK AT ALL THE SMOKESTACKS,
YOU EVER NOTICE THAT, THEY ARE
BLOWING IN MY CARRY, IT'S LIKE
NEW HAMPSHIRE BACKED IT UP INTO
CARRY.
CARRY.
CARRY. LIKE YEAH.4@
LIKE YEAH.4@ THAT IS HOW WE4@ FEEL ABOUT YOU
SALES TAX.4@
SALES TAX.4@ >> IN 2006, HE AND HIS WIFE
MOVED FROM LOS ANGELES BACK TO4
NEW HAMPSHIRE, THEY 4@WANTED TO
START A FAMILY, AND IN TIME,
THEY HAD TWO 4@BOYS.4@4@4@
HE TRIES TO LIMIT HIS TRAVEL
AND PERFORM CLOSE TO HOME,
SINCE HIS FANCY HAMMER
REGULARLY AT THE SAME VENUES IN
MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, HAS TO
COME UP WITH FRESH MATERIAL FOR
HIS STANDUP ACTS.4@ 4@
>> I WOULD 4@BE WAY LESS STRESS
IF I WANTED TO JUST TO HER AND
BE ON THE ROAD, BUT I 4@WOULDN'
BE WITH MY KIDS, SO I PICK THEM
UP ALMOST EVERY DAY, I AM
ALMOST A STAY-AT-HOME DAD, MY
MIND NEVER SHUTS OFF.4@
>> TO KEEP NO PADS AROUND THAT @
YOU CONSTANTLY ARE JOTTING DOWN
IDEAS ON4@ FOUR, HERE IS A FUNN
BIT, THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD, THIS
MIGHT BE SOMETH4@ING I COULD
EXPAND ON.
EXPAND ON. >> EVERYTHING THAT IS4@ SAID, I
AM ALWAYS LISTENING, YOU KNOW,
TODAY, WE HAD A SNOW DAY TODAY.
9:00 IN 4@THE MORNING4@, THERE
NOT A FLAKE OUT THERE, THE
GRASS IS 4@ALL GREEN 4@AND I AM
DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS,
I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE SNOW
DAY, WHAT IS THIS, NO SCHOOL?
BUT THEN MAYBE THAT WILL BE A
BIGGER BIT4@4@4@ WHERE I TALK A
KIDS, WHO KNOWS, JUST JOT THEM
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> YOU KNOW WHO LIKE 4@SNOW DAY
TEACHERS SPIRITO, WE GOT SOME
OF HERE, OH, YEAH, I DON'T
BLAME YOU.
BLAME YOU. THAT TEACHER WORKSHOP, WHO ARE
YOU KIDDING?
YOU KIDDING? THAT IS A MENTAL 4@HEALTH DAY.
>> THE STEREOTYPE, THE OLD
NOTION ALWAYS WAS THAT4@ IF YOU
BECOME A STANDUP COMEDIAN, IT
MEANS YOU ARE NOT A VERY HAPPY
PERSON4@, IT MEANS YOU HAVE A L
OF EMOTIONS AND LIFE HAS NOT
NECESSARILY BEEN ALL THAT GREAT
OF EMOTIONS AND LIFE HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN ALL THAT GREAT@
FOR YOU.4@4@
FOR YOU.4@4@ HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
YOURSELF, YOU A PRETTY HAPPY
GUY NO4@W?
GUY NO4@W? >> IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, IT
REALLY IS, THERE IS, I TRY NOT
TO HAVE REGRETS, I DO GO DOWN
THAT ROAD A LOT, WE ALL DO, BUT
MY KIDS ARE GREAT, YOU KNOW, MY
WIFE IS GREAT, MY FAMILY, WE
ARE STILL HERE, STILL LOCAL, SO
TRY TO LOOK AT THE TH4@INGS YOU
HAVE, I BOUGHT MY WIFE A COPY
CUP THE OTHER DAY THAT SAYS SEE
THE GOOD, I THINK THAT IS KIND
OF WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO KEEP
DOING.4@
DOING.4@
DOING.4@ >> MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE BOUGHT
YOURSELF ONE OF THOSE.
>> SHE DOESN'T USE IT, SHE SAID
OH, IT'S TOO LATE.4@
>> NOW, THE FIRST PERSON OUR
CONVERSATION AIRED LAST NIGHT,
HE TALKED ABOUT LOSING HIS MOM
WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY, WHAT
IT WAS LIKE TO BE WORKING AS A
SHERIFF DEPUTY AT 19 WHEN HE
WAS TOO YOUNG TO BUY BULLETS,
WE HAD TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ON
THE SHOW LAST NIGHT, SO IF YOU
MISS THAT 4@PART OF THE INTERVI
OR ANY OF THE OTHER PARTS OF
LAST NIGHTS PROGRAM, YOU CAN