( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: HEY, WE'RE BACK WITH DREW CAREY.
( APPLAUSE )
THIS IS 1991, THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW."
( APPLAUSE )
BUT EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT IT MEANT FOR JOHNNY TO CALL OVER A
COMIC.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAPPENS ANYMORE.
AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE WHO ACTUALLY COULD MAKE IT SO
MEANINGFUL THAN JOHNNY.
>> NOBODY.
IT WAS LIKE-- I WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS THE VERY NEXT DAY.
HONESTLY, I TEAR UP WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT WAS LIFE
CHANGING.
I WAS A CLUB COMIC IN THE MORNING.
AND THAT FRIDAY NIGHT, I WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS.
AND MY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THEY DID NOTHING BUT SEND OUT TAPES
OF ME, AND I WAS GETTING THE CALLED THE NEXT DAY-- I WAS
WORKING IN CHICAGO, SO I HAD TO FLY BACK TO CHICAGO TO FINISH MY
WEEK.
WHEN I GOT BACK TO L.A., EVERY NIGHT THAT WEEK, I DID A SET AT
THE IMPROV FOR AGENTS.
AND THE FIRST MONDAY NIGHT, 28 WILLIAM MORRIS AGENTS SHOWED UP
TO SEE ME DO STAND-UP.
THE HEAD OF THE LIT DEPARTMENT.
THE HEAD OF THE MOVIE DEPARTMENT.
THE HEADLINE OF THE SITCOM DEPARTMENT.
THE HEAD OF THE BOOKS DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALL WANTED TO BE IN THE DREW CAREY BUSINESS.
IT WAS CRAZY.
>> Stephen: HOW WOULD IT HAPPEN WHEN JOHNNY WOULD CALL
YOU OVER?
WHAT WERE THE ACTUAL MECHANICS THERE.
YOU KNEW NOTHING BEFORE YOU WENT OUT THERE?
>> NO.
IT TOOK ME THREE-- I GOT PICKED TO DO THE SHOW AT MY FIRST
AUDITION, I WAS AT THE COMEDY MAGIC CLUB.
THE COMIC WORLD, MY FRIENDS WERE ALL BUZZING, "I CAN'T BELIEVE
HAD GOT IT ON THE FIRST TRY," BECAUSE THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
YOU HAD TO AUDITION A BUNCH OF TIMES.
I WAS ON THIS LIST, AND IF SOMEBODY COULDN'T MAKE IT ONE OF
THE STARS, THEY WOULD CALL A COMIC AND THEY WOULD FILL IN.
I WAS STAYING AT A FRIEND'S OF MINE'S HOUSE, AND THEY SAW ME TO
DO STAND-UP FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I WENT BACK TO DO A GIG, AND
I WENT BACK THAT NOVEMBER TO DO A WEEK AT THE COMEDY MAGIC CLUB,
AND BOB SAGET INVITED ME TO A TAPING OF THE "FULL HOUSE."
IT WAS THE BEACH BOY EPISODE.
IT WAS REAL EXCITING BECAUSE I HAD NEVER BEEN TO A TV TAPING
AND I HAD MY SUIT WITH ME AND MY LITTLE SHAVING KIT AND STUFF.
AND IGET TO THE COMEDY MAGIC CLUB, AND THE M.C. SAYS, "YOU
OKAY?" HE GREETS ME AT THE DOOP.
I SAID, "I'M FINE, WHAT HAPPENED.
HE SAID JIM McCAULEY WAS TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU
TO DO THE "TONIGHT SHOW, SO HE GOT JEFF SOSARIO TO DO IT
INSTEAD.
I MISSED THE CALL.
I CALLED McCAULEY ON MONDAY AND SAID, "I'M SORRY, I MISSED
THE CALL."
I LISTENED TO THE MESSAGE MACHINE WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY
FRIEND'S HOUSE AND IT WAS A DISASTER ONE CALL AFTER THE NEXT
NEXT.
AND I CALLED HIM ON MONDAY, "YEAH, I'M SORRY, YOU MISSED IT,
TOO.
BUT I'D LIEXZ TO SEE YOU AGAIN BEFORE YOU DO ANOTHER SET."
I WAS OFF THE LIST, AND IT TOOK ME THREE YEARS TO GET BACK ON
THE SHOW.
IT WAS MONTHS DRIVING ON THE ROAD AFTER A BREAK UP, I WAS
DRIVING AND CRYING ALL THE TIME-- HI, JACKIE.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE PROBABLY A BETTER COMIC AFTER THAT.
>> I WAS SO POWERFUL, McCAULEY LET ME GO TO THE IMPROV-- I'LL
TRY TO WRAP THIS UP REALLY QUICK.
McCAULEY LET ME GO AND BACK AT THE IMPROV, IT WAS THREE YEARS,
IN MAY AGAIN, ALMOST EXACTLY THREE YEARS.
HE CAME TO SEE ME, AND THEY WERE LETTING COMICS AUDITION THAT
NIGHT SO THERE WERE A LOT OF STRONG COMICS.
AND I GOT UP IN FRONT OF THAT PACKED CROWD AND WHEN I WAS DONE
THEY WERE CHANTING MY NAME.
I GOT "THE TONIGHT SHOW" AND "HBO YOUNG COMEDIANS" THE SAME
NIGHT.
>> Stephen: DREW, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THE PRIMETIME SPECIAL CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF
"THE PRICE IS RIGHT" AIRS THIS THURSDAY AT 9:00 P.M. ON CBS.
DREW CAREY, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH COMEDIAN PHOEBE ROBINSON.
♪ ♪ ♪