El
how does it feel to be here at the Canadian Screen Awards?
It's amazing.
You know, it's funny, Canada's so close
yet so far away, in some respects.
And you know, if I go to a country like Australia,
they watch so much American television.
They have their own thing, but not to the extent
that Canada does, you know,
so it's kind of interesting to see,
I'm meeting celebrities I've never met before,
and it's nice, man.
It's like a nice vibe here tonight.
Eli:
what's been happening in the United States,
I see you've been very outspoken.
Do you think comedy has a role to play right now
with what's happening in America under Trump?
Interestingly enough, it's turning out that way.
I wouldn't normally have made that assumption, though.
I think Trump's kind of bad for comedy.
Eli:
In a way, yeah. Most comics in the States
have started to do the same jokes
just because Trump makes--
is so on everybody's mind.
So it'll be nice when we don't have to talk about him as much.
Eli:
when you feel as strongly as you do,
do you sometimes think, like, this is bigger than comedy?
Like, I just want to speak,
I don't want to try and get a laugh out of this?
Well in my life, nothing's bigger than comedy.
Eli:
You know, I love my genre,
and my genre allows me to be more honest
than most people's, but it still is,
this is still comedy, man.
Like you know, it's got to be in the spirit of levity
because it kind of helps us get through tough times like this.
Eli:
When you were just-- Dave was just breaking into the biz,
is there someone that really made that difference for you,
that you wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them?
There's many people, but today in particular
has to do with the people that carried
the Montreal Comedy Festival.
Eli:
Because I'm one of the few people that came from America
to Canada to get a break.
Like, I came to the Montreal Festival,
I spent a weekend here, and it changed my life.
You know, it's never been the same.
And it put me on a path to become a better comedian
than I would have been had I not come through the festival.
Eli:
Because I'd never seen comedy taken so seriously before.
You know what I mean, it was, it was,
it was comedians from all over the world,
I was exposed to more talent in a single weekend
than I had seen in years,
and it was the festival, so everyone was playing
their A game.
And it made me want to be more serious about my work.
Eli:
Oh these days, there's tons of them.
I think that most of these guys that you see working
are wildly courageous.
It's like, it's such a strange time
with like, people being bombarded with information,
and I think comedy is an important valve
in like siphoning through all that,
and I think that the comedians--
like, I feel like my genre is secure.
The guys that I see coming up carry the mantle well.
And then a lot of the guys
who have been banging from the beginning
have come back to stand up.
You're seeing Chris Rock back,
you're seeing Jon Stewart in the clubs,
you're seeing Seinfeld back.
So I feel like the genre's just very strong and healthy
and everyone inspires me.
Eli:
like you pick your moments.
Is that about kind of finding that place to create
so you're not overexposed?
I enjoy comedy, and I enjoy celebrity
but it's not something that I completely trust.
Eli:
Yeah, it's one of those things.
You get big enough, they blow you up like a balloon animal,
they just twist you in whatever shape they think you fit.
So I like to just stay out of the fray
and try to just focus on the things about my work
that I really enjoy.
And you know, keep good people around me
and try to have fun, man. Just try to have fun with it.
Tell us about the
Two?
You got that huge deal, right?
Yeah, I got one of 'em.
Netflix
They did change the game, they changed it for me personally.
March 21, I'll release two specials.
These were in my vault, so they just bought 'em.
So they're not like
The most recent, I think, is a year old.
But they're funny specials, and then I'm working on a third
for
probably by the end of the year.
So you might get three Dave Chappelle specials this year.
Eli:
so people are ready.
All right, great stuff. Thanks.
Thank you, man.