Comedian Brad Williams just turned 40, so at his Fox Tucson Theatre show, he’s out to prove he can defy his age.
“I have a lot of energy,” he said.
“I have to prove to myself that I can still run around the stage like I used to. I have ADD and I do comedy for people like me. I’m constantly moving around. If you don’t like one joke, wait 15 seconds and another one’s coming.”
Williams’ latest special “Brad Williams: Starfish” premiered on Dec. 21 on VEEPS.
Also an accomplished actor, Williams has appeared on numerous TV shows and feature films, including FX’s “Legit,” “Sam and Cat,” “Mind of Mencia,” “Pitboss,” a recurring role on the Hulu original show “Deadbeat,” and roles in a plethora of movies, including “Little Evil,” produced by Scott Stuber (“Ted”), as well as the Netflix original Christopher Guest film, “Mascots” and “Reno 911: It’s a Wonderful Heist.”
2024 is shaping up to be a banner year for Williams. His tour is his biggest — he’s playing theaters — and he’s incredibly proud of it.
“I’m going everywhere this year,” he said. “I have to strike while the iron’s hot. I’m going to go to as many places as I can.”
Also in the works are a film (which he couldn’t disclose) and overseas dates.
“Three weeks ago, I was shooting a movie and I’m not allowed to say what it is,” he said coyly. “It is a movie that’s really big. That’s all I can tell you.
“When it rains, it pours. I try to keep a clear head.”
He recalled a talk by Tom Hanks who said if things are going poorly, remember, this too shall pass. The same goes for success.
“I try to remember that,” he said. “Life’s on a high note right now. I’m just trying to ride it out, enjoy it and have a lot of fun. I have to keep working and prolong it though,”
Williams always enjoyed comedy, but he did not think he could pull it off as a career.
“It was a fantasy,” he said. “It’s like getting a job as an NFL football coach. That’s awesome and all, but how do you start? Do you start coaching high school? Then once you get legendary enough, you move onto college. And then to the pros?
“I never thought being a comedian was attainable. I saw Eddie Murphy do that. I’m not saying I’m Eddie Murphy.”
Once he started hitting clubs, he was shocked by a few things.
“I never realized that once you become a stand-up comic, everyone wants to be a stand-up comic,” he said with a laugh.
“It’s weird that famous people are consuming your content, too. I was at the Comedy Store eight months ago, sitting in the back seats where only the comedians were allowed to sit. They cleared the area and that means somebody famous is coming in.
“Then this giant enters the room and says, ‘Hey, I’m Travis.’ It’s Travis Kelce. He shakes my hand and I say, ‘I’m Brad.’ He knew who I was. It was kind of a trip. That’s something that’s great. Once you reach a certain level in standup, you meet a lot of heroes — rock stars, athletes and wrestlers.”
As for the flip side, he said he thought becoming a comedian was going to be an easy ride: they sleep until noon, party all night, work an hour a night.
“It’s so much more than that,” Williams added. “There’s early travel, late travel. Travel in general can take a lot out of you. There are so many hours in a hotel room spent doing nothing in a city you don’t know. I didn’t realize all the work that went into being a stand-up comic. But it’s all worth it.”
Brad Williams w/J.B. Ball and Quincy Weekley
WHEN: 7 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4
WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $29.50
INFO: www.foxtucson.com
