ComingSoon Senior Editor Spencer Legacy spoke with comedian and actor Eric André about his new live special — Eric André Live Near Broadway. André discussed the differences between the special and his show as well as his love of voice-over. The special premieres tonight on Adult Swim at midnight, then arrives on Max tomorrow on January 19.
“Featuring André’s lo-fi brand of late-night entertainment and punk rock comedy, his performance at Terminal 5 in New York City was filmed for the half-hour special, and includes guest appearances from Emmy and Tony winning actor Billy Porter alongside fan-favorite characters The Grim Reaper and The Fridge Keeper,” reads the special‘s synopsis.
Spencer Legacy: The special starts with footage of your fans from a lot of different places and they’re all wearing costumes and referencing bits. What’s your experience like when it comes to meeting fans? Is it pretty straightforward interactions, or are they bigger and more wild?
Eric André: Yeah, all of the above. They’re like sweethearts, and some are super turned-up and crazy and wild. But for the most part, they’re sweetie pies.
At the start of the show, the camera shows you briefly getting hyped up before you run on stage. How do you typically get yourself ready for this crazy sort of live show?
We sound check and rehearse at every venue every day. There’s not really time to do anything else. My day starts, I wake up, I go to the airport or I drive — that takes like four or five hours. Then I land, I eat lunch, I check into the hotel, I go to the venue, I sound check, I meditate, and then I go over the notes and the video from the previous show. Then, in a mad dash, try to write for the guests of the town and try to revamp anything that didn’t work. Then I’m on stage and then I do my show, and then, uh, I’m exhausted, then I go to sleep. [Laughs]. Then the cycle repeats.
Specifically for Eric André: Live Near Broadway, how much of the show is planned or written before? Is there a skeleton that you work with, and then you run with what happens, or is a lot of it on the spot?
It’s a combination of both. There’s definitely a skeleton of gags that we have made — props and stuff — and then we improvise within that stuff.
How does the energy of such an excited crowd that’s ready for anything in a live show differ from recording episodes of The Eric André Show?
We don’t have an audience for the TV show and it’s all canned laughter intentionally, and we use the same sound effects over and over again. We only have a confused sound effects, so it’s a different process. We’re filming each interview on the TV show for like two hours, then we’re whittling it down to like three minutes. [Laughs].
What was getting Billy Porter involved in this one like?
He was a perfect guest, because he had no idea who I was or what was going on. [Laughs]. He had no idea what he was in for.
That’s got to be more rare now too, as the show’s going on.
You would think. As long as the guest is over 40 years old, you’re fine. It’s generational, it’s a generational show.
Speaking of the show, it’s been almost 12 years since it started. What is it about the show that keeps you wanting to come back?
I don’t know what else to do. I’m trapped in my own shtick. [Laughs].
It’s just a cycle now.
It’s a cycle. It’s a vicious cycle.
Last year, you were in Trolls Band Together, and your character like sings with, with Justin Timberlake. What drew you to that project?
I love doing animation and voiceover. I started doing it on Disenchantment Matt Groening, and when he hired me, it opened up all these opportunities to do more animation. I love animation. I get a special joy out of animation because you can improvise like crazy and do a bunch of crazy voices and vocalizations. I love doing animation.
Disenchantment ended last year. How are you feeling about that being over? How do you look back at doing all those seasons and your journey with the show?
It was amazing. I’m in debt to Matt Groening and Josh Weinstein for hiring me and giving me this amazing opportunity in opening up this career in animation. I worshipped The Simpsons — it shaped my worldview. And Futurama and all of Matt’s work is just so amazing — the legacy he has built for himself. It got me into the Lion King and Sing 2 and Trolls 3 and The Mitchells vs. the Machines . It just opened this career path up that I didn’t have before.
It’s just such an amazing opportunity, listening and learning from the masters, you know? Matt is on my Mount Rushmore of comedic influences. I grew up on The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy and Beavis and Butthead, so it was amazing. It’s sad that it’s over, but you know, onward and upward. More to come and I’m so grateful for the show and the opportunity.
Are there any dream animation projects that you would really love to lend your voice to?
Anything Mike Judge ever does, I would love to do. I’m such a Beavis and Butthead fan. That would, that would rule. Coming off of Trolls, that crew of producers and directors were amazing to work with, and that was such a good, nurturing, and creative environment. I’d work with them to the ends of the earth, anytime.
