This was posted October 3, 2012 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Louie Anderson is an interesting pick for the first weekend at The Improv only because he has worked several times up the road in Roswell at Bonkerz. But work is work.
Anderson actually has his own 250-seat room at the Palace Station casino in Las Vegas, where he has lived the past seven years.
Even through the economic recession, “my fans have been pretty loyal to me. I feel really blessed about that. I’m very popular with the locals. When people come to visit, locals bring their friends to see me.”
He still gets out of town once a month to do gigs for folks who don’t travel to Vegas. But he feels for comedy club owners. “It’s a rough business,” he says. “You’re only really making money on weekends.”
Even after 33 years doing stand up, the 59 year old is still loving his work, likening it to therapy. “I feel like I’ve recaptured my inner standup,” he says. “I had one of my best shows last night doing stuff I’ve never done. I was just talking to this family right in the front. It spurred this whole idea of families and stuff that’s my forte. Families and food – and being fat. I had a great time.”
Anderson has been in many films over the years (remember "Coming to America"?), a Fox animated series "Life With Louie" (1993-95) and host of "Family Feud" (1999-2002). He admires current host and Atlantan Steve Harvey: "He seems to be settling in and having a lot of fun. He's very smart and much more ambitious than I am."
He loved doing a game show because he only worked 35 days a year but the shows were spread out to give the world the impression he worked every day. “I’m the laziest person in the world,” Anderson says, self deprecatingly. “Thank you father. It’s not an accomplishment!”
In concert
Louie Anderson
Atlanta Improv
8 p.m. Thursday, October 14
8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. Friday, October 15
8 p.m., 10:45 p.m. Saturday, October 16
$25
56 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta
678-244-3612. Buy tickets here.
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