T.J. Miller ('Silicon Valley') plans to close Atlanta Improv's final show right Dec. 31

The stand-up comic and actor - best known as the obnoxiously self-centered tech nerd Erlich on HBO's award-winning comedy "Silicon Valley" - really likes the tight cluster of restaurants and bars. He performed at the Improv just this past May.

"I was thinking how funny and how ridiculous that place was and how much fun I've had there," he said in a phone interview this past week. "There's a bar where you enter through a telephone booth. You've got an ice bar where the bartender slides the drinks on ice to you."

Miller, who brings twisted, warped viewpoints on every day experiences, takes New Year Eve's responsibilities seriously because people harbor high expectations to have fun that night. "I'm going to bring out my greatest hits," he said. "I'll include a lot of crowd interaction. Everyone is getting really drunk. I'll talk to people in the audience. I'll bring them on stage. I want to make it an experience."

Besides "Silicon Valley," which is currently producing its third season, Miller was just named the host of the Critics Choice Awards January 17. He won Critics Choice best supporting actor for a comedy earlier this year. On the dais, he noted, "I would say that awards are for children because children need a tangible representation of their achievement. Whereas adults should settle for the respect and admiration of their peers. But what do I know? I just play an arrogant blowhard who says whatever the **** he wants!"

Earlier this year, he hosted a TechCrunch awards show and made fun of the Uber CEO and his girlfriend. It didn't go well, which boggled his mind. Attendees accused him of being offensive to women by using the b-word and he won't be invited back.  He felt given his character on "Silicon Valley," they expected him to make fun of their industry.

"It was terrible," Miller said. "One of the worst decisions I ever made. Apparently, you can't talk to people like that. Yet many of these guys have pending sexual harassment charges against them. They say whatever they want. Then when I make fun of them, they get upset... They hired me to be a clown. I'm not a clown. I'm a jester. I take shots at everyone in the room. They didn't like that."

He believes TV critics are able to laugh at themselves more than tech people. "You saw my awards speech? Clearly, the critics have a certain amount of irreverence to invite me back. I have  a positively nihilistic approach." He said they are giving him wide latitude to write the show the way he wants. "I want it it to be funny and weird," he said. "They have good taste. 'Silicon Valley' won best comedy. They don't have great taste. They gave me best supporting actor."

Miller said writing for the critics' awards show has made him think more deeply about their roles and his feelings about them.

"If you're a comedian, you are kind of like, 'Who the f*** are you guys? You try to do an hour of standup, try to write an original screenplay! As an artist, you hate the critics yet you secretly want their approval." He said he actually enjoys the well-written review of a terrible movie (as long as it's not his.) He cited a San Francisco Examiner review of "Bubble Boy" and Variety's recent takedown of Adam Sandler's "Ridiculous Six."

Miller is also moving up in the world in film. He had a role in "Transformers 4" and in an upcoming Marvel Comics' film "Deadpool" in February. If that film is a huge hit, will that change his life markedly?

"My life has been a series of surreal experiences," Miller said. "I was told that 'Transformers' would change my life. I was told 'Silicon Valley' would be the game changer. But it doesn't change that much. I can get more people to come to my stand up, which is very important. It's where I can say the most."

He feels "Deadpool" is not just a comic-book movie but deeper, more like "Blade Runner" or "Mad Max: Fury Road." He could see it becoming a franchise.

Miller's "Silicon Valley" character Erlich is left in a bit of limbo at the end of season two after Pied Piper CEO (spoiler alert!) Richard gets canned. But regardless, Erlich remains a stunted, self-absorbed person. "Why would you want to go forward when you get to stay stagnant?" Miller says. While he channels some of himself in Erlich, he said, "I'm better at being self deprecating and being more quiet about my efficacy. I think for the first time in season three, we will see him have to look in the mirror and it's sad. It's really sad. And hilarious."

Miller said he likes how his career arc has progressed over the past decade: "I'm very happy, totally crazy. I work hard and I read a lot."

Here's a sampling of his stand-up:

COMEDY PREVIEW

T.J. Miller

7:30 p.m., 10:15 p.m. Thursday, December 31

$38.50

Atlanta Improv

56 E Andrews Dr NW Atlanta

www.theimprovatlanta.com

Here he is in a skit for Conan O'Brien about "Star Wars" this week where he plays Jango Fett, one of many past "Star Wars" characters that didn't make the cut in the  latest movie.