Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias' Road to Dodger Stadium - My Comedy Journey

This is the best moment of my life and if I die tomorrow it is something I always wanted to do and then some. I love the fact that I can drive five minutes and see my childhood. I remember the good times. I remember the bad times. You know my business. The manager has insisted countless times that I really need to leave the area because, yes, you know it has a lot of character, but this is my home, this is my home and I feel like if I left, I would be losing touch. with what's real this neighborhood didn't look like this this neighborhood right now looks amazing look it's so clean we're approaching the first neighborhood I lived in here in Long Beach where my mom and I moved here about 35 years ago.

I actually lived in this apartment building with my mom when we first moved there and that upstairs window my mom used to yell at me from that window up there and I would play down here, this was my playground and she said Make sure you play where I can see you, my friends would call us the tower, but my mom could see me from basically anywhere up there. I was actually a very, very good kid growing up, I was a big mama's boy, my mama ruled, okay, so whatever my Mama said yes. I didn't question her because you know I knew she had a reputation and I didn't want to challenge her or let her down even though this was a tough neighborhood and there were a lot of people. gang violence like the next block about people getting shot, people getting run over, there were always police cars in this neighborhood, this neighborhood has changed a lot since I was here in the 80's that sounds crazy yeah the 80's like wow, that's a long time.

It makes you know what I want to take a break because this is cool, every entrance has a digital greeting system that speaks to you, which confuses people the first time because when you walk in you don't expect to hear the Ontario area. section two, there are people who like it, but look, I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong because my friend Felipe and I walked in, it was a big coincidence, at least that's what I thought until we saw this black guy walking down. welcome to the mall The comics that were very influential to me were Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and definitely Paul Rodriguez.

Paul Rodriguez was the only person I saw on TV and it was like, wow, he kind of looks like me, oh, like there was a relationship there. Why do I feel this way now with social media and the Internet and the amount of people that are watching what I'm doing, especially this Dodger Stadium thing, what does it mean that people aren't inspired to want to do something because of that and that's when you realize you're doing something bigger than you plan ab

road

this is my elementary school where i went to school from second to sixth grade this school had a talent show i showed up here with a friend of mine to audition to do a Saturday Night Live sketch and when we walked up to do these sketches, my friend ran out that door and I was stuck there alone and that's when the lady was like, hey, you don't know how to do this. anything for yourself, but I wonder why I know how to do voices.

The first time I stood in front of people was here and I remember my mom, my sister-in-law, my brother were sitting there in the corner. and for me this was like, oh my gosh, look at all those people and 25 years later I'm like, wow, this thing is a lot smaller than I thought, but when I was a kid, this place was huge when I started getting the reaction from the people. I wasn't sure what to expect because I didn't know I was doing

comedy

. I thought I was supposed to get applause. I thought I was supposed to get applause every time he did a voice or a character, when people really started laughing.

I wasn't sure how to interpret it, it was loud and then there was laughter and applause and then, you know, people stood up at the end, I thought, are you kidding me?, it almost seemed like it was too easy, like them. like someone paid them to do it at that moment I was used to being harassed I was used to being called fat or just like that kid whatever but after that night I realized that what I did made everyone hate me They looked different and I liked it. You know who doesn't want good attention? I haven't been in this room since 1987.

What year is it now? A long time ago. I said it right, honey, Mr. Batman, according to my shirt, my shirt says Marvel Comics. I said see four I see Captain America I see Iron Man Who are some of the superheroes that DC Comics has that make them better than Marvel? Wow Batman, you said Superman is good, Wonder Woman, he's fine, Green Lantern, wait, wait, I said, I know the other one. superheroes but Green Lantern what is his power he wears a ring and the ring gives him power he said it's a fantasy I don't know any man who wears a ring that has power before getting into

comedy

he had several different jobs where he sold cell phones when cell phones were hard to sell, not like now, where anyone can get a cell phone, transitioning from having a day job to pursuing the life of a full-time entertainer.

I was working all day at my job and then at night I would go do comedy, but as a comedian you don't just go home after you get off stage, you had to talk to the people you had to engage with, you had to spend the a while and go to Denny's until three in the afternoon. o'clock in the morning talking to other comedians hey, where else is there a concert? Can I get that Booker's number? Hey, where do you think I should go if you didn't see this commercial? Let me paint a picture, there were always Doubt moments, but I knew he needed to cut the cord once I cut the cord.

I'm like, okay, sink or swim, now I can't go back and I would get calls. Back to work. Come back, we miss you and I say. No, I can't go back. I'm going to make this comedy thing work. It was hard because I wanted to get back to that comfort and that's what a lot of times you need to get away from comfort if you're ever going to go. To be successful in life you have to get out of your comfort zone, once you become complacent and once you calm down you won't do anything else. I ran out of money very quickly, my sister took me in and I slept on a couch for about a year and a half before I could make enough money to be at least a decent roommate, Chris Rock is here in the room, the stupid conversation that is taking place.

I know this because I can hear Chris Rock in the background, oh, without the shape. Yo, Chris, I got this man, I got this move, move, okay, the guy stands to the side and now I'm looking at Chris Rock and he recognized me and he scared me, oh yeah, he scared me, he says, oh , look who it is. look who it is is the king of the mexicans the process on stage for a material and what stays versus what goes I always give something a good chance if I think something is funny I'm pretty sure I'll make it work when it comes out The challenge up there is just making it fun from start to finish because ultimately when you have a complete set you want it to flow well and you don't want the stories to be so different that they don't connect as well, but nothing is.

He's ever gone, he's in the background Hey man, it's good to see you so I can feel comfortable enough to release a new special. I need at least two years, at least two years to test it, be on the

road

with it, feel comfortable with it. that anything that works in Los Angeles also works in New York also works in Nebraska also works in Oslo Norway so you know when I do it on the show it will work everywhere once it comes out. I have this Big Show at Dodger Stadium coming up. and I still haven't realized it.

I've been there for concerts, so I know what it looks like when you're there, but it hasn't registered yet that I'm doing a show there. I love it. The fact that I can say I'm taking comedy to a place where not many people have taken it. I only got it from a comedy club. I have only taken it from a theater. I have taken it out now. from an arena the fact that we're taking this to a

stadium

says you know what stop looking at us like we're jokes because we're not I go on stage every night without a band I go out without an instrument No I don't have pyrotechnics I don't have all these bells and whistles.

I go out and bring the noise every night with just a microphone and I think that's something the industry needs to realize that there are a lot of us out there, we just need an opportunity and if we don't have that opportunity it doesn't matter, we'll create our own image behind me. I love seeing comedians who do things that I don't do, for example, I like comics, they get very political. I like it. Comics that get very controversial I like comics that push the envelope and make you go oh like Jim Jefferies Bill Burr Dave Chappelle I don't even know if I can say Dave Chappelle I'm sure they'll say something like what you hear Dave Chappelle yeah , and that sucks too much, just because you like someone now, you suddenly adopt their views and their opinions, which is poor, but you know, whatever the case may be.

I like comics that push the envelope because that's something I don't do, that's not what my fans signed up for and it would be a disservice to suddenly change what I do and start being political or start being like you know, oh, this is how you have to be. Not that, you know, and I get people criticizing me and telling me that you don't use your platform to help or make a difference or encourage any situation and I say that's not my place. I signed up. being an entertainer and that's what I do as Americans we have a certain way with the English language do you understand how we sound to them?

I mean, seriously, do you know how they look at us when they hear us talk? This for them, I'll tell you right now, the other day I was hanging out with Phil Wright, some of them came to the house, we had a great time, it just suited me and, by the way, if you sound like that here tonight. I'm just kidding, just kidding, no, don't feel like you already know. I'm going to wait for his ass outside. I see how funny it is when he pulls into the parking lot, fluffing my butt, the reason I started wearing Hawaiian shirts. stage I want to have a certain brand and be consistent.

I chose a nice bright Hawaiian shirt because it was friendly and didn't seem threatening to me. You know, there are a lot of artists that want to wear black or just want to look cool and I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that I was there to have fun and, you know, nothing says fun like a Hawaiian shirt. You're just there to have a good time when the shows happen. I always feel well rested and ready to go there. There is no real preparation. I know a lot of people who, oh, I have to get into the zone or they have a light incense or they have to take a sip before they go up, they have to leave me alone.

I have to get my plan. No, I just feel very, very comfortable on stage and so I talk a lot backstage with whoever is around, whether it's a tour director, tour manager or craft services or you know, I have my dogs right there. , so I feel very, very comfortable before it goes up, so where can I draw the line between Fluffy and Gabriel? Well I think Fluffy's been running the show for a long time, it's a little bit harder, but finding that balance between being gay and being the guy that's on stage, I'm actually very chill, yeah, the only reason why That I'm talking a lot now is because they know you guys are here, but for the most part I just relax in silence, oh wait, look at this, hey, how are you?

I'm just here you know we were so like we knew that guy I'm like Etsy glacias yeah

fluffy

right

fluffy

yeah I just told them I'm trying to keep them off camera. I don't know if you guys have warrants or something, yeah, okay. I'll see you at the next light, okay, I could have said hey, let me continue being upset about the fact that I'm stuck in traffic, but that guy was smiling and he's happy, he just wants to say hello and if I can, he won't take me two seconds to say, "Hey, what's up?", you know, be cool, so yeah, it's funny, no one has documented that.

I'm quite interesting. Now I'm going to go back and watch it, and this was the moment we discovered that. Gabriel Iglesias and Fluffy are actually two people, what's your name Joanne? When people come up to you and ask for an autograph or want to take a photo, she is still special no matter what she will always be special because she is someone who thinks highly of you. yeah, unfortunately, I never took breaks, I never took vacations, I don't even know what that's like. People constantly tell me, you know, you work too much, you need to take a break.

I'm going, no, I can't take a break because, secondly, Take a break, someone else will come and take my job. You know, I see this race as a beach ball. You have to throw that beach ball in the air every time it comes out, you have to constantly throw it back in the air. and the moment you take your eye off the ball is when it hits the ground and that's when you finish the foreigner. We are right here, in front of the Golden Sails hotel. This is the first place where I rose as a comedian.

April 10, 1997 I remember doing shows here and then going out to the little Fountain and having my little nostalgic moment it was like, oh my God, that was cool and I threw pantiesthere and I hope to have better jokes and I guess. I pulled enough that you know the whole area looked very different, but the structure is still the same, so these were still the actual steps to climb. It was like a little green room in the ghetto where you know we'd watch the show and whoever it was. more I was acting so the night When everything fell apart, basically my friend was pushing me and dressed me on stage and then I had to go up like this and since this is the moment of Terror, I basically ended up doing the parts that I did on school as a child as an adult now doing voices and characters and it was very, very good and even though it was only four minutes at most, it was powerful and it reignited everything and made me come back a week later and the funny thing is that there was someone in the crowd who He booked a comedy night at the same venue and said, Hey, you're super funny, do you want to come back next week?

I'll give you 20 bucks, so I had a painful gig after doing comedy once. that it was like I was on something, I'm on something that you know is standing on this particular stage that, like I said, I started getting up on April 10, 1997 and then 25 years later literally a couple of weeks after turn 25 years old. anniversary going from this to a sold out Dodger Stadium is like wow you know so yeah that's what happens when you don't take days off it's still not real it's still not real being from this area being from Los Angeles being Mexican while growing up it's not like I was doing it you know, Madison Square Garden or some place that's like oh this or not that, this is my home, you know, I've spent a lot of hours, a lot of games at Dodger Stadium, it's part of the community , it's a part of life, so the fact that I get to be a part of it and it's a local guy doing it well and I think it's amazing that it's the biggest show of my life and that it happens at home when I'm in the scenario, everything makes sense.

As soon as I walk through the curtain, I can't do anything wrong, even if I make a mistake, I still have a lot of confidence. It's when I walk off stage where I look at the first person I see and say, okay. well, but if I walk again, I say no, I'm fine, I'm fine, my insecurities come back when I leave the stage. 250 horsepower Volkswagen Beetle, the car is bad. I stop, oh EE Marty, some of you are drunk, so I have material that the fans want to hear over and over again I call them the classics the way they started happening, whether it's a story about Martin or the donkey joke , whatever the jokes, are classics from the original special.

See, the problem was at the beginning. I had a lot of material and some of those jokes I had already done on television and I said wow, you know they were good, but you know, maybe it's a different audience and what if I take those same jokes that I already did on television and then just do them? I put on a special and the thing is, that material was already available and people already knew me from that material, so when I did the special and I decided, hey, let me try to put a quick one on the net using old material.

So when I arrived, people reacted a certain way and said yes and I was like what was going on. I remember when it happened the crowd went crazy and they didn't even let me finish the joke and I'm like you're joking so I said it's a fluke you know, wow okay, that crowd, something's wrong with them. "I tried again the next night and the same thing happened, it was like a callback, it's like when you're doing a show." and you say something at the beginning and then you bring it up again later and the crowd always laughs harder because Oh, that's funny and you brought something from the past and you brought it back right now and yeah, you know it and that's what it felt like.

Like a cop pulled me over one night, two minutes after I left a Krispy Kreme drive-thru, okay, don't get ahead of me, look, I turned left instead of right, but I wasn't paying attention because I had a box and I thought, oh, you'll get it when you get home, oh, you've been so bad. I discovered that that first special had a lot of classical material and I started trying it out, well, let's see. if you want to hear this again but let's see if you want to hear this again and now the crowd is disappointed if I don't do certain parts it doesn't matter what I could do two hours but if I don't do the Krispy Kreme joke at the end we really waited two hours and you didn't do the part and even though I think I'm over the joke I'm not over the reaction and that's why I do it and it's basically my sweet Caroline so when I come out I'm Neil Diamond you know here you go guys but I think that It's also great because the comic has damn classics, it's weird, it feels like a band, I should continue.

The Jackie Boy comedy has taught me that. humor is something that unites people Los Angeles I love you, you are my home they say that laughter is contagious and you see that in shows when people get together and you resonate with everyone at the same time and when you are able to do that it is something beautiful thank you for the best night of my life I will never forget you I know I have a certain responsibility when I go out there to make sure they leave feeling better than when foreign guys came in