An Interview with Alonzo Bodden - Are you Paying Attention?

An international headliner Alonzo has performed comedy worldwide including Just For Laughs in Montreal, Kilkenny Ireland Comedy fest, Sydney, Australia, Brighton Beach in the UK and he’s entertained the troops everywhere from Iraq to Greenland. He was born and grew up in the suburbs of Queens, New York. "It's not quite the hood, but it played the 'hood on rap records." Bodden studied aerospace in school and became a licensed aircraft mechanic. That was his first career.
He won season three of Last Comic Standing. He's hosted television series including 101 Cars You Must Drive on Speed Channel and America's Worst Driver on the Travel Channel. He's done all the late night shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Wayans Bros., and Comedy Central Presents, to name a few. He's worked around the world for the USO.
Bodden has also played a security guard, bouncer, crook, and cop on numerous shows and a couple films including Bringing down the House starring Steve Martin, and Scary Movie 4. Of course, his big credit is doing monster voices for Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. No, he wasn't in the suit, he was just the voice. His brand new one hour comedy special, Alonzo Bodden: Who's Paying Attention? premiered on Showtime and he can be seen as a host of the new ITV show Inside the Vault.



Last year "The Standup Comedy Center" had the privilege to interview Alonzo.
The Standup Comedy Center: You are a licensed aircraft mechanic so the obvious question is which is the best and worst plane you have worked on?
Alonzo: The best was probably the stealth fighter from Lockheed. It was first thing I ever worked on and all top secret at the time. The worst were Boeing planes, always too complicated. Boeing never believed in using a straight part when 3 attached levers would do.

The Standup Comedy Center: What made you decided to leave the aviation world and start doing Standup Comedy?
Alonzo: Drug testing... seriously, I was training new mechanics and had more fun making them laugh. When I got laid off from McDonnell Douglas in 93 I decided to try comedy, Never looked back.

The Standup Comedy Center: At 6' 3" (1.91 m) are you the tallest Standup Comedian around? Alonzo: Not even close Gary Gulman is 6'6" and Brad Garrett is 6'9"

The Standup Comedy Center: What do you think are the chances for the Jets & the Giants to face each other in the Super bowl?
Alonzo: About the same as the chances of me owning both teams when they play each other. Still, those odds are better than the chances of us swearing in President Herman Cain.

The Standup Comedy Center: You quite often speak your mind on the current events via Twitter and Facebook. Why is it important to you? Don't fear that you might alienate a few people?
Alonzo: Alienating people or pissing them off is a chance every comic takes; they say if you're not pissing off someone, you're not doing your job.

The Standup Comedy Center: During your USO trips where did you perform? Did you change your opinion after these visits?
Alonzo: More places than I can remember , Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Spain, Greece, Greenland, Honduras, Panama, Puerto Rico, Guantanamo Bay Cuba, Japan, Turkey, the list goes on and on. Travel opens your mind. I learned that people are people. The press is so distorted and we as Americans are so isolated. All Arabs are not evil, not all Arabs and Jews hate each other. Japan is more tech friendly than we are. Spain is the greatest country to relax in. I've learned camel really doesn't taste that bad. I learned the guide book to Israel could be the bible. The Turkish mart is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen, Beautiful women are everywhere but Puerto Rico really has more than its fair share. Italian food really is the best in the world. Nowhere is convenience as valued as it is here in the USA. The world is a pretty good place but I still love living in the USA I also learned war is most unfair to those fighting them and no congressman or politician should be allowed to vote for war unless they have fought in one and are willing to send their kids. Damn them.

The Standup Comedy Center: What was the most fun acting job you ever did? What is your dream acting job?
Alonzo: Most fun was playing security guy in The Girl Next Door. My dream role would be a hit man with a sense of humor.

The Standup Comedy Center: Do you still ride your Ducati motorcycle? How fast does it goes? Alonzo: I still ride a Ducati, just not as fast. The older I get the faster I was… LOL. Fastest I ever went on a Duc was about 160 MPH.

The Standup Comedy Center: Next year you will celebrate 50 years on this plant. Do you have any special plans to celebrating this event?
Alonzo: No plans gotta make it first.

The Standup Comedy Center: What do you consider to be your best material? (I personally think that it is your "vet routine")



Alonzo: My favorite joke or routine is always my newest. Right now it's the bit about killing old people. Lots of people love the vet routine but I need to rewrite it and everything else from my DVD "Who's Paying Attention" and get ready to tape another one.

The Standup Comedy Center: During your act you mention a few times that you are single. Any plans to "tie the knot" in the near future?
Alonzo: No plans, what have you heard?

The Standup Comedy Center: Can you explain your twitter status "I'm just a comic living the dream...I think"?
Alonzo: I am living the dream; the "I think" part is humor. That's what I do. Do you even know who you are interviewing?

The Standup Comedy Center: Thanks for answering my questions, any final words of wisdom? Alonzo: Keep laughing because in another 100 years none of this will matter.