Whatchoo Talkin' 'Bout Wil?

In December the fine folk at GQ published their Men Of The Year edition, and for some reason (probably because I work cheap) they let me do the interview with their Man Of The Year, actor Ryan Kwanten.

Ryan and I sat down over a few beers (I spilled one all over the table next to me, it’s in the story) and talked for a couple of hours and it was a genuinely fascinating chat with a passionate and talented guy. If you want to read it you can grab the latest GQ, or check the story out online here: http://www.gq.com.au/life/people/ryan+kwanten,8513

But we had such a good time just shooting the shit there ended up being heaps of stuff I couldn’t fit into the article, including the last 15 minutes where Ryan took over the interview and started asking me questions about comedy.

I was blown away by how insightful the questions were. Much more so than most questions professional journalists have ever asked me, and much more insightful than the stupid questions I had asked him.

But more than that I was impressed by the fact that he had taken the time to ask. After all this was his interview, about him being named Man Of The Year. If ever you have permission to be slightly egocentric it’s when someone names you their Man Of The Year.

I was tempted to leave the original exchange in the article. I thought it would demonstrate the inquisitive nature, and quality, of the man. But in the end it just seemed self-indulgent.

And then it struck me, what better place to be self-indulgent than on my blog? So here is just a little snippet of the chat Ryan and I had where he immediately gets to the heart of how hard it is to be truly honest on stage.

RYAN: “So who were your inspirations?”

ME: “Well back in those days, anyone you could hear. It wasn’t like these days where you can go on YouTube and see the best comedians in the world. I would listen to any comedy tape I could find. Monty Python, Billy Connolly…”

RYAN: “Rodney Rude?”

ME: “Yep, Rodney Rude, and Kevin Bloody Wilson, and The Twelfth Man!”

RYAN: “When was your first gig?”

ME: “I was 22!”

RYAN: “Wow, so you say you knew you wanted to do it when you were 14, but it still took you eight years?”

ME: “The best comedy is incredibly honest, and it’s taken me 15 years to get to the point where I am now where I can feel like I am completely honest onstage.”

RYAN: “They’re the comedians that I like to see…”

ME: “But that’s incredibly difficult to do, because if you are being completely honest, and someone doesn’t like your comedy, then that might as well be them saying they don’t like you!”

RYAN: “I’m thinking about it now, and it’s almost like putting in two years of a relationship with a girl into one routine. You’re being that vulnerable. It’s like you have come in at the two-year mark, where you really let your guard down and you say ‘You know what baby, here I am, I’m dropping everything for you, this is it’ and that’s where you start your routine… And then at the end of that ten minutes you’re either getting we love you too, or…”

ME: “Although ironically I could never hook up with a girl who liked my routine because I would have to think how do you like that guy, plus…”

RYAN: “That’s all the funniest shit you have to say for a year.”

ME: “Yep, and everything else would be a disappointment.”