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Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/62822
PEOPLE After he thanks the server for his cup of coffee, he shares with me his early influences in show business. He knew he wanted to be either a comedian or comic-actor while in the sixth grade, and recalls listening to Steve Martin's album, Let's Get Small. "I was only 10-years-old when I heard jokes on records. Then, all of a sudden, I started buying all these comedy records!" He goes on to share with me his first onstage experience. "So, this guy Larry and I were in a school play. I didn't want anything to do with the play, so I decided to do a two-minute narration. It would be over and I'd never have to do it again. So, we did a narration, and when it was over we couldn't find where to go through the curtain. We didn't know which way to exit! The more we panicked, the more the crowd laughed —really hard." After letters poured into the school from people in the audience saying how their "favorite part was Jim and Larry not finding their way out of the curtains. It was hilarious," Jim felt a sense of affirmation. "That's when I began to think, How cool! I can really make people laugh. I guess I would describe these as the beginning key moments," says Jim. Jim began doing stand-up Zookeeper, starring Kevin James, Rosario Dawson and Adam Sandler. Jim confesses to me that he has a desire for more serious roles. "I would like to do Dram-edy" —a blend of drama and comedy, noting Goodfellas and Little Miss Sunshine as examples. Jim's one-hour Comedy Central special, "Let's Jim's acclaimed autobiography, Clear the Air" premiered with hilarious topics that included: what "success" really is, his SNL days, life with his elderly parents, his wife and three daughters… His love for his family is apparent in his comedy as he expresses how much his life has changed for the best. "Being a family man makes you responsible… I went all clean in '98, but also I wanted to be hilarious, wholesome, with good humor… but I still want the howl! I want my kids to watch my stand-up and laugh really hard." He mentions that Bill Cosby's performance is still one of the greatest of all time. "My 7-year-old imitates it, my 86- year-old mother imitates it, and I imitate it. [Comedy like] that hasn't been done in a long time." "I'm Not High:(But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior)," comedy his senior year of high school, and confesses he was pretty cocky then. "I thought I could do it once, and then the next day I thought I would be making movies. Eventually, I learned you have to go out there and really go after it." During that time, his mother had a heart attack and his dad gave him advice he has never forgotten: "You do this while you are still young. You don't want to be an old man resenting what you haven't done in life." Jim complied. "I studied it and watched shows. I thought: I know I can do that, I know I can be better than that guy." He never doubted that he would have a career in comedy. His big break came in 1995 when he joined the cast of NBC's legendary hit show, Saturday Night Live. During his four years on SNL, Jim quickly became a fan-favorite for his original character "Goat Boy" and his dead-on impressions of actor Joe Pesci. was released in paperback September 2011. In the memoir, Jim sheds light on his early struggles, his rise to fame and the many lessons he has learned along the way in an extremely funny, yet personal and touching way that fans have never seen before. "There will be something for everybody, from kids to metal heads, to parents, to grandparents, to cartoon-lovers and beyond," says Jim. In addition to keeping busy on his current comedy tour: "Heavy Metal Family Man," Jim can also be heard on his weekly Sirius/XM Radio show "Fridays With Breuer" and podcast hit, "Podcast Masters." He explains to me that technology has really influenced his work and his personal life. "I've gotten really into 'skyping' and 'face-time.' Nothing is better than the iPad and iPhone —its freaking awesome! It's helped my family become so much closer. For instance, I'm in Arizona and they are at home. It's helped my family and I communicate. I am able to actually play with my kids using its technology. I feel it has helped me become more creative. I also use it to do videos on my website." On his iPod he has various artists such as: Metallica, Seal, Def Leppard, Bob Marley... Jim continues to stay busy by appearing on various television Jim's first passion is acting on the silver screen. "I thought I was going to be the first De Niro coming out of Long Island. I started getting all these lead roles in plays, and then I got my first television spot right after I started stand-up comedy with Nickelodeon. I definitely wanted to act." Following his success on SNL, Jim starred alongside Dave Chappelle in the cult classic film, Half Baked (1998). "What people don't realize is that when that movie came out, it still took a year for it to come out on video —it wasn't even [available] on DVD yet. When it came out [in theaters] it made like $12 million tops… I'm going to say it was probably one of the first movies to prove you could be a Blockbuster once you go on DVD." Since then, Jim has appeared in the popular films such as: Dick, Titan A.E. and Beer League. His most recent film is the animated comedy, shows including: Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live and NBC's hit The Marriage Ref. Most recently, Jim wrapped up a national tour alongside three of the nation's top comedians: Dave Attell, Bill Burr and Jim Norton, with "The Anti- Social Network." I fortunately attended his stand-up act later that evening. With complete control of the room, he transported the audience into his stories, and left us with his signature corky and intoxicating laugh. It was an honest and refreshing comedic performance. His gift for entertaining is by far impressive. He doesn't just tell jokes; he connects with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Jim is more than just a stand-up comedian —he's personal and gifted. That day I had the pleasure of meeting the comedian, "Goat Boy," the Dad, and the "Spiritual Warrior." ML MIAMI LIVING 65