Post by Perculiar Chicken on Apr 12, 2006 6:31:14 GMT -5
Hey guys,
This article and mini interview on Dustin came out today in the CIN Weekly. Enjoy!
www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/ENT08/604120318
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Raw Diamond
See former 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond at Go Bananas
TABARI MCCOY | CIN WEEKLY
The man behind the infamous nerd Screech, Dustin Diamond, brings his stand-up routine to town this weekend.
JUST THE FACTS
WHAT: Dustin Diamond with Tyrone Hawkins
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Saturday; and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 13-16
WHERE: Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery
PRICE: $10 Thursday and Sunday, $15 Friday, $17 Saturday
PARKING: Free in surrounding lot
CONTACT: (513) 984-9288 or www.gobananascomedy.com
He's released a CD as part of the rock group Salty the Pocketknife, pummeled a former "Sweathog" on Celebrity Boxing 2 and been ranked No. 16 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Kid Stars.
But according to Dustin Diamond - aka Saved by the Bell's immortal geek savant Samuel "Screech" Powers - being famous isn't what his life is all about.
"Twenty-one years in the industry has taught me there are different reasons people are in this business, fame being the least important and the (least) worthwhile," he says. "People who are solely in it for fame to be famous, they lose sight of the real goodness that can come out of it, which is the performing and, especially in comedy, is making people laugh."
COMEDY TO GO
Diamond headlines several shows this week at Go Bananas. An actor with numerous TV appearances to his credit, Diamond has also appeared in several feature films including Made, which earned him a 2002 MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Cameo.
But Diamond says his current focus is "the most raw form of entertainment" - stand-up comedy.
"It's you, a microphone and an audience, and you basically live and die by your jokes. There's not a room full of men in their 40s writing stuff for you; it's you putting your heart on your sleeve and baring it all for an audience," he says. "It's very nerve-wracking, but (a) rewarding process to get out there because when people are really into it, you've created a bond with the audience ... To come off the TV show and want to re-invent myself in another way seemed logical."
BEYOND THE BELL
Diamond says relationships are the focus of his act, which he warns is both "very aggressive" and "very dirty."
But people still ask him about the show, which ran for 10 seasons on NBC.
"Part of me wants to be a smartass and go, 'Hey, Kelly and Zack don't exist so I don't know how they are,' " he says. "On the other hand, I understand they might be asking how the actors are doing and I'll reply comedically by saying, 'Well, I don't know - I haven't been to the unemployment office in a while.' "
Diamond does like the fan adoration, although he admits it came at a price.
"It's fantastic to have people ... feel like they can take something great away from your work," he says. "(But) for me ... we killed Saturday morning cartoons ... Now, the market is flooded with these live-action dramas and sitcoms because of us."
INNER FULFILLMENT
When he's not performing, Diamond runs a charitable children's foundation (www.dustindiamondfoundation.com). Like his charity work, his time on stage is also fulfilling. "It's a chance to spread my wings and let some of my inner demons out," he says. "During that hour on stage, I'm at home."
DUSTIN DIAMOND ON WEIRD FANS, CELEBRITY BOXING AND GROUPIES
Q Saved by the Bell was an immensely popular show with a pretty strong - and we're assuming somewhat crazy - fan base. What was the weirdest fan encounter you've ever had?
A One guy in Edmonton - and this was the second time it's happened, believe it or not - came up and liked the show so much he wanted me to autograph his calf on his leg.
I said 'Oh, OK,' so I signed it, and he ran to a tattoo parlor and came to the show the next night and had my name tattooed on his calf. So there's a guy in Edmonton with my name permanently tattooed on his leg. That's a little strange - I didn't know whether to feel flattered or creeped out.
Q On Celebrity Boxing 2 a few years ago, you beat the crap out of Ron Pallilo (formerly Horshack on '70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter) - how much fun was that?
A It was a blast. It's TV, it's (all) smoke and mirrors, but it was pretty fun. Anything of comedic value or (that) is just really funny is always something I'm interested in.
Q Zack (Mark Paul Gosselaar) and Slater (Mario Lopez) got all the girls on camera on Saved by the Bell - did you have a lot of female fans in real life?
A Oh yeah! I was also a pretty smooth talker - I'm kind of a silver-tongued devil - and playing a character like Screech, you need to be smooth! ... People always talk about the main cast members with the Lisas (Lark Voorhees), the Kellys (Tiffani Thiessen) and the Jessies (Elizabeth Berkley) and stuff, and problem is, you work with these girls every single day, they become like sisters and if something goes wrong, you can't be away from them.
What I found was if you focused on the girls in the background, the girls who were guest stars with no lines, they changed every week and it was like a smorgasbord! Every week, I picked out a different girl and had my fun. Those were the perks!
This article and mini interview on Dustin came out today in the CIN Weekly. Enjoy!
www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/ENT08/604120318
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Raw Diamond
See former 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond at Go Bananas
TABARI MCCOY | CIN WEEKLY
The man behind the infamous nerd Screech, Dustin Diamond, brings his stand-up routine to town this weekend.
JUST THE FACTS
WHAT: Dustin Diamond with Tyrone Hawkins
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Saturday; and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 13-16
WHERE: Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery
PRICE: $10 Thursday and Sunday, $15 Friday, $17 Saturday
PARKING: Free in surrounding lot
CONTACT: (513) 984-9288 or www.gobananascomedy.com
He's released a CD as part of the rock group Salty the Pocketknife, pummeled a former "Sweathog" on Celebrity Boxing 2 and been ranked No. 16 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Kid Stars.
But according to Dustin Diamond - aka Saved by the Bell's immortal geek savant Samuel "Screech" Powers - being famous isn't what his life is all about.
"Twenty-one years in the industry has taught me there are different reasons people are in this business, fame being the least important and the (least) worthwhile," he says. "People who are solely in it for fame to be famous, they lose sight of the real goodness that can come out of it, which is the performing and, especially in comedy, is making people laugh."
COMEDY TO GO
Diamond headlines several shows this week at Go Bananas. An actor with numerous TV appearances to his credit, Diamond has also appeared in several feature films including Made, which earned him a 2002 MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Cameo.
But Diamond says his current focus is "the most raw form of entertainment" - stand-up comedy.
"It's you, a microphone and an audience, and you basically live and die by your jokes. There's not a room full of men in their 40s writing stuff for you; it's you putting your heart on your sleeve and baring it all for an audience," he says. "It's very nerve-wracking, but (a) rewarding process to get out there because when people are really into it, you've created a bond with the audience ... To come off the TV show and want to re-invent myself in another way seemed logical."
BEYOND THE BELL
Diamond says relationships are the focus of his act, which he warns is both "very aggressive" and "very dirty."
But people still ask him about the show, which ran for 10 seasons on NBC.
"Part of me wants to be a smartass and go, 'Hey, Kelly and Zack don't exist so I don't know how they are,' " he says. "On the other hand, I understand they might be asking how the actors are doing and I'll reply comedically by saying, 'Well, I don't know - I haven't been to the unemployment office in a while.' "
Diamond does like the fan adoration, although he admits it came at a price.
"It's fantastic to have people ... feel like they can take something great away from your work," he says. "(But) for me ... we killed Saturday morning cartoons ... Now, the market is flooded with these live-action dramas and sitcoms because of us."
INNER FULFILLMENT
When he's not performing, Diamond runs a charitable children's foundation (www.dustindiamondfoundation.com). Like his charity work, his time on stage is also fulfilling. "It's a chance to spread my wings and let some of my inner demons out," he says. "During that hour on stage, I'm at home."
DUSTIN DIAMOND ON WEIRD FANS, CELEBRITY BOXING AND GROUPIES
Q Saved by the Bell was an immensely popular show with a pretty strong - and we're assuming somewhat crazy - fan base. What was the weirdest fan encounter you've ever had?
A One guy in Edmonton - and this was the second time it's happened, believe it or not - came up and liked the show so much he wanted me to autograph his calf on his leg.
I said 'Oh, OK,' so I signed it, and he ran to a tattoo parlor and came to the show the next night and had my name tattooed on his calf. So there's a guy in Edmonton with my name permanently tattooed on his leg. That's a little strange - I didn't know whether to feel flattered or creeped out.
Q On Celebrity Boxing 2 a few years ago, you beat the crap out of Ron Pallilo (formerly Horshack on '70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter) - how much fun was that?
A It was a blast. It's TV, it's (all) smoke and mirrors, but it was pretty fun. Anything of comedic value or (that) is just really funny is always something I'm interested in.
Q Zack (Mark Paul Gosselaar) and Slater (Mario Lopez) got all the girls on camera on Saved by the Bell - did you have a lot of female fans in real life?
A Oh yeah! I was also a pretty smooth talker - I'm kind of a silver-tongued devil - and playing a character like Screech, you need to be smooth! ... People always talk about the main cast members with the Lisas (Lark Voorhees), the Kellys (Tiffani Thiessen) and the Jessies (Elizabeth Berkley) and stuff, and problem is, you work with these girls every single day, they become like sisters and if something goes wrong, you can't be away from them.
What I found was if you focused on the girls in the background, the girls who were guest stars with no lines, they changed every week and it was like a smorgasbord! Every week, I picked out a different girl and had my fun. Those were the perks!
