Brandon Gibson – Laugh Til it Hurts

Q.  What are the current projects that you are working on?

A.  I just finished shooting a series regular role on “Totally Busted.”  It’s a hidden camera show on Playboy T.V. in its third season.  I also have a show coming out soon on CBS called “Fire Me, Please.”  I just shot a series of CSI promos for Spike TV that air this week in addition to 2 National commercials for Johnsonville Brats.  I’m doing some work for MTV on a show called “Yo Momma’s So Fat” with Wilmer Valderamma from “That 70’s Show.”  I am doing some consulting and writing for them. 

Q.  What is it about improv that intrigued you?

A.  Improv is fully off the top of your head and you can create ANYTHING you want.  The characters, places, situations are all open to anything that’s out there.  You are in control of the whole thing.

Q.  “Fire Me, Please” is all improv, do you feel pressured every show to have to make everything you do funny?

A.  I don’t feel any pressure to make things funny.  People improvise in every day in many different ways and it’s naturally funny.  All you have to do islisten and change the “normal” just a little bit and things become funny.  Relationships are the things that create the most comedy.  Characters and situations are secondary.  HUGE examples: “Seinfeld” & “Married With Children.”  All about relationships.  Situations are the icing on the cake. 

Q.  What can you tell us about the show “Guilty or Innocent” and your role?

A.  “Guilty or Innocent” is a crime drama in which the shows are based on real cases.  In my episodes, I played attorney Joe Bodine, an attorney from Cleveland who helps a priest re-examine evidence in a murder case which has been closed in an effort to get a seemingly innocent man off of death row.  It was one of my first tastes of serious drama and I have gotten a lot of positive feedback.  I’d like to do more drama.  Hopefully you can see more soon. 

Q.  What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

A.  I really enjoyed “Totally Busted.”  It was a lot of fun to go in and play a different character every day and mess with people and get paid for it.  The cast and crew were awesome and I look forward to next season. 

Q.  You’ve done both drama and comedy, is there anything else that you’d like to get involved in?

A.  I have been in talks with some people in the hosting world.  I’d like to do some hosting too.  But above all else, my ultimate goal is “Saturday Night Live.”  I have done a ton of sketch comedy and improv  plus my 16 years of Stand-Up, so I have prepared myself well.  I have wanted to be a part of that show since I was a kid and one day, if I have anything to say about it, you’ll see me on there.

Q.  You’ve gotten to work with a lot of amazing comedians, who is your all time favorite?

A.  My favorite comedian of all time is Jim Carrey.  From his early days of Stand-Up to “In Living Color,” Ace Ventura to his current projects all continue to inspire me.  He and I have very similar backgrounds and have traveled many of the same roads.  I got a chance to meet him at a screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  I didn’t get to talk to him as much as I’d like to, but I stole a couple of minutes and got a picture with him which I keep in plain view at my home to continually inspire me.

Q.  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A.  I like to spend time with my family.  I have a beautiful wife and 4 year old daughter that bless and inspire me every day.  We enjoy going to theme parks, playing volleyball and going to the park to let our dog run around and wish we had a tenth of her energy.

Q.  What has it been like for you getting to work with Wilmer Valderamma on “Yo Momma’s So Fat,” and how did you get involved with this project?

A.  The show is just getting started but it has been a fun process.  Once I get more into it, I’ll give you more details but it’s been fun so far.  I got involved by getting to know a couple of casting goddesses from other projects over at MTV.  Natasha Cuba and Blythe Capello.  Blythe saw me on a different project and took a liking to me and sent me to meet Natasha in an effort to get me involved in another project which I hope to mention in the next interview.  Natasha got involved with “Yo Momma’s So Fat” and called me to get involved as well.  That is the short Reader’s Digest version.

Q.  Is there anything that you’d like to say to fans and supporters?

A.  To all of my fans and supporters, I’d just like to say thank you and I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.  I look forward to that HUGE Throw Down party we’ll have when I get the BIG paycheck.  To all of those that doubted me or wanted me to “get a real job,” you are an idiot and I hope one day you buy shoes that are too small, have to wear them all day, they give you blisters and when you try to return them, they won’t give you your money back.  I’ll sum it all up to the nay-sayers by saying….Na-Na-Na Boo-Boo.