Chris Redd is a renowned stand-up comedian. For those of us familiar with his work, “stand-up comedian” might not be the first description that comes to mind, as he just wrapped up a five-season run on Saturday night live. In addition to his comedic musical works, which earned him an Emmy for ‘Come Back, Barack’, he has also become known as an impressionist on the show, mainly for his absurd and hilarious portrayal of the infamous Kanye West. You may not like the print, but it turns out that Redd doesn’t either, as he doesn’t consider himself an impressionist at all.
I recently caught up with Chris Redd to talk about his HBO Max special, Because I am? When I mentioned her rather strong impression of Ye, she had this to say:
I’m not interested in being an impressionist. It wasn’t interesting to me because, telling jokes and having the right characters, it was so much more: it’s the Richards, it’s the Daves. Eddie was good at both, you know, I mean telling stories with a joke rate, with a high joke rate is way more important to me than looking like a guy just to look like him. SNL has given me a lot of appreciation for being an impressionist, and I try to be as honest as possible… people were always on my butt when I lost my mark on impressions and said, “I don’t!” I do my best bitch!
If you see Because I am? Redd’s statements make a lot of sense. He can do voices and play characters, but he doesn’t do impressions. With a show like SNL, where casting is limited, they expect a lot from their performers, and Redd found himself in a position where he had to create impressions that he otherwise never would have included in his comedy. They didn’t put it too often and probably kept Ye because of its relevance in pop culture. And, of course, because Redd’s “Ye Sounds” is hilarious. Other than that, he has often portrayed multiple B-list pop culture personalities in his various music videos, once appearing as a member of black Eyed Peas .
His mention of Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor implies that he is more interested in telling personal stories than impersonations. That’s not the only thing he and Chappelle have in common, as they’ve both been victims a recent attack . Don’t worry, like Redd had surgery and is fine. . He is even in a good mood, he tells me: “the punch in the face made me more determined!”
Chris Redd may be gone sl of their own free will, but also Lorne Michaels thinks that’s a good thing . There doesn’t seem to be any ill will towards show business, and in the process, he’s even gained a perspective on impressionists that he never wanted to be. He went on to say this:
I’ll say the same thing, on the other hand, people call me a bit of an impressionist, it was very flattering because I felt good, you know what I mean? But I found that last year I had a lot of fun making them. So I thought, whatever impression I can have fun with, I think I can knock the park out. Even if I’m wrong, I know I can find comedy there. So I have a lot of respect for the impressionists, much more than before.
you can see Because I am? on HBO Max (opens in a new tab) now! The special is hilarious and gives you a cathartic look into a comedian’s sanity. If you want to see for yourself, there are plenty of options to shop at HBO Max subscription.
Source: Cinemablend
