Interview · moment 6 of 26
Moving to the City and What Makes You a 'Real' Comedian
from #261 - Please, Die Alone | The Tim Dillon Show · #261
4 min
Guest
Canal recalls Tim announcing he was moving to Manhattan after the Rodney incident, and they discuss how staying in Long Island lets you keep a normal job/identity, while moving to NYC forces comedy to become the organizing principle of your life.
- Tim whispers that he's moving to the city next week.
- Rodney Dangerfield had legitimately suffered a heart attack and was in cardiac recovery.
- Tim couldn't barely tell it was Rodney in the impersonation—doing a Dangerfield bit is a young man's game.
- Tim lived in an apartment in the East Village, in Alphabet City, and was the first among the group to actually move.
- He moved soon after Tim because hanging out with him made him realize the city setup worked better.
- Open mics on Long Island are easy because you drive, park, do your set, and leave—not like the subway rides and bar-to-bar grind in the city.
- When you make the sacrifice to move to New York City, you're taking on a different identity.
- Tim argues it's not about money—being a real comedian means it has to be the organizing principle of your life.
- To be a comedian, the choice to pursue it has to shape your decisions and life path.
- They knew in Long Island what they didn't want to be, which was a great thing about starting there.