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« Bill Engvall's Blog
The Bill Engvall Show: Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET on TBS
Hey, everyone, hope that you're continuing to enjoy The Bill Engvall Show. This week's blog is about the difference between stand-up comedy and acting on a sitcom. One of the questions that I always get asked is, “Which do you prefer? Stand-up or acting.” They are two completely different forms of entertainment, yet they are also somewhat similar. Stand-up basically involves me standing in front of a microphone and talking to people and hopefully making them laugh. There are no do-overs and the response is instant. I think that's one of the things that makes me love stand-up so much. I love being out on the high wire with no net. When you are doing a stand-up show and the crowd and you are on the same wavelength, there isn't a better feeling in the world. It is as if you are in total control. I have had several shows in which there was almost an out-of-body experience. Not to get weird here, but I see myself pacing back and forth and the audience is laughing and the feeling is awesome. I always thank my fans for buying the CDs and DVDs, but there is nothing quite like seeing a live performance. But as good a feeling as it is when you are “killing,” it can be just as bad when you are not in sync with the audience or it is just a bad night. There is nothing more painful to watch or be a part of than when a comedian is dying on stage. Now here's a weird thought: Whether it's good or bad on stage, the verbs are both dark, "killing" or "dying." If you are doing great you are killing, but if you are doing badly you are dying. Doesn’t sound like a win-win situation, does it?
Now let's look at acting. I love being an actor. It is so much fun to take someone else’s words and make them come to life. In acting there is a moment for me in each scene that defines the story line, or makes a statement about your character. I think that's the difference between a good actor and a great actor. The actors who are able to find those moments are the ones who define great roles. People like Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman find those moments and make them their own. That, my friends, makes a great actor. One of the good things about acting that you cannot do in stand-up is what I like to call the do-over. If you flub a line or hit the wrong mark, it's OK because you can just do it over. Trust me, I have my share of do-overs in the course of a taping. But having this ability to do-over also gives you the chance to find that moment that we talked about earlier. Theater is most like stand-up in that sense. An actor on stage doesn’t have the ability to do it over: You'd better nail it on the first take. Now, the down side of television acting is that you don’t get that instant response. You don’t know if the viewer at home is sitting in front of the television laughing or reaching for the remote while muttering, “He sucks.” Hopefully you are sitting there with your family and laughing hysterically. On stage I play a character, in my stand-up I am Bill Engvall. It is fun to step into someone else’s life and try to see things through another set of eyes, but it can also be scary and weird. On stage I know exactly what I am thinking because it is me. So which do I like more? I'll leave it like this, and please don’t be upset that this isn't a deep thought, because I am not really a deep thinker. (I know that comes as a shock to some of you.) Stand-up and acting to me are like pizza: There are different kinds but I love them all. I am saying that I am blessed to be able to do both and have a blast doing them.
I hope you'll continue to enjoy me and my television family, the Pearsons, every Tuesday on TBS.
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Aug 8, 2007 12:35 PM
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Bill, you and Nancy Travis are a hoot together. You were trying so very hard to be supportive. I also liked when the children just "vanished" the minute you were asking them to do a chore. Yep, that's real life. Keep up the fun. I need the laughs.
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Aug 8, 2007 4:35 PM
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I love this little gem. It is about a very real family and what does go on behind closed doors. These are two people who love and respect each other and get their kids. (As much as any of us can!)
The thing I really appreciate is that the father is a good man and not treated like some idiot who lives in the house. Raymond and other shows make men look like idiots. This guy is just a dad and a man and a caring person who is respected while being treated like "a dad".
Thanks for the wonderful writing. My husband just started watching and he loves it too. Thank heaven for digital on-demand.
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Aug 9, 2007 9:31 AM
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I saw Bill live here in Knoxville, TN a couple of years ago. The show was not only a riot, but he was very generous and posed for pictures and autographs with everyone who wanted one after the show.
My wife, son, and I stood in line for about 30 minutes and when we got to the table he said Hello and I said, "Oh! I thought this was the line for the bathroom!"
Bill cracked up and said the line for the bathroom was longer! We both laughed and my wife said "You made Bill Engvall laugh!"
I love his sitcom and I encourage anyone who hasn't done it yet to watch the show. Also, read Bill's new book "Just a Guy" it's very funny and poignant too.
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Aug 9, 2007 9:35 AM
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My family and I are totally enjoying the new show! We are really relating to it because we have three teenagers, and some of the scenes on the show have been carbon copies of conversations we've had with our kids. Keep up the great work!
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Aug 9, 2007 11:14 PM
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Unfortunately the show is not funny or clever at all. The kids in the show have the best lines but they are definitely not sufficient to carry the show. The upside, The show gives me time to take a shower before another rerun of" Everybody Loves Raymond".
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Aug 9, 2007 11:44 PM
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I really enjoy the show! As another poster said, you and Nancy Travis are hilarious as a couple - and the three kids are great!
Your show gives me something to look forward to on Tuesday nights!
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Aug 10, 2007 8:43 AM
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Bill, Kudos! You've made a pair of grandparents very happy with your new show. We love everyone on the show, and we especially love your mother. Your line: "I'm sorry, I just meant to think that!" is now one of our household's jokes. We like you as much as we liked Seinfeld in the 90s, and we're big fans of Jerry Seinfeld.
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Aug 16, 2007 11:11 AM
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