I did start out as an actor. I went to Northwestern; I did musicals. I did plays.
'Billy on the Street' is a persona. It's crafted; it has writers. It's a mixture of performance art and comedy.
I don't mean to sound like a Pollyanna, but for me, New York is the ideal because of the diversity here. 'Billy on the Street' is really informed by that.
Saying gay people shouldn't be the punchline is basically saying don't make people the punch line, which I think is ridiculous. The whole point of comedy is, on some level, to make fun of ourselves and put everything into an absurdist context.
The mainstream needs Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell. The mainstream needs RuPaul.
When I came out to my parents, I knew that they knew. My father was like, 'Are you sure?' I literally said, 'You took me to see Barbra Streisand at Madison Square Garden.'
People going off on politics on Grindr is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. That's an immediate sign to run in the other direction.
'Billy On The Street' has no doubt always been about the people we talk to. That being said, it thrills me that the show really has a dedicated following in the comedy world.
I don't want to do something that's watered down. I don't want to take what I'm known for and dilute it.
I grew up worshipping Pee-wee Herman.
