David Koechner has a simple-yet-eloquent response for anyone who asks him for advice on how to make it in showbiz: “If you’re asking, you’re already behind.”
Rather than an upstart seeking sage guidance on their own path, Mr. Koechner believes the question is not so much about self-improvement as it self-aggrandizement.
“They want either compliments, reassurance or a short cut. That’s my perception,” the comedian and actor known for “Anchorman” told The Washington Times ahead of his weekend stint at the Arlington Drafthouse.
“I think first and foremost you have to … feel this burning desire in your heart to get your artistic self a platform,” he said. “If you can make someone money doing what you do, guess what, they’re going to like you. That’s really what it comes down to. And we always forget that.”
Mr. Koechner should know. The native of Tipton, Missouri, has been carving a career in Hollywood for decades, as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and in dozens of comedies like “Semi-Pro,” “Get Smart” and, of course, as the 10-gallon hat-sporting newscaster Champ Kind in the Will Ferrell-starring “Anchorman” films. The 54-year-old is busier than ever, with four films in the can — including the drama “Priceless,” set for release Oct. 14, and next year’s revival of “Twin Peaks.”
“It’s just using another set of muscles is the way I look at it,” Mr. Koechner says of switching it from comedy to drama. “Every comic is an actor; not every actor is a comic. Opportunities came along, and I took them.”
In his live show Mr. Koechner focuses less on backstage tales of Hollywood and more on his life as a husband and father to five children.
“It’s a comedy show — it’s my comedy show. Every standup is different. If you see stand-ups that are the same, then they not putting their lives into it,” he said. “So it’s my life on stage.
“My family keeps me sane. That’s the real rudder. No matter what, that’s what’s important.”
Life on the road typically doesn’t allow for much sightseeing, but Mr. Koechner said he hopes to catch up with some old friends while in the District and possibly visit George Washington’s estate at Mt. Vernon.
He also may knock on the door of one of the District’s preeminent newscasters.
“Maybe I’ll give my buddy Jake Tapper a call, see if I can get him out for lunch,” Mr. Koechner said of the CNN host. “I met him at a charity event a few years ago, and he’s got quite a mind. He’s always fun to hang around with.”
Mr. Koechner counts among his influences Monty Python, the Marx Brothers and Flip Wilson. But he sticks to his guns when pressed on what advice he gives to journeyman comics and actors.
“These days it’s more that you need to be famous. It means that there’s a hole in your soul that you need to fill,” he said of the “me” culture of the internet. “And guess what: Fame is not going to fill it, it’s going to blow it open.”
Rather than seeking fame for its own sake, he advises reading and constant writing to hone the craft of creativity and performance.
“Write 750 words that vomit out of your head and heart every morning,” he said. “But I truly do feel when someone says ’Can you give me some advice?’ it’s ’what’s the short cut or am I good enough? They want reassurance [but] the only reassurance can come from you,” he said. “Because in life and in show business, I believe there’s only one person in front of you and that’s you.
“When someone says ’Oh, so and so got the job again over me,’ no, you’re up against yourself. No one is in your way except yourself.
“Damn, this turned into a TED talk real quick,” the brash comedian said with a hearty heartland laugh.
David Koechner performs Friday and Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m. at the Arlington Drafthouse, located at 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington Virginia, 22204. Tickets are $25 by calling 703/486-2345 or visiting ArlingtonDrafthouse.com/drafthouse.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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