Kidsday talks with comedian Frank Caliendo

BY MICHAEL BARNETT, GLEN BOEHMER AND DANIEL COLLINS
Kidsday Reporters, Ages 11 and 12, West Hempstead and Hicksville

July 27, 2008

We interviewed comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo after one of his shows recently.

Who was the first person you did an impression?

Jay Leno. I was looking in the mirror and I had my chin out and I Hey I like those natural cheese flavored Doritos. You guys should . . . "

How do you prepare your impressions?

I dance. Each individual impression I watch each individual person and try to figure it out. My brain just kind of break sit down that way. When I do an impression it is like I am looking in the mirror and I almost see it looking back at me. I know that it sound kind of weird but it is true. I used to watch a lot of that kind of stuff, now I can just feel it. I just practice the voice over and over and say the ABCs. If you can say the ABCs you can say any sentence.

What makes you choose the voices you imitate?

One if they are popular two if they will go across a wide audience. Like Charles Barkley does basketball, but he doesn't do just basketball. He also does commercials, so people don't just see the basketball stuff they see the commercials too.

Who is your inspiration?

As a kid growing up, it was Robin Williams, and Jonathan Winters. Most people would think it would be impressionists; it was more the guys who did the crazy, zany characters.

Who is your favorite person to do an impression of?

I would say the President is fun, Al Pacino, Barkley is a lot of fun. John Madden is always a lot of fun b because no one had done it before so it was different than what people had done.

Have people you have done impressions of been in the audience?

Well I have done on the tonight Show with Jay Leno, I did Letterman with Letterman. Terry Bradshaw has been in the audience James Brown came once to see me, JB the one who went to CBS not the one who breaks out into a cold sweat.

If this career didn't work out, what was your backup plan?

You are a realist aren't you? I went to school for broadcast journalism so I graduated with a degree in radio and television so I probably would have done stuff for Kidsday. I would have been a dancer, I don't know! I am so glad this worked.

After a show has a celebrity contacted you and told you not to do it again?

No. Nobody has ever said don't do it I think there are people who have thought it, but no one has said that.

Have you ever used an impression to get a reservation at a restaurant?

No, but radio stations have had me do terrible terrible things to people that I won't do anymore. I would call up and say I am John Madden quitting Monday Night Football. That didn't go over well. "Use your powers for good instead of evil."

How many people can you do?

I don't know, I stopped counting. I would say four but I might be low. It's probably 50 to 100. You start going back to the old, old people like Walter Brennan and stuff like that. You can't really count that.

Do you consider yourself an impressionist or a comedian?

Both. The big difference is people say are you an impersonator that is somebody who dresses up like Elvis. I do impressions; I am not trying to trick anybody thinking I am somebody else. I just go out there to have fun and make people laugh. I weave mine into almost traditional types of stand-up comedy.

What advice do you give to kids who aspire to e an impressionist or comedian?

Just go out there and try and do it. Keep it clean. I am basically G-rated, anybody can come see my show. You got to do it over and over and have fun.

Would you like to stay doing TV stuff or would you like to be in a movie?

I actually did a movie recently and I am not worried about being in movies; it takes too long I just do whatever has fun and make enough money to make my family life nice. To me it is just about just having fun.

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