Post by sbtbfanatic on Oct 13, 2013 15:01:05 GMT
When Dustin Diamond, known to many as Screech from “Saved by the Bell,” appeared on the U.K.’s version of “Celebrity Big Brother” this past summer, he was calm. He was laidback. He was quiet.
This wasn’t the aloof, aggressive Dustin Diamond who caused disturbances on many U.S. reality shows over the years, including 2007’s “Celebrity Fit Club.” He didn’t refuse to participate in challenges. He didn’t pick fights just for the sake of picking fights.
Diamond has a simple answer as to why viewers saw a completely different version of him across the pond. “On shows like (‘Celebrity Fit Club’), I had always been the bad guy. That was all scripted, though.”
His laid-back demeanor on “Celebrity Big Brother” didn’t endear himself to viewers, though, and Diamond was the fourth person evicted from the show. But he doesn’t have any regrets.
“The No. 1 draw of this was that while I had never seen it before, I knew this was an experience that is so unique, you can only do it once,” he says. “As boring or as hard as it was, or as much as you wanted it to stop, at the end of it, it is a really cool experience.”
Back in the United States, Diamond is on the road with his standup comedy. Now entering his 15th year as a comedian, he says that he feels you never stop learning about the craft.
“Seinfeld said it best when he said that the number of years you spend in standup is your maturity level in standup,” he says. “If you’ve been in it for 10 years, then you’re like a 10-year-old. I’ve been in it for 15 years, and I kind of agree with it. I feel like I’m really coming into my own.”
Following the career paths of current and past comedy legends fuels his desire, Diamond says.
“If you look at Brian Regan in the ’80s, the material is still him doing it but there’s so much more seasoning to it now,” he says. “There’s so much more sharpness and polish to his (current) portrayal of the same type of comedy. It’s the same sense of humor, but it’s just a more mature version of it. I’m looking forward to that, because it means that after 15 years in the industry, I’m going to get better and better at it. By the time I reach 20 years or so, I’m going to be ready for the big leagues. I’m going to feel ready for the big time.”
Until then, all a comedian can do is hit the road and work on material.
The only way to get better at standup is to do standup,” Diamond says. “There’s no practice area. Your practice is getting up on stage in front of people. Comedy in theory sounds so easy, but in practice is so hard.
This wasn’t the aloof, aggressive Dustin Diamond who caused disturbances on many U.S. reality shows over the years, including 2007’s “Celebrity Fit Club.” He didn’t refuse to participate in challenges. He didn’t pick fights just for the sake of picking fights.
Diamond has a simple answer as to why viewers saw a completely different version of him across the pond. “On shows like (‘Celebrity Fit Club’), I had always been the bad guy. That was all scripted, though.”
His laid-back demeanor on “Celebrity Big Brother” didn’t endear himself to viewers, though, and Diamond was the fourth person evicted from the show. But he doesn’t have any regrets.
“The No. 1 draw of this was that while I had never seen it before, I knew this was an experience that is so unique, you can only do it once,” he says. “As boring or as hard as it was, or as much as you wanted it to stop, at the end of it, it is a really cool experience.”
Back in the United States, Diamond is on the road with his standup comedy. Now entering his 15th year as a comedian, he says that he feels you never stop learning about the craft.
“Seinfeld said it best when he said that the number of years you spend in standup is your maturity level in standup,” he says. “If you’ve been in it for 10 years, then you’re like a 10-year-old. I’ve been in it for 15 years, and I kind of agree with it. I feel like I’m really coming into my own.”
Following the career paths of current and past comedy legends fuels his desire, Diamond says.
“If you look at Brian Regan in the ’80s, the material is still him doing it but there’s so much more seasoning to it now,” he says. “There’s so much more sharpness and polish to his (current) portrayal of the same type of comedy. It’s the same sense of humor, but it’s just a more mature version of it. I’m looking forward to that, because it means that after 15 years in the industry, I’m going to get better and better at it. By the time I reach 20 years or so, I’m going to be ready for the big leagues. I’m going to feel ready for the big time.”
Until then, all a comedian can do is hit the road and work on material.
The only way to get better at standup is to do standup,” Diamond says. “There’s no practice area. Your practice is getting up on stage in front of people. Comedy in theory sounds so easy, but in practice is so hard.
