411 Movies Interview: Victoria Jackson
Posted by Tony Farinella on 11.05.2007
411's Tony Farinella sits down with Victoria Jackson of Saturday Night Live fame!
It's hard to ignore Victoria Jackson's distinctive voice. If you've heard it before, you know what I'm talking about. Victoria is probably best known for her time on Saturday Night Live, where she impersonated such celebrities as Roseanne Barr, Cyndi Lauper, Linda Blair, and many, many more. Now, Victoria is featured on Thou Shalt Laugh 2 - The Deuce, which showcases some of the best Christian comics. It also proves that you don't need to use four letter words to be funny. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Victoria to talk about the DVD release of Thou Shalt Laugh 2 - The Deuce, her faith, SNL, and a whole lot more.
TONY:Thou Shalt Laugh is a very unique concept. It shows that you don't need to use four letter words to entertain the audience. Was that something that spoke to you?
Victoria Jackson: No, it never spoke to me. Basically, I didn't understand how bad words ever got into comedy. What do bad words have to do with being funny anyway? I think they're just there for people who don't have good material.
TONY: Personally, I've always found it rather lazy. I think it takes more talent and more creativity to get laughs without using bad words. I don't find the F word funny.
Victoria Jackson: Yeah, I mean, there's nothing funny about saying the F word, but I think the best comedians are Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin, and they're not dirty at all. Also, I've heard that Dennis Regan is like the best comedian, and I haven't heard him yet, but everybody I know says he's the best. And he's not dirty. Jerry Seinfeld is the best stand-up of all, and Steve Martin, and they're not dirty. That's because they're really smart.
TONY: Do you also feel a responsibility as a mother to keep your material clean?
Victoria Jackson: Well, first of all, I've never said bad words, because my dad raised me that way, and I'm a Christian, so that's one reason. But even if I wasn't a Christian, I think it's more classy not to use bad language. We don't even say the word f-a-r-t in our family. I just think it's low-class.
TONY: It seems like comedy is more popular than ever here in 2007. We have comedians on myspace, on You Tube, and all over the place. How do you feel technology has helped comedy overall?
Victoria Jackson: I never thought about that. Well, I think that being a comedian, I guess technology has helped. I don't know. I think it's hard to get work when you're an artist. I don't think there's ever enough work when you're an artist.
TONY: You've mentioned Steve Martin and Jerry Seinfeld, but what up-and-coming comedians really impress you?
Victoria Jackson: Oh, man. I like the show The Office, and I love the show 30 Rock. I just think Tina Fey, I love her sense of humor, and I think she's really smart. But-up and-coming stand-ups, I don't really know, because I don't even go into that world, because I'm a mom and I'm so busy all the time. I never go to stand-up comedy clubs, and I don't have time to watch videos or hardly any TV, so I don't even know who the up-and-coming ones are. I don't hardly know who the old ones are. (laughs)
TONY: You've also mentioned in this interview that you're a mother. How do you balance your time?
Victoria Jackson: Because my daughter's at school from 8 to 3, and most of my stand-up gigs are on the weekend, so I'll leave on a Friday, perform on Saturday, and come home on Sunday. And I only do it like once a month, and my mom and my husband babysit. Yeah, that's how.
TONY: Personally, I don't think comedians get enough credit. I mean, it's so hard to make people laugh. It's probably one of the hardest things to do in the entire world. Do you think a lot of people don't realize how hard your job is?
Victoria Jackson: I think they know how hard it is, because I feel like the audience gets a little nervous for the person up there, because I've heard that speaking in front of people is one of people's greatest fears. Maybe the number one greatest fear. I think I heard that death was number two. (laughs) So, I get the feeling when I'm up there, I sort of feel like they're nervous for me. So, I think it's appreciated, and also I think that because they're nervous for you, they're more easier to laugh. Most comedy isn't that funny to me, like mine and everyone else's, but I think that because the person is standing up there vulnerable and naked that the audience laughs more, because of the scariness of the whole thing.
TONY: How much did you learn from being on Saturday Night Live? That had to be a great learning experience.
Victoria Jackson: I think it's like comedy college. I must have learned a lot. I remember Dana Carvey, when I was doing my first impression I'd ever done, and it was Rosanne Barr, and I was in a fat suit and I had a wig on, and I was so nervous and I said, "Dana, what if I slip out of character, and I become Vicki all of a sudden?" He handed me a glass of water, and he goes, "Just cop an attitude. Just cop an attitude." And I didn't know exactly what that meant, but I just thought it was the cutest thing. It's sort of like commit to the character and just have fun, and then it will be alright, but I must have learned a lot from there. It was very scary and it was competitive and kind of survival of the fittest atmosphere. There were a lot of tears and anguish, but all in all, it was the most exciting job someone could have, and everything else pales in comparison.
TONY: When you were doing your various impressions of famous people on Saturday Night Live, did you ever get a chance to meet the person you were impersonating? And if so, how did they respond?
Victoria Jackson: Good question. I met Rosanne Barr in a gift shop in L.A., and I think she saw me and she kind of hid in the back. And I forced myself to go up to her, and I said, "Hi, Rosanne." I was so nervous, and I was like, "I do an impression of you." And she said, "I know. You do it better than I do myself." (In Rosanne voice)
TONY: (laughs)
Victoria Jackson: And then she sent me an invitation to her wedding to Tom Arnold, I think, so that was really sweet, because she took it really nicely. Then I ran into Linda Blair, and I had done a not so nice impression of her, and I kind of feel guilty about it. I think it's mean to make fun of people for comedy, and for some reason, SNL has done it for years, but what's that saying? Imitation is the highest form of flattery? That's true, but on the other hand, when I was Sally Struthers in a fat suit doing an impression of her saying feed the children while she's eating, you know? That's mean. I was kind of torn, because sometimes people, they must know that what they're doing is sort of begging for sarcasm. I mean, I didn't feel bad about the Tammy Faye Bakker. I love her and I've become a fan of hers, but back in the 80's, the behavior of Jessica Hahn and all those people, they were kind of begging with the crying and the mascara and everything, that was kind of begging to be made fun of. You just can't do that and not know that you look silly, but anyway, I ran into Linda Blair, and I said, "I did an impression of you." And she said, "I never saw it. My friends saw it, and they didn't like it very much." And then I ran into Sally Struthers once, and she was pretty nice. I said, "I did an impression of you once, and I was very honored." And she said, "Yes, yes, I know." And it was kind of weird. I think if they made fun of me and picked my weaknesses or my weight gain or something, I would feel terrible, but on the other hand, I would also feel very famous, that they would take the time to even bother, you know? I have one more point about that. When the 25th SNL Anniversary happened, they called me and invited me, and I was really excited to go back, and all these comedians from twenty five years were gonna be there and all these famous comedians. I was so nervous and excited, and then they said they were gonna give me a line. I called my brother and said, "Jimmy, they're gonna give me a line! I get to say a line on the anniversary special." And about a month later in the mail I get the line, and the line is, "Whatever happened to me?" And I'm like, "Oh?" So, the skit is Tom Hanks is answering questions, and we're all sitting there, and I'm supposed to raise my hand and say to Tom Hanks, "Yeah, I love the show and all, but I was just wondering whatever happened to me?" And then Tom Hanks goes, "Well, I hear that you married a police officer and you live in Miami, and you're very happy." And then I go, "Oh, good." So, I called my brother, and I'm like, "Jimmy, is this a criticism, or this like a complement?" And he's like, "Vicki, they're criticizing you." And I go, "No, I think it's a complement." (laughs)
TONY: I've always found it fascinating how people always identify you with a lot of the characters that you played on SNL. In reality, you're very smart and very intelligent. Was that frustrating for you?
Victoria Jackson: Well, the funny thing about that is that whenever I'm in airports, people will come up to me and go, "Victoria, I just want you to know that I know you're really smart." And they'll whisper it to me like they think they're the only one who knows that. But I don't know. I'm not sure how smart I am. I skipped second grade, but my husband said everything you need to know you learn in second grade. Then when I was 12, my dad took me to the University of Miami for an IQ test, and they wouldn't give us the score, because they said it would affect our lives forever. So, I'm not sure if anybody really knows if I'm smart or not yet.
TONY: When you were paying your dues as a young comedian and you were trying to get your name out there, what did you discover about yourself?
Victoria Jackson: When I was paying my dues?
TONY: Yes.
Victoria Jackson: I'm still paying my dues. (laughs) What I'm learning is that I'm tenacious, and I'm an optimist, and I trust god a lot. I do. I trust him.
TONY: Do you have a dream role?
Victoria Jackson: Yes. I would like to be an airhead on a sitcom that lasts five years, goes into syndication, and makes me independently wealthy, and then I would like to be in movies, but I've always wanted to be an airhead on a sitcom, because I think that's the part I was born to play. I've never gotten to do it yet.
TONY: From talking to you, you seem like a very happy comedian, which is interesting, because a lot of comedians seem troubled or bothered by issues. How much did your Christian background help you stay on the straight and narrow?
Victoria Jackson: Well, it's probably the only reason why I'm happy and I'm not dead yet, because Christianity, if you really read the bible every day, and believe in it and try to obey it, how can you not be happy? You have eternal life with god, and you have promises that he'll be with you and protect you and comfort you. Psalms 1.1 says if you read the bible every day, you'll be happy. And I do, and I'm happy.
TONY: Finally, what are your plans for future?
Victoria Jackson: My plans for the future, I just moved to L.A. three months ago, and I'm trying to get my career started again. I've been a mom for fifteen years in Miami, and my 21-year old got married this year, and my husband can retire this year, so it's kind of a transition year, and we're feeling it out. I know that Hollywood doesn't really like 48-year old women that much, but we'll see what happens. And I'm really busy, and I'm writing a play called God to be the antithesis of Julia Sweeney's play called Letting Go of God, which is about her journey into Atheism, and my play should be on its feet by the spring of 08', and it's a one-woman show. And I'm writing a children's book, an adult book, and today I have to go right now to read this play with Shelley Long and Park Overall called Grumpy Old Women that's gonna start touring in America, and it was a hit in England. And I'm on this show now called Kaman Rider. It's a Japanese action teenage TV show. It was a big hit in Japan, and I play Aunt Grace, so I shot that yesterday. And I'm a substitute teacher for my daughter's school in my spare time.
TONY: Thanks so much for your time. Have a great weekend.
Victoria Jackson: Thank you. You had really good questions.
