From the June 28, 1999 issue of The Desert Post Weekly
Comedy! Piscopo! Desert!
By Judith Salkin
You know him from his dead-on impersonation of Ol'Blue Eyes, the Weekend Update Sports Guy and the annoying Danny Whiner—he was the guy from “Joisey.” They're just a few of the characters created by comedian Joe Piscopo on TV's “Saturday Night Live” that live on in his stand-up act on stages across the country.
Tapped in 1980 as a member of the “SNL”’s young guns with a cast including the likes of Eddie Murphy, Piscopo was funny enough to follow in the footsteps of the original players. He soon showed his chops by creating a trunk full of most unforgettable characters and dead-on impersonations. “No matter where I go, there are always certain characters people want to see me do,” he said in an interview from his home in you guessed it, New Jersey. It seems you just can’t get Joe to leave his home.
Not that Hollywood hasn't tried. Following the skyrocket of instant fame on one of the most popular and enduring variety shows on television, Piscopo has parlayed his fame into a variety of roles on both the big screen (“Johnny Dangerously” with Michael Keaton; “Dead Heat” and “Sidekicks”) and television (“Star Trek: The Next Generation;” voices on “Batman: The Animated Series” and Nickelodeon's “The 1000 Deeds of Eddie McDowd”). In 1997 he realized a personal dream when he took over the role of Vince Fontaine in the Broadway revival of “Grease.” Audience reaction to Piscopo’s turn as the ‘50s DJ lead to a touring company being built around him. When the show went on hiatus, he returned for a limited re-opening engagement, helping pull in more than $1 million in advance ticket sales.
But it was a turn as a sleazeball nightclub owner on NBC's “Law and Order” that really tested his acting chops. “Man, I was scared,” he said. “Working with Sam Waterson was like a dream for me. My agent told me that I should try some serious acting. So he approached the producer and they asked what kind of role I was interested playing. I had a scene with Angie [Harmon] and after [we did it] the director told me that I had to 'drop it down’ and for me as a comedian, that was going against everything I do.”
Just prior to working on L&O, he finished a part in the upcoming film, “Bartlesby,” based on the Herman Melville novel. “I was working with Crispin Glover and -David Paymer, which was great. I really want to do more parts like those last two,” he said.
Other than “SNL,” Piscopo is known for his commercials for Miller Lite beer, General Nutrition Centers and Bally’s Health Spa.
“I started my foundation in L.A. after the Northridge earthquake in 1994 and I knew I had-to do something,” he said. After consulting with other friends who where doing philanthropic work, he started Jersey Joe’s Gyms, regional non-profit fitness centers which are located in areas throughout the state and serve disadvantaged and at-risk youth. “I wish they'd had something like that when I was growing up,” he said. “Maybe my life at that time would have been different.” He has produced a couple of regional television shows, which have been shown on WCAU. “Now I’m trying to find a network for shows on kids who have turned their lives around. It’s a half-hour magazine show that highlights kids who have turned their lives around. But we are having a hard time finding someplace to air it.”
Piscopo won't be talking about his philanthropy when he takes the stage at 9 and 11 P.M. Saturday at Fantasy Live! at Fantasy Springs Casino.
“This show is a little experimental,” he said, describing his stand-up act. “I’m looking forward to working in Indio. This room is a little smaller, so there'll be more room for interaction with the audience.”
He'll bring out his impressions such as Sinatra and Letterman and most asked for characters, and maybe even take some audience requests. “You never know what'll happen,” he added. “People ask for characters and bits from 'Saturday Night Live' that I haven't thought of for years, but they’ve made an impression on the people who watched the show. And that really touches me.”
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