Macallan scotch, custom Zino Davidoff cigars, black suit, Texas accent and that trademark facial tic: lips quivering as he tries to keep from laughing at his own tales of debauchery, drinking and arrests.
Who is it? None other than comedian Ron White, who rocketed to fame after joining the four-man Blue Collar Comedy Tour in 2000.
White, 54, returns to Sacramento tonight for the first time in two years, bringing his "Moral Compass" show to the Community Center Theater.
He spent 30 minutes on the phone last week answering questions for The Bee. These are the responses we can print.
How did you get invited to join the Blue Collar Comedy Tour? What was it like hitting it big after having spent years in the business?
The way it came about is I was touring with Jeff (Foxworthy) anyway. … After the success of the Kings of Comedy, we stole that idea. …
(Success) surprised the hell out of me. I never saw myself as someone that had worked hard enough to achieve anything. I was watching Jeff work so hard. He had notebooks. After 26 years, I don't have one notebook. I don't have one page of notes. Everybody seemed to be working harder than me.
That was my plan – it was the path of least resistance. Now I work harder than I ever had in my life.
Who are your favorite comedians?
Bill Hicks. He died when he was 32 back in the '90s – pancreatic cancer. That is the biggest loss comedy has ever had. The guy who every comic wanted to hear their take on something was Bill Hicks. In my opinion, he was the only comedian that mattered. The rest of us were just wishing we were him.
I'm a comedy fan. I have every Bill Cosby album, every Flip Wilson album. Steve Martin was a brilliant guy. I'm a fan and a product of listening to all of them.
Do you find regional differences in how your audiences react to your routine?
No, not at all. From Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, there's no difference. We all have the same, very similar circumstance – if you work for a living.
Very wealthy people don't get me at all. Nobody in Montecito (where he lives, near Santa Barbara) knows who I am.
Your arrests are great fodder for your routine. Have you ever been arrested in Sacramento?
I don't think I've been arrested in California. Mostly in Texas. I was a banshee when I was young – I struggled to find my way as a youth. The last (arrest) was a pot bust in Florida.
On Twitter, you have more than 43,000 followers (@Ron_White), but you don't follow anyone. Why not?
I'm not curious about what other people have to tweet. I figured zero is a more interesting number than 3. I don't care what somebody's saying. What tweeting does for me is if I have an idea for a joke that's not good enough to go into the show, I tweet it.
Are there any limits to what you'll put out there? If so, what are they?
No, not really. I would never do anything that promoted hate or abuse. But is there a subject matter that's off limits? No. Doesn't matter what it is. I don't care that I'm offensive, because that's relative. I never say, "Oh, what if somebody doesn't like that?"
Is there anything about you that would surprise your fans, or do you pretty much lay it all out there in your routines?
(Pauses briefly) After my shows I always have a green tea and (bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep – sorry, Ron, we can't print that).
(Pauses to let laughter die down). My whole theory of comedy is you have to be true to your nature. If you're not, your audience will spot it. They know I'm not a phony. It took a long time to get there because you think you have to put on a show at first. Then you learn you have to be true to yourself. Any time I can give a comic advice, it would be to be true to who you are.
Can you give us a little tease of what your Sacramento audience will be hearing tonight?
The only thing I would say is, "Don't bring your kids."
RON WHITE
WHEN: 7:30 tonight
WHERE: Sacramento Community Center Theater
COST: $44.75 and $54.75; $129.25 for White's VIP Experience, which includes Q&A and photos with White.
INFORMATION: Sacramento Convention Center Box Office (1301 L St.) or online at www.tickets.com. Tickets for White's VIP Experience on his website, tatersalad.com. Recommended age is 13 and older.
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