D.L. Hughley

D.L. Hughley got his big break in 1999 when he starred in The Original Kings of Comedy and has gone on to become a popular host and standup comic. Last year, he toured non-stop behind his Unapologetic HBO special and now he's taking a new show out on the road. He recently phoned in from a Southern California golf course to talk about his upcoming shows here. And when he wasn't arguing with his golfing buddy about whether he made par or not, Hughley answered a few questions about his comedic career, which includes gigs as the host of the 2008 BET Awards and the second season of HBO's Def Comedy Jam. - Jeff Niesel

What's your favorite talk show to be a guest on?

I like Bill Maher and Jay Leno. I like the freedom and subject matter of Bill Maher. Jay is just a good time. He likes to hang out with comics, and he has the same energy as comics.

Do you get nervous?

I get nervous every time. I'm nervous doing this interview.

What do you do before a show to calm yourself down?

Before I do standup, I smoke a cigar and try to read a bunch of newspapers. Cleveland is a town I'm in love with. There is always something going on. That's good for me. That's what I like. I was in New York recently and got to hang out with [Browns Coach] Romeo [Crennel], and my father grew up in Warren and Zanesville.

Romeo seems rather serious.

He's serious but a funny guy. He's a big guy with a big laugh. I didn't talk with him too much. That laugh could easily turn into a frown. You don't fuck a man with a stick that many times.

You were born in Los Angeles and your father worked in the airline industry, right?

Yeah, he used to work in Bethlehem Steel. Then a dude fell into the steel mill and he said, "Fuck that, I'm sweeping airlines."

How'd you get into comedy?

It's so funny because when I was a kid, I didn't even know about stand-up and shit like that. I knew about Richard Pryor and George Carlin. But you didn't know how that came about. But once I started doing it, everyone told me, "That's what you're supposed to be doing." It's just something I had done hanging out.

What was your first stand-up show like?

It was a place in LA. I just started talking shit about people. I did that for years. It took a long time for me to sit down and decide what subject matter to write about. It took a long time to be a writer. It's more difficult to be a writer and have a point of view and something you could talk about. That's the most challenging part.

Did you know Original Kings of Comedy was going to blow up like it did?

I did not. I knew I was making money and having fun. No one in their wildest dreams would have guessed that.

What was it like when Spike Lee was filming you guys?

Spike is very a serious dude. Visually, he's a genius. He's a serious dude. It's weird to have a comedic vantage point with him. I think his view of film was to make it like the referee you never see. His style of directing always has a social component. I try to have a relative social component. For me, it was great.

Why didn't Studio 60 last longer?

I thought it took itself too seriously. It was like a number-one draft pick. They never live up to the expectations.

You can't say that about LeBron James.

That was the last one to meet expectations.

How much fun was the Unapologetic HBO show and tour?

That was the toughest thing. The Don Imus thing had just happened. I made a couple of jokes people didn't like. The hardest thing is to be an individual and have a point of view. There's so much pressure to think like everyone else. That, to me, is the antithesis of comedy. If you're a comic, you can't wonder about the consensus.

Any good behind-the-scenes stories about S.O.B. Socially Offensive Behavior?

A lot of that had been shot and I was doing the wraparound. You want to believe people aren't as petty as you think. Everyone wants to go along and get along. That show was so right on for that.

Good luck on the golf course.

Man, you should have said that a while ago. It's too late for that now.

D.L. Hughley: July 10-13 at Hilarities, 2035 E. Fourth St., 216.241.7425. Tickets: $33.