Eddie Izzard on Atheism, Transgender, and “The Invisible Bloke Upstairs”

[cbayer]

http://www.advocate.com/comedy/2013/03/08/eddie-izzard-atheism-transgender-and-invisible-bloke-upstairs

Exactly who is giving Eddie Izzard an award says a lot about the actor-comedian's view of the world, and he expounds on them in this interview.

BY BECKY GARRISON OF RELIGION DISPATCHES MARCH 08 2013 11:49 AM ET



The Humanist Community at Harvard, the American Humanist Association, and the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics presented their 6th Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award for Cultural Humanism on February 20 to comedian, actor, marathon runner, and aspiring mayor of London (2020) Eddie Izzard.

Following a short performance, Izzard took time for audience questions; here are some highlights:

You often use comedy to take on some pretty serious issues in the world. How do you find a balance?

Some people would say I haven’t found that balance. My gods are Monty Python. I do intelligent, stupid, stupid, intelligent, smart, stupid. That’s the edge that I play.

As I started getting into standup, I realized I needed to talk about something. I discovered history was there, and no one was going into history—I may as well dive in there. And I told everyone I was a transvestite, and got these nails, and came out when I was 23. I’m not trying to preach; I’m trying to encourage. Some people always walk out, I know that. I think you just have to try it and see what happens. In the end, I’m trying to make myself laugh. I’m trying to inform myself and see things.

more at link

[rrneck]

1. Izzard does good work.

[cbayer]

3. He's pretty damn hilarious, that's for sure.

[Thats my opinion]

6. super solid poke in a few eyes---and exceptionally funny nt

[djean111]

2. I have loved Eddie Izzard since the first time I was flipping through channels,

saw what appeared to be a man in a blue dress, and thought - hold on, what's this?
That was Dress to Kill, and I have loved his stand-up routines, his movies, his TV show, everything, ever since.
Brilliant. Hope he does run for something.

[cbayer]

4. I know. I was not prepared for what I got the first time I saw one of his shows.

And it was so refreshingly different.

[johnnypneumatic]

5. he is also a really good actor

he stole the show in the recent Munsters attempted remake, and was awesome as Long John Silver in Treasure Island (2012)