“Mike and Molly,” Star Billy Gardell Got His Start on The Punchline Stage

The Punchline has played a pretty significant role in Billy Gardell’s life. He got his start at the Sandy Springs club. He met his wife, and separately his manager of 20 years there.

Today, he co-stars in the hit CBS series “Mike and Molly” and has been compared to Jackie Gleason. Few, if any, comic actors were more lovable than “The Great One.”

Similarly, Gardell, who returns to The Punchline for four shows this weekend, has a warmhearted “Right in the kisser” punch. And the Pittsburgh native says, his greatest influences were the comic actors who were real and funny.

In his stand-up he has talked about how wives always want to know what their husbands are thinking.

“…Nothing because you couldn’t handle how stupid it is,” says an emphatic Gardell on stage. “It would blow your brain right out of the front of your skull.”

He continues while motioning that he’s steering a car, “I was wondering if I could get beer to shoot out of my windshield into my mouth while I’m driving.”

Gardell is on tour through the summer with his “Halftime” stand-up show.  He talked with Sandy Springs Patch, earlier this week.

Q: You’ve appeard at The Punchline before?

A: Oh God, yes. I started comedy in ’87 and made my way to [the club] in 1990.  The Punchline at the time - if you could get that club on your resume - a lot of other clubs would book you.

Q: How does it make you feel to be compared to Jackie Gleason?

A: Those are big shoes. I’m always grateful when someone makes that comparison...My dad turned me on to “The Honeymooners” somewhere between the ages of 9 and 11; and I always thought, boy would I like to be that kind of comic actor.

Q: There was a lot of talk about “Mike and Molly” before it premiered. What do fans say to you about the show?

A: The biggest comment I get is, ‘You make our Monday.’ Now, I get it, we’re not the normal sitcom, you’ve got two people who are overweight, who are the romantic lead. And we had to address that at the beginning. The show was always about two people who thought they were never gong to fall in love, [but they do find] love. That’s what people root for. It doesn’t matter what they look like.

Q: Are you drawing from your family and upbringing in your stand-up?

A: I come from a working class background so stand-up mixes with the show quite well. A lot of comics – maybe they are super dirty- and then get on a sitcom…and [viewers may go to see their live stand-up show and are surprised at how dirty their comedy is.]

Q: Not so with you?

A: I was lucky my comedy synced up really well to the show. We kind of push the edge on “Mike and Molly.’ That’s kind of what I do in my stand-up too.

See attached video of Billy Gardell or visit www.billygardell.com.