Work is a non-stop obsession for comedian Gabriel Iglesias. Last year, the Long Beach-based entertainer eased the holiday rush by bringing his extensive Unity Through Laughter World Tour to venues near his hometown in Anaheim and Los Angeles just after Christmas. He’s back again this year with a whole new show on the 2015 Fluffy Breaks Even World Tour.
“The thing with me is that I get bored with my own set,” the 39-year-old comic said during our interview while on the road last month. “I get bored and I also get frustrated.”
Iglesias will treat fans to fresh bits with two shows at Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre L.A. Live) in downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 26-27. He’s also keeping with tradition by hosting a sold-out evening at the Irvine Improv on Christmas Day, where up to a dozen of his professionally funny friends show up and perform short sets and give folks a little holiday reprieve.
“The fact that I’m doing a show on Christmas tells you that I need to get out of the house, too,” he said with laugh. The Iglesias household on Christmas morning and evening has been considerably downgraded from dozens of crazy family members and friends, to just Gabriel, his girlfriend and his son mixed in with only a few close family friends.
“We used to do it up big, but the problem with having a lot of people in your house is that they’re all drinking and it gets late and you run into people getting into arguments and saying things that they’re going to regret later. So, we cut it down to less people so there’s more quality time with everyone, which just works out better.”
Though it may appear that Iglesias’ schedule is winding down as he heads into the new year, he insists that just because fans aren’t seeing his name on marquees every weekend, doesn’t mean he’s not working hard behind the scenes. He’s currently hosting “Gabriel Iglesias’ Stand-Up Revolution Radio,” his very own weekly, one-hour show on SiriusXM’s Raw Dog Comedy channel where he spotlights up-and-coming comedic talent.
“I love doing that,” he said of helping his fellow comics. “Nobody has done that. Nobody wants to be the Jay-Z and help produce and put others out there. Everybody just wants to be for themselves and that’s fine, but I’m in a good position and really happy with my career. I have a nice support system and I want to help people out.”
He also just lent his voice to various animated characters for upcoming films such as “Norm of the North,” “El Americano,” “The Nut Job 2” and a new “Ice Age” feature.
“There’s a lot going on,” he said. “I’m producing some other comedians and I have a merchandise business. We’re about to start working on a book. We’re also getting ready to do this pilot for ABC, so we have a sitcom in the works. If it gets picked up then rock and roll and if not, there’s a good chance we could be doing this same interview again next year.”
