What does it take to be the perfect warm-up guy, the comic who comes out and gets people in the mood before the star shows up? We don’t know. But whatever it is, Conan O’Brien’s Jimmy Pardo has it. He talks to us about stand-up, podcasting and why he can’t escape a movie called Butt Boss.
Watching Jimmy Pardo work his podcast is like watching one of the old-time favorites run his radio show. He’s cool, funny and just waiting for everyone to gather around and hear him spill. And just like the old-timers, Pardo has his quirks: He’s an obsessive compulsive, a recovering alcoholic and, sadly, still addicted to General Hospital.
HUSTLER: General Hospital? What’s that about?
JIMMY PARDO: I moved to Los Angeles in the mid-’80s, and I had no friends. I started watching soap operas. I became obsessed with General Hospital. I continued watching it up until Dawn was killed off and Decker was written out. I actually, as a grown man, wrote a letter to Soap Opera magazine showing my displeasure, and then I stopped watching it. That was in ’91 or ’92. I started watching again two months ago. One minute in, I was back; I was hooked.
Why did you become a comedian?
I had no other skills. I was the guy that made fun of the class clown. He would do the heavy lifting, and then I would come with one sarcastic remark and get a laugh. The dream was to be a sitcom star. I thought I would be Michael J. Fox because I’m not the tallest guy.
