Interview with Dave.......not his real family
This show is way more polished and properly produced than any of the rest of pilot shows
I like this
At the start of Dave, you're described as a legend of Australian comedy. Is that accurate?
I've been called a legend, but I've also been called a veteran. And a hack. The reality is somewhere in there.
Dave O'Neil with TV wife Emily Taheny and children in his new comedy Dave.
How close is the show to your real life? Is it almost a documentary?
It's almost a documentary. We shot it about a year ago, so the kids are older in real life, but the whole thing about getting the kids to school, going to gigs, getting stuff thrown at me, doing stuff for the school fete, it's all based on reality. The incident with Brendan Fevola happened to me … with another footballer. At least we got a funny story out of it because at the time it wasn't funny at all.
Is having kids good for your artistic practice, or is it a terrible drag?
I think it's been good, it's defined me as a comedian. Before I had children I was part of a generation of comics who were all similar, we talked about being on the dole, McDonald's, going to nightclubs. Once I had kids it gave me a different perspective, and I became more … mainstream, for want of a better word. But now most comics have kids. Or most middle-aged comics have kids.
Are they ripping you off in that sense?
Yeah, they got the idea from me, what can I say?
Your show has a brilliant cast. You're married to Emily Taheny, are you living every Australian man's fantasy there?
I had to pick someone my actual wife would be happy with. She really likes Emily, so that worked.
So your wife had veto power?
Well I had to keep in mind who she liked and who she didn't like. She was very happy with Emily, because she finds her very funny.
You've also got Dave Thornton in there. Another famous comedic Dave. Were you the first Dave?
I think I was. I started before Dave Hughes, Dave Thornton … when he started Dave Hughes was trying to be David Hughes, which didn't work. I was definitely one of the original Daves of comedy, for sure.
You're a pioneer of Australian comedy. Do you feel like you've broken ground for generations of comics?
Broken ground 'cos I'm fat, maybe. I've broken something. I dunno if I've broken ground, but I've had a good time. Nah, I've just done a lot of gigs, worked in different areas.
Is being on TV as wonderful as I think it is?
It's good fun. But then you get a lot of people coming up to you in the street saying, "I know you from somewhere, did you work in a bank in Frankston? Were you a teacher in Dubbo?". "I'm a comedian." And they always go, "No, that's not it. Did you ever work in a dentist?". You've gotta be on TV a real lot for them to know who you are.
Sounds like hard work.
Yeah.
As a stand-up comedian who's now made a show named after yourself, are you more the Australian Seinfeld, or the Australian Roseanne?
More Roseanne. Without the tweets. I like both of them, their comedy, but I'm more blue-collar than Seinfeld. I just don't stray into the right-wing area like Roseanne.
...ha!... what a brilliant interview that was ... thanks for posting it kxk... cheers.
