Sebastian Maniscalco

Especially if that ball hog Eddie Griffin's going to show up.

Yeah, especially in L.A.

where, you know, a lot of celebrities popping in and out.

You know, there would be, you know, Chappelle or Chris Rock or whoever that would like, you know, they don't put their name on the list.

They just pop in and do their time and then leave.

So, yeah, you had to go to Manteca in a boxing ring to get an hour's worth of time.

So, yeah, that was but it's all good.

You know, it all builds character.

It all builds.

You say that now.

said when you're in it well when i'm in it i was i was having a ball i'm like i'm doing what i came out here to do i'm doing comedy right yeah i was working at the four seasons which is also down the street as a waiter but any time away from being a waiter i was like you know happy we weren't getting paid but fifteen dollars a set here it's not about like we were paying the bills what we were making although fifteen dollars did put gas in the car back in the late 90s but you know it's not like we were getting rich doing these spots around town

Yeah, family was extremely supportive leaving Chicago.

I come from a family where you would think they would be a little reluctant about having their son get into the entertainment business based on how I was, where I was brought up and the, you know, kind of close-knit Italian family.

I mean, you don't, you know, very rarely, I think now more than ever, it's very, very common for someone to say I'm getting into the entertainment business, right?

Because now everybody with a camera is all of a sudden Scorsese or...

doing something right or somebody with a microphone thinks they are a broadcaster or what have you without maybe putting the time in i mean you know this you're like a student at a game it's like you you kind of worked your way up you didn't just turn on a microphone and all of a sudden you had access to the world you know you you might have had to work your way into the espns of the world right it's like you didn't get that handed to you so

you know it's something to be said about uh it's it's a it was a long shot back then but god my family was so supportive and saying listen if you think you could do this go out there and give it your all or or or behind you there was one hiccup i had where i think it was five years in i called home and i got a little emotional telling my father and my mother at the time she was like

What's wrong?

I said, I just, you know, when do I start making money at this thing?

When's it going to happen for me?