SNL’s Tim Meadows set to unleash his witty banter on KC this weekend

Chris Farley (left) and Tim Meadows (right) on set. // Courtesy photo

Comedian Tim Meadows is—quite possibly—the ideal interview subject. He’s perfected a low-key ebullience and quick wit that shines through on every answer. It probably helps that he’s honed his craft thanks to years of studying, teaching, and performing improv.

And let’s not forget that for one brief, shining moment, Meadows was the longest-tenured performer on NBC’s venerable sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. 

This weekend, Meadows returns to KC for a three-night stint at The Comedy Club of Kansas City, where the storyteller promises to charm audiences with his off-the-cuff, slice-of-life humor. 

We caught up with Meadows chilling at his home in Venice Beach and talked about literally everything except for the newly formed Travis/Taylor union. (We’re pretty sure the kids are now calling said couple Tayvis.)

The Pitch: Hey, so I was literally looking back at your never-ending IMDb page. You’ve been in a lot of TV series through the years. Admit it, have you ever seen yourself in a rerun and forgot you were even on that show? 

Tim Meadows: [laughs] Yes, I do. There’ll be times when I’ll be watching something—for instance, I had Reba on the TV while I was doing stuff around the house. As I was listening, I was going, “Man, everything they’re saying sounds so familiar.” And then I was like, “Oh, I’m on this episode!“

I went in, and there I was, playing a real estate dude. I even forget what it was all about—like, I was gonna invest in the son’s real estate or whatever. But I had completely forgotten that I had done it. But the realization was so weird because I was, like, listening. And I never watched Reba—you know, I’m sure it’s a great show, but I never watched it. But then I was just hearing this dialogue that I had been hearing all week long when I had done the show. I was like, “Oh my god—look, there I am!” I walk out, and I see myself 15 years younger. It brought back all those memories, too.

Going back to your whopping 10 seasons on SNL—do you remember a particular sketch that broke you? Like, one where you accidentally died laughing? I feel like you were a pretty Steady Eddie on the show.

Yeah, I didn’t break heavy duty, but I broke once with Chris Rock when I did my sketch called “Perspectives”—and it was about the Million Man March. And Rock was hosting. The sketch is hard to explain, but this sketch is basically about the repetition of information. My character will ask somebody a question, and then they’ll talk about it. Then he’ll repeat what they just said. And then turn to the camera and introduce them to the show again, and then go back and ask another question about what they just said. 

So, Rock didn’t understand the comedic aspect of that. And because he’d been busy all week, it was like the last thing he was concerned about because he was sitting there just reading cue cards. And as we read this sketch on air during dress rehearsal, he started laughing because I could see it coming across to him—that this was a funny sketch. And then he started laughing, reading the cards and reading stuff that was about to happen. 

And then he started laughing because we heard the SNL band laughing behind us. And then I started laughing off of that and then totally broke. And I broke because I could see him getting the sketch while we were performing.

So, the light bulb went on?

Yes, and it was on “dress,” but somebody put it on YouTube.

I’ve seen your stand-up, and I would call it kind of like slice-of-life meets observational humor. How would you describe it?

That’s a good description. I’m gonna use that. I think when I describe it to my kids—who I talk about in my act—I tell them that it is a heightened version of myself on stage, telling true things that are actually kind of comedically twisted to make people laugh. 

I do some conceptual idea-sketch things on stage, where there’s not a story. It’s just, “Hey, what about this?” But, then I do talk about my kids, being divorced, working in Hollywood—I sort of run the gamut.

Random, but has Dancing With the Stars ever come after you? Or what if they came after you?

I think they have come after me. Maybe the same year that Chris Kattan did it. I know they started looking for—you know, they’re always looking for older actors or whatever. We’re comedians and stuff. But there’s no way I would do it. I’d never do it. I don’t dance. I can’t dance for fun. I can’t dance to express myself. Like, the only time I can dance is if I have to dance because somebody’s teaching me to do it in a sketch or something. I have no rhythm. No, it’s bad man. It’s really bad.

You’re going to be in Mean Girls: The Musical … The Movie. That’s a mouthful. Would you have ever guessed we’d still be talking about Mean Girls 20 years after the fact?

I can’t even believe it. But yes, I’m in it. I don’t know if I can talk about it because of the actor’s strike. I guess I should say that I am excited to be in this film that will be coming out eventually. It was fun to be with old friends recently on a project and to work with a bunch of new people on a project. And—literally—I was the oldest I’ve ever been working on a movie, like the biggest age gap between me and the performers. 

As long as they didn’t call you Grandpa Meadows. You had quite the history with Chris Farley back in your improv days—what did you two learn from each other?

Man, that’s a great question, Farley—well, I think I taught him—and this is just from my experience with him and knowing a conversation I had with him years ago—that it was okay to laugh at other people that you’re doing improv or performing with. 

He was getting ready to audition for Second City in Chicago—and I had already been in the touring company. He was going in, and I saw him, and he asked me, “Hey, can you give me some advice?” And I said, “When you get up there on stage in the audition, if someone does something that’s funny, and you’re not in it, and you think it’s funny, genuinely laugh at it—because you’re supporting other people, and they’ll do it for you too.”

Another piece of advice I gave him? [laughs] In Chicago, his place was a mess. I couldn’t even go there because I’m just a very neat person. I would go by, and I could only hang out for a little while, you know? So, once we started making money, I went to his apartment in New York—and it was a mess. I said, “Chris, I feel like I want the nicest place that I go to all day long to be my house. The cleanest place that I go to all day long is my house. We got money now. You can hire somebody to come by and clean your apartment.” And he started doing it—after I was like, “Dude, you can’t live like this.” And he started to take care of his place better. 

Speaking of improv, you’re not shy about getting back in the mix. You’ll pop up in Chicago or LA from time to time. Does that keep you frosty?

It does! I’m doing a show at Improv Olympics in Chicago in a week or so—right after I get out of Kansas City—with two friends, Joe Canale and Brad Morris. We have an improv group called The Uncle’s Brother. When I was living in Chicago, and I was raising my kids with my ex, I just had the urge to go out and do improv because I was just sitting around with nothing to do.

And then I met those guys in Second City, and we just started going out and improvising, and it was so much fun. And then we started touring. And then they both got married, had kids, moved out here—everything changed. We couldn’t do it like we used to. Originally, we did it because of the strike. We’re just like, “Let’s go to Chicago to do a show.” So now we are gonna do it. It’ll be fun!

Tim Meadows and Chris Rock. // Courtesy photo

I know you’ve been to KC several times—what are your haunts or stomping grounds?

It’s been a while since I’ve been there. I just remember I had barbecue the last time I was there. It was good. What do you suggest? 

Okay, you’re right across the street from Jasper’s, which is my all-time favorite Italian restaurant, like, anywhere in the world. Full stop. I will meet you for dinner. So, if you want to carbo-load, go for it. Hey, who do you find funny? Like, who’s crushing stand-up comedy these days?

I mean, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, by far. They’re the best stand-ups out there walking around and stuff. Oh, and John Mulaney. I find him to be really funny, and I like the character he seems to have on stage now. And Michelle Wolf, who did the [White House] Correspondent’s Dinner. I think she’s really funny, too.

Finally, tell me the last time you were absolutely flummoxed when you met a celeb. I mean, do you still get starstruck?

Oh, boy. Paul McCartney. He was on SNL. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. I was just—I couldn’t believe it.

As in The Chris Farley Show sketch?

Yes, it was that week. And with Tina Turner, I couldn’t really talk when I met her on the show. 

Oh, and I just recently did this job that will be coming across America in the next month that stars Nicolas Cage. Working with him—the first day I was on the set, because I play his best friend, and I was just like, “Wowwwwww.”

Interview edited for content and clarity.

Tim Meadows is performing at the Comedy Club of Kansas City September 28-30. Details available here.