In the mid-1990s, comedian Jessie Baade (aka Jessie Robles) attempted a documentary on comedy. It did not get finished. But Baade still had the video of her 1994 interview with Greg Giraldo, then just two years into his stand-up career.
It's not always easy to watch. Giraldo isn't sure how seriously to take Baade's interview, which makes some of the answers and joke-answers come off much differently now, and there's plenty of background bar noise because a Jets game is on the bar's TVs.
Here is how Baade described the video: "Greg let me interview him when I told him him I was working on a project about comics while we were hanging out at Chuckles in Mineola, Long Island NY around late 1994. It never got finished because his was the only thing that didn't turn out to be in the dark. Jim Gaffigan is there off camera which is why Giraldo kept making cracks about him. He did not, in actuality, think Gaffigan was a hack."
Thanks to friend Nick Zaino, who covers the Boston comedy scene, for sharing.
I did this mostly because I knew that our scene was special and wanted to catch that (I guess all new comics think that but, in this case, it was very accurate). We all had great affection for each other (our peers in the comedy community) and getting a straight answer out of Greg in a normal conversation wasn’t easy, let alone interviewing him. He was always a funny kind man and I appreciated his humoring me. I am so glad I kept this. Just look at him. Wasn’t he wonderful? Thanks for reposting, Jessie Robles (Baade)