SFF: How did you get started in comedy?
LS: Well it depends on how far you want to go back, I guess I got started professionally here in Los Angeles. I was a regular actor before, I did Shakespeare in the Park in Boston. That’s where I’m from. I did a bunch of plays out there and then I moved out here to try and really make a go of it. And that’s when I discovered improv and sketch comedy. There are a bunch of schools and theaters out here that are doing improv and sketch comedy, so I joined up with ACME Comedy Theater and that’s where I really learned how to write for myself. I had not been writing before. When I discovered that I was like oh boy there’s a whole other world. I just started developing characters because I had a knack for it. And that’s how I got started.

SFF: And what is sketch comedy?
LS: The specifics of it, I was doing a play, Misanthrope, a Molier play and I had a really different take on one of the characters. It was really broad, weird and over the top. And my friend was like “You should do sketch comedy.”

SFF: Okay. Were you surprised when “Shoes” won the People’s Choice Award for the best user generated video of 2007?
LS: Yeah, very much. You know, who knew? I didn’t even know there was a category for what I did. They created it that year and I just got lucky. Enough people liked it and voted for it.

SFF: Right, I know it was very popular on Youtube. In your music video, “Shoes”, Kelly seems to be rebelling against her parents’ conservative beliefs, is this your view as well? Do you disagree with more conservative beliefs?
LS: I’m actually more like her father than her (who daydreams about fiscal responsibility). I have some conservative views, but I am a mostly liberal person. But there is a little bit of both in me. The character though, Kelly, is definitely not conservative.

SFF: Where did you get the idea for “Shoes”?
LS: I don’t know. I guess Kelly just came to me one day. She is the voice of a lot of different women. And especially just of teenage angst and rage. I guess I just sort of came up with the voice first and the look of her later. It didn’t really work without the look. I had to find that look. I had to go to different stores and check out tights and tops and things like that and it was a real education for me, because it was like this is what drives women nuts when they’re shopping. You can’t find anything in your size and then you find something you really like and they don’t have larges or extra larges, just tiny size dresses. Shoes are another thing, I couldn’t find shoes in my size. I would tell people I need a size 11 and they would laugh and say we don’t stock that, are you crazy? Go to the drag queen store. And there all the shoes are hooker heels, I was trying to
find Mary Jane’s.

SFF: What do you think of Youtube as forum for your videos?
LS: It’s flat out amazing. I would never have the amount of people out there who can see it. It makes my work more available. Before Youtube, I was just doing short videos and trying to get into film festivals and things like that, but I was getting rejected left and right. It was kind of cool that I found an audience online.

SFF: What are you working on right now, besides touring with Margaret Cho?
LS: I am editing a couple of videos. The mother grandma character is really fun, so I am doing a few videos with her. She is Kelly’s grandmother in “Text Message Break-up” and “Let Me Borrow that Top”. She is very vocal and she likes whiskey. She will be coming out with a couple videos of her own, not music videos, but comedy sketches. And I’m working on a new Kelly video as well.

SFF: So you’ve decided to stick with that character for a while?
LS: Yes, I kind of enjoy her and I have other ideas for spin-off characters and stuff.

SFF: How do you like opening for and touring with Margaret Cho?
LS: It’s great. She has a fantastic stand up act that she does for an hour and it is killer, every joke
is killer. When I open for her, I play a couple of characters. I play Kelly’s aunt, Susan and I play a
song every night, do a video, then I show a Kelly video and come out as Kelly and perform a live song. And it’s really fun. People get to see Kelly right there, it’s kind of cool.

SFF: How is this different from coming up with your own sketches and videos?
LS: Really it’s just the size of the crowd and that so many people already know who I am. When I walk out there, people start laughing and they’re like oh good. It’s really nice because it’s hard to come out as an unknown. I enjoy that. And I’m trying to learn how to handle a crowd of a thousand or more.

SFF: And what are your future plans? Do you want to continue with sketch comedy or do you have a more specific goal?
LS: I’m of the mindset if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m like why don’t I just keep doing what I have
been doing, just keep making short videos and throw them up on the net. I’ve got my web site,
www.liamshow.com and I’ve added a fan page, where people can upload pictures to it and I’m adding a blog to it, so people can learn about my life on tour and behind the scenes stuff. I think this is my niche.

SFF: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in comedy or stand up?
LS: I would say, don’t be afraid of bombing. Don’t be afraid of being really bad. Take a risk. If you
think something is going to be embarrassing or awful, just do it anyway. You might be pleasantly surprised.