How did a Midwest guy wind up in New York?
JG: No one in my family – or even that I knew – was in the entertainment industry. I always wanted to be but it seemed like something people from California did. I was raised in a family where wearing a coat and tie is success, so it was one of those things that I didn’t embrace until I was in my mid-20s. It was an itch I always had, but Comedy Central didn’t have the huge impact it does today. I always dreamed of going to New York, though. I grew up in a small town, and I always wanted to go to the East Coast because I was this pale guy in an all-white community. So I wanted somewhere where everyone looked a little weird. I always imagined New York was filled with misfits, and I came not knowing I would actually pursue [a comedy career]. I started doing improv on a dare from a friend. [Standup] is the perfect combination of control and absolute chaos. RL: What material in the new special do you think really hits the mark? JG: It’s all new to Comedy Central, but I don’t know – the Hot
