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Andy Dick Talks Electrocution, Platypuses, Nostalgia, and Gene Wilder’s Vacation

We were fortunate to grab time with Actor and Comedian Andy Dick, who discussed everything from electrocution to platypuses, plus the music he’s making with Gene Wilder’s Vacation and Reese Van Riper.

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Reese Van Riper, Andy Dick, and Gene Wilder’s Vacation

After their successful team-up for the “I’m Not Better Than Anyone” single and accompanying music video, Gene Wilder’s Vacation and actor/comedian Andy Dick have joined forces again. Last month, the singer-songwriter released “My Best Friend,” another collaboration with Dick, and along for the ride, this time is devil blues rocker Reese Van Riper. Gene Wilder’s Vacation’s eclectic, out-of-left-field kind of musical style (read our Stereo Six with Gene, where he discusses his musical influences) makes for the ideal combination with Dick’s charisma and eccentric, batty brand of humour.

Dick got involved in the project after a friend of Gene sent him his music because the friend thought he might enjoy it. Dick did like what he heard, and the two got in touch. Gene asked if Dick would be interested in recording vocals and slide whistle on a new song of his, and Dick enthusiastically agreed, which led to Gene flying to Los Angeles to rendezvous with Dick. They have remained close friends since this initial meet-up, and now they are working together on a full album. In fact, this interview was conducted with Andy while Gene Wilder’s vacation was in LA to shoot parts for the official music video for “My Best Friend.”

As we await the arrival of more new music from the two, Andy Dick was kind enough to answer a bunch of our weird but wonderful questions.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

Andy Dick: “A platypus. Because they are a very strange, complex composite of different types of animals. There’s a duck bill, there’s webbed feet… but it has fur. It swims in the water and lays eggs. What are you? A duck or a mammal? You’re laying eggs. What’s going on here?”

What scares the absolute shit out of you?

“Electricity. I was electrocuted once as a child and once as an adult. I pretty much got thrown across the room; it was horrible. My fingers were black.”

What is one thing that you’re good at that people don’t expect?

“Running. I can outrun anybody. I’ve had a lot of practice running from the law.”

Andy Dick, Gene Wilder’s Vacation, and Reese Van Riper

Andy Dick, Gene Wilder’s Vacation, and Reese Van Riper

If you lived in a city in medieval times, what would you be doing?

“Court jester.”

What will always be funny to you?

“I love when I’m watching a movie, and the actor is just stoic. Like stone cold. Like Buster Keaton, a great stone face. He never moved his facial muscles ever. Even if he’s getting crushed, or a house was falling on him… he would just have this deadpan stoic face. That’s funny. It’s so funny when there’s manic all around you, and you’re still just stone-faced. I love the stone face because it shows you the person is just the fuck over it. They’re not even going to react anymore (laughs)…They’re stone-faced. They’re just done reacting; they’re just done. When the world keeps fucking them, it’s like, ‘oh, this is happening again. Of course, this is happening again. The world’s fucking me again.’”

If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?

Bugs Bunny. From the original one from the 1940s. He was such a little sneaky little devil. Everything was always so funny to him. ‘What’s up doc?’ He was always laughing at everybody else.”

Andy Dick angel statue

Andy Dick angel statue

What’s the best purchase you’ve ever made?

“I’m looking at it. It’s this statue I bought 25 or 30 years ago. I was literally about 24 years old when I bought it. I just realized I put it in a place where I’m sitting so I can always see it. That’s how much I love it. It’s such a beautiful piece of art. It’s a bronze statue, and I fell in love with it when I saw it at a gallery when I was in Second City, a touring comedy shows company making 60 dollars a week. I was living off of that. The art gallery was right around the corner from Second City, where I was performing and first taking classes.

“They gave me all the classes for free. So I saw this thing, and I was making 60 dollars a week, and the art gallery guy saw I was in love with it, and he said, ‘oh, you like this?’ And I said yes after we worked something out because I told him I can’t buy this because, at the time, it was 12,000 dollars. But he said I can make partial payments. And I said ok, let’s do it. And it worked. I actually made the payments.

“It’s a guy because it has a penis. It’s such a weird little angel. The little baby angel cherub. It’s my favourite because I still love it, and I think it’s protecting me and my family. It’s a real angel. And I love the artist, and the artist got really popular over the years. And it’s worth a lot of money now. You can look him up; the artist is Emil Kazaz. (Statue pic attached).”

What is the worst kind of gift?

“Clothing.”

What’s the dirtiest thought you’ve ever had about a stranger?

“Giving them a bath.”

What always makes you nostalgic?

“Old vintage TV shows. All of them from the ’70s. The ones my parents were watching like, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, etc. I loved them. I loved when my dad was happy. I also really got into The Love Boat.”

What quote would you put on your Tombstone?

“Hahaha!”

Artwork for the single "My Best Friend" ft. Andy Dick and Reese Van Riper by Gene Wilder’s Vacation

Artwork for the single “My Best Friend” ft. Andy Dick and Reese Van Riper by Gene Wilder’s Vacation

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