# Zach Galifianakis **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974 "2012-12-14T00:07:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/1 "2012-12-14T00:07:49Z")
You guys may think different, but here’s my piece. I absolutely love Zach. I obviously saw him first on the Hangover, but I went back and watched all the comedy stuff he’s done from Live at the Purple Onion to Comedians of Comedy, etc. I think he is so funny and his type of humor is so fresh and raw, tbh. He does things that make you think he’s actually mad, but he’s so tongue-in-cheek about everything that its crazy. However, I keep seeing hearing all these whispers about how he actually hates the fame. I know there is a TIME article about this, and he had a really good sit-down with his friend Doug Benson where he wasn’t going out of his way to be funny - he was just talking with him about movies and stuff. It was really weird but still enlightening to just hear him sit around and talk instead of when he goes on Late Night and everyone expects him to be hilarious Alan from Hangover. 1.) What do you think? 2.) Does anyone know if anyone has ever done a serious, serious sit-down interview with him where they actually talk about his perception of fame or his comedic process instead of just treating him like Alan from the Hangover? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/2 "2012-12-14T01:27:29Z")
I can’t answer question 2, but I’ve always liked his comedy. I’ve only seen him in the Muppets in terms of acting, though. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/3 "2012-12-14T01:31:23Z")
I’ve heard he get’s really uncomfortable doing interviews and such, which is why most of his humor is about making people uncomfortable. He gives a pretty interview with Pete Holmes on You Made It Weird: [http://www.nerdist.com/2012/10/you-made-it-weird-96-zach-galifianakis/](http://www.nerdist.com/2012/10/you-made-it-weird-96-zach-galifianakis/) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/4 "2012-12-14T01:45:42Z")
When he was interviewed with Doug Benson, which eye did he look at? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/5 "2012-12-14T05:22:10Z")
I saw some early stand-up material and thought he was pretty good. However, since he is in nearly GODAMNED EVERY-FUCKING-THING lately, its kind of hard to buy into the “I don’t like the fame” schtick. Learn to say fuckin’ “No” to a script. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/6 "2012-12-14T06:03:01Z")
It’s my policy to have zero empathy for famous millionaire entertainers. ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/7 "2012-12-14T13:04:18Z")
I might as well post the Time article while I’m at it: [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2072640,00.html](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2072640,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/8 "2012-12-14T16:18:03Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > However, since he is in nearly GODAMNED EVERY-FUCKING-THING lately, its kind of hard to buy into the “I don’t like the fame” schtick. Presumably he likes acting. And getting paychecks. I’m sure it sucks that “fame” comes with that but why he’d act despite it is understandable. Most people who like their jobs probably still have aspects of it they wish would go away. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/9 "2012-12-14T16:19:24Z")
There was a pretty interesting Rolling Stone profile/interview with him awhile back. I have a couple mutual freinds with Zach and it sounds like he’s a really great guy privately, and just hates the bullshit that goes along w/ the fame, so he avoids interviews and can come off prickly in the press. He also really loves bizarre public pranks that make him look bad and make other people uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/10 "2012-12-14T17:00:22Z")
I didn’t particularly like the Hangover, but I really liked the first season of Bored to Death and he was a big reason why. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/11 "2012-12-14T17:33:39Z")
I’m a fan of Zach, but I became even more of a fan when I read [this](http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/4-legendary-pranks-by-famous-comedians/) article about him on Cracked. Apparently he had a short-lived talk show on VH1 (sans beard), and the creators made the mistake of telling him that his show was going to be cancelled long before they completed filming his final show. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/12 "2012-12-14T17:34:59Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Most people who like their jobs probably still have aspects of it they wish would go away. Like my job, it’d be ok if it wasn’t for the customers. Come to think of it, he and I aren’t that different, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/13 "2012-12-14T21:03:23Z")
Big fan of Between Two Ferns. Look it up on Fuuny or Die if you haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/14 "2012-12-15T00:35:37Z")
Head over to [nbc.com](http://nbc.com). His stints hosting SNL have been masterpieces. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/15 "2012-12-15T22:26:49Z")
I initially hated him, but the more diverse his work has gotten (or that I’ve gotten around to seeing) the more respect I have for him. Problem for me was I’d never heard of him before _The Hangover_, and I found that movie to be way, \*\*WAY \*\*overrated. And I found his character in particular to be incredibly unlikable. Playing the fat, dumb, obnoxious guy only works _if you can ultimately make him sympathetic & likable_. Belushi could do it, Chris Farley could do it, and more than anyone else John Candy all but invented it. After The Hangover I saw him in, I forget the title, but it was basically a remake of _Planes, Trains & Automobiles_ with him playing the John Candy role and Robert Downey Jr playing the Steve Martin straight man. His character in that was ten times worse than the asshole he was in Hangover. The scene where Downey is sharing his rental car with him, and because there’s no hotels they’re spending the night in it, and he starts jerking off before going to sleep, and telling Downey to just let him finish, BLEEEECH! I know it was supposed to be a comedy, but that was too much. He should have thrown him out of the car then & there, driven off and not looked back. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/16 "2012-12-15T22:42:20Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > After The Hangover I saw him in, I forget the title, but it was basically a remake of _Planes, Trains & Automobiles_ with him playing the John Candy role and Robert Downey Jr playing the Steve Martin straight man. His character in that was ten times worse than the asshole he was in Hangover. The scene where Downey is sharing his rental car with him, and because there’s no hotels they’re spending the night in it, and he starts jerking off before going to sleep, and telling Downey to just let him finish, BLEEEECH! I know it was supposed to be a comedy, but that was too much. He should have thrown him out of the car then & there, driven off and not looked back. You’re talking about _Due Date_. I absolutely hated that movie for exactly the reasons you’re talking about. He wasn’t a lovable loser, he was insane and any normal person would have ditched him on the side of the road, and it would have been understandable. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/17 "2012-12-16T02:08:02Z")
I thought he was the perfect choice for his character in the Hangover movies. Other than that, he’s kind of annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/18 "2012-12-16T06:36:12Z")
He’s quite funny. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gDwfQjxbFBM/hqdefault.jpg "Jon Hamm: Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDwfQjxbFBM) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/19 "2012-12-16T08:19:32Z")
I think he’s hilarious in the _Hangover_ movies and he was also very funny playing a more sympathetic (though still pretty goofy) character in _The Campaign_ with Will Ferrell. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zach-galifianakis/643974/20 "2012-12-16T14:00:44Z")
We watched _The Campaign_ last night. I was expecting a mildly amusing and at times dumb movie. But it turned out to be even funnier and more insightful than I was expecting. (Until near the end when it sort of dropped off.) Zach did a really good job. Different from most stuff I’ve seen him in. I miss _Bored to Death_.