Following a recent ill-fated performance at the PFA awards, Reginald D Hunter caused quite a stir with his controversial material. Haseeb Malik chats to the Hull-bound comedian.
Reginald D Hunter has been in the news an awful lot recently. It's an unusual place for the American comic to find himself; he is more usually a panelist taking the p ... Michael out of others for their public faux pas on shows such as Have I Got News For You.
Having the tables turned, being thrust into the spotlight for not entirely positive reasons must come as something of a surprise for the comedian, who brings his latest nationwide tour to Hull City Hall tonight.
For anyone who has been living on the moon for the past few weeks, the 44-year- old American hit the headlines after been hired to entertain at the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) annual awards dinner in April, and some attendees took umbrage to his colourful language – not least his unabashed use of the "N" word.
In these days of Kick Racism Out Of Football campaigns, it seems that even a black comedian's use of "that" word is too politically sensitive.
Some argue the PFA scored a massive own goal by throwing its toys out of the pram and demanding its money back – anyone who has seen Hunter on TV would know he doesn't pull any punches and most definitely is not scared of tackling race issues.
But today the funnyman is not overly keen to talk about the controversy when The Guide catches up with him – as we are informed by his PR company – but he seems jovial enough and does not mind being drawn on the "controversial" nature of his material.
Those turning up at Hull City Hall to see his show, In the Midst Of Crackers, tonight will be able to judge for themselves whether his act crosses one line too many.
"Well I know that if I am controversial I've been roughly the same person for as long as I can remember," says the Georgia-born stand-up.
The comedian peppers his words with some salty language and the odd F-bomb, throughout, but he does not come across as either aggressive nor belligerent – as on TV, he remains enduringly likeable and chilled-out.
"My friends don't find me controversial – my family don't – even my ex-girlfriends, whatever their beefs are with me, it is not because they found me controversial," he says.
So, tip-toeing delicately around the subject, is there ever anything you feel you should steer clear of?
Where do you draw the line?
"If someone else tells me there's a line there, then that's probably where I'm going to instinctively head," he says, smiling.
"I'm going to first ask myself, 'well what makes this subject different to all the other ones? What make this one so special?'
"And then that's where the process starts and before you know it – peeling back all the layers – you've got some jokes.
"I have a habit – sometimes a bad habit – that I have to fight when I won't have a complete view on something, or even a full set of jokes about something, but I'll still want to talk about it.
"My rule is, if I don't have something funny to say about something – then I don't say it. That's my line."
Before footballing friction engulfed him – no doubt raising his profile and selling a few thousand extra tour tickets along the way – the three-time Perrier-nominated comic had not always dreamed of stand-up stardom.
His first visit to the UK, at the age of 27, was to study as an actor at the prestigious Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art.
Legend has it, his first stand-up gig came after a bet – with Hunter reaching an on-stage epiphany that he had discovered something he enjoyed and could make money out of.
"I'd say coming to England was the best gamble I ever took," he says.
"The decision to go to Rada, the decision to even try – there's a lot of dominos in that one – I don't know if I would've become a stand-up if I'd stayed in America – and if I had, I probably would've been a lot different.
"Despite the television appearances and whatever people may choose to think of me – I'm a stand-up first and I'm committed to that art form.
"When I write, I write with the people who have been coming to see my shows for years in mind – I guess it's a bit of a love affair – if I keep writing for you, you'll keep coming to see me – fair enough – and if I stop writing for you, I don't deserve for you to come and see me."
• Reginald D Hunter is at Hull City Hall tonight at 8pm. Tickets £23. To book, call 01482 300300.
