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Kathy Griffin Shares Her Hollywood Firsts: Meeting Robin Williams, Feud With Barbara Walters & More | THR Video
The Hollywood Reporter
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9/12/2024
Comedy legend Kathy Griffin sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on her "Hollywood Firsts," from the first time she stepped on stage, meeting Robin Williams, winning her first Grammy and more.
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00:00
On My Life on the D-List, I didn't know that, like the Kardashians,
00:04
I should have been renting another freaking house and then lying and saying it's my house.
00:08
I let strangers in my house, like, constantly.
00:14
Hey everybody, it's me, Kathy Griffin, with The Hollywood Reporter,
00:17
and I'm going to share my Hollywood first with you guys.
00:22
The first thing I watched that was so funny it made me want to actually go
00:26
into comedy was Joan Rivers, because I hadn't seen anyone like her,
00:30
and my parents thought she was a riot, and my siblings thought she was a riot, and,
00:36
you know, inappropriate humor, of course, had its place.
00:40
The first time I stepped on stage, it was at the Comedy Store.
00:44
I have this magical set, like, I'm not saying I get a standing ovation,
00:48
but people are legit laughing and, like, clapping and everything.
00:51
Okay, I swear to God, after that one freaking few minutes at the Comedy Store,
00:57
I bombed for two years. Two years!
01:01
The first person I met, this is really hard because now I'm so old I've kind of met everybody,
01:06
but who left me really starstruck may have been Robin Williams,
01:10
who later on became a mentor, and I will always owe him and be so grateful to him.
01:16
He would take time and give me notes, and one time we were both on,
01:20
if you remember a show, there used to be a show called Comic Relief,
01:22
and I bombed so horribly that, like, people wouldn't even talk to me,
01:26
and Robin came over, and he's like, I'm so sorry.
01:29
I think I touched on one of your topics before your set. I didn't know you were going to talk.
01:33
And I was like, you don't have to apologize. At least you're talking to me.
01:36
So I'd say he's probably the first person that, like, knocked my socks off,
01:41
because he was so magical, whether he was on camera or not.
01:46
The first major award I won was honestly probably one of my gay awards.
01:52
I have a Gracie, which is the women's awards, which I'm proud of.
01:55
I have two Emmys and I have a Grammy, and I'm one of only four women to win the
02:00
Grammy for Best Comedy Album in the entire history of the Grammys.
02:04
I'm quite famous for getting in a lot of trouble for when I won my first Emmy,
02:10
for when I won my first Emmy, when music artists or bimbo actors go up and thank God
02:18
and thank Jesus for choosing them to win the award that night.
02:22
And I just think it's funny that that's what people think God is doing.
02:27
I said, and if you think Jesus had one thing to do with this Emmy,
02:32
she certainly did. In fact, suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now.
02:37
Probably the first time I got in, like, international trouble.
02:43
The first feud in Hollywood I probably had was with, like,
02:46
knowing me, probably the head of some network.
02:48
Like, as my mother would say, you're kissing the wrong ass.
02:52
That's your problem, Kathleen. Kiss the right ass next time.
02:56
I had this feud on and off for years. The great, the one and only Barbara Walters.
03:01
So I know her, of course, as a news icon and as a groundbreaker for women.
03:06
And, of course, she created the show, The View.
03:09
Take a minute to enjoy The View. So Barbara couldn't stand me.
03:13
I would try to torture her as much as possible. Like, if she would go in the restroom,
03:17
I'd go in the restroom and bang on her stall.
03:19
You don't have to follow me in the bathroom anymore.
03:22
I loved her every minute of it. I couldn't help it.
03:24
The first time I learned about reality television is I was lucky enough to be doing a gig
03:29
with Nick and Jessica. So remember Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey,
03:33
when they were married, they had a show. And I had just, I think, made the deal for
03:38
Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D-List. And they were so helpful.
03:43
One thing Nick said, which was funny, which is he said one of our rules was
03:47
absolutely no shooting in the bedroom. Like, we need one room in the house.
03:52
Because, you know, on My Life on the D-List, I didn't know that, like the Kardashians,
03:56
I should have been renting another freaking house and then lying and saying it's my house.
04:00
I let strangers in my house, like, constantly.
04:06
The first opportunity I turned down that I regret, oh, this one kills me,
04:10
is they wanted me to do the daytime, host the daytime version of The Weakest Link.
04:15
Was it even the 2000s? I think they brought Anne back. Remember the red-haired English lady?
04:20
But I think about it, and the asshole I was in that meeting, like,
04:25
I just don't know if I can be taken seriously as a comic if I do this,
04:28
because then I'm a game show host. I should have taken that gig and said thank you.
04:32
The first thing I would like people to think about when they hear Kathy Griffith is D-List.
04:37
I want them to think of an episode of My Life on the D-List that makes them laugh to this day if
04:42
they saw it, or if there's one of my 21 stand-up comedy specials that you like or have a joke that
04:49
you use when you're feeling down. That's what I hope for, is to take you when you're on a day
04:54
when you need a laugh and give you that laugh. All right, you guys, this has been fun. Thank you
04:58
for listening to my Hollywood firsts. I know I got a little rambly, but apparently they call that
05:03
content. All right, you guys, I'll see you next time. Thank you for watching.
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