Bill Engvall’s career has seen numerous stages and evolutions. He first began doing standup by chance at an open mic night in Dallas, and was asked to be the club’s emcee after his first five minute set. He has since starred alongside Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy in the highly successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour , starred in The Bill Engvall Show for three seasons and most recently made it to the finals of Dancing with the Stars .
His next starring role will be in The Neighbor , a film that puts the family friendly comedian in uncharted territory, playing a kidnapper.
Before we see him play a villain for the first time, Engvall will take the stage at the Potawatomi Casino on Sunday, March 13 as a part of his current tour.
Have you ever performed at Potawatomi before?
I think I have. Usually I don’t remember venues until I get there. If I remember right it’s a very nice showroom. The show will be great because when I do a show I don’t want people to think, “Oh we’re going to see a standup comic.” My show is more like sitting around in your living room, and I’m the funny guy doing the talking. It’s very conversational and laid back.
Are there any differences you find in performing at a casino compared to a theater?
These casinos are putting in some really nice theaters. Other than walking by and seeing slot machines you wouldn’t know much difference. When they first started, you were in something like a bingo hall, but now they have as nice of theaters as anywhere else in town.
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What can we expect from your performance?
I just got done shooting a special so you’ll get to see a sneak preview of the new show. We talk a lot about getting older, doing Dancing with the Stars , knee replacements, kidney stones. You name it; we cover the whole gamut.
You recently had a knee replacement?
I had a total knee replacement in December. It was pretty interesting. I had to have it because of Dancing with the Stars . There was a lot of wear and tear on it. I don’t think people realize how brutal (the show) is. It’s 13 weeks. I tore my groin, pulled my hamstring and had to have my knee replaced.
I didn’t realize that show was so intense.
I didn’t either brother, but I’d do it again if they called me today. It was just that much fun.
How did you get involved with Dancing with the Stars?
I wish there was some big story. They just called me out of the blue. I originally wasn’t gonna do it. Then my wife encouraged me to do it, and I value her opinion, so I did it. I thought I was only going to be on there for about a week, maybe two at the most, and then I ended up in the finals. It was quite a run.
Why did you initially hesitate to do it?
It was out of my comfort zone. I also thought that the people who do its’ careers are kind of over. But it’s actually been a boon for me. It was seen by 12 million people a week for 13 weeks. I get more applause about Dancing with the Stars than I do for Blue Collar Comedy when I’m on stage.
That’s surprising seeing how popular the Blue Collar Comedy Tour was. How did that come to be?
The Original Kings of Comedy had gone out first. Then we decided we should do a tour. Our demographic had been largely overlooked in the media. So we did the tour, and it was like the perfect storm. It really took off. We all thought it would be successful, but we had no idea it would be that big.
So the Blue Collar Comedy Tour was partly inspired by the Original Kings of Comedy. Are you a fan of those comics?
Definitely. I’m a fan of anyone who takes the craft seriously. Anyone that really works at it, and all of those guys do. I’ve known Steve (Harvey) for years. Anyone that respects the business has my respect.
Are you a fan of a lot of the younger comics?
I think Kevin Hart is hysterical. So is Chris Rock. I love Jim Gaffigan. Brian Regan is also great. I’m an easy mark. If you do comedy professionally and well I like it.
How was it working with Jennifer Lawrence on The Bill Engvall Show before she became a superstar?
We gave Jenny her first job. She’s great. Just a down home good old girl. We could all see there was something going on. I remember telling one of the producers that we’ll be writing the episode where she goes off to college pretty quick. You’d go in her dressing room and there would be piles of movie scripts. She’s just as real as she can be and I love her to death. I’m so proud of her for all of her success.
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Are you two still in contact?
No, no, not with her schedule. If we saw each other on the street we would stop and talk and have a great time. But it’s not like we go out and see each other. Plus she’s twenty-something and I’m 58 (laughs).
What’s next for you?
In December I finished shooting a couple of movies. One is a Christian faith-based movie, and the other one was written by the guy who wrote Saw 4 . That one will shock a lot of my fans. I play a pretty skeezy guy in that one. It was a lot of fun to play that character. The movie is called The Neighbor.
