Sebastian Maniscalco Is Not The Life Of The Party | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

is something I really appreciate about. you is that. you have your performing persona. and I've noticed whenever I'd come in. and talked to you and the dressing room. beforehand or afterwards or even when I. talk to you here today at the podcast. you are. a very quiet thoughtful man yeah and I'm. curious. if you encounter. you're so well known out in the world. when you're yourself you're with your.

family with the kids. there are there people that want that. other Sebastian do you know what I mean. and you are a very dignified intelligent. quiet guy who is not performing at this. moment yeah people do think that's uh. who I am on an everyday basis you know. kind of not loud but like overexpressive. and whatnot when I get together with you. we're just kind of talking it's normal. and what have you so yeah listen I I'm. not I'm not life at a party by any means.

all right and I think that's the. misconception with some comedians where. you think oh invite the comedian's gonna. make the room laugh. you know if you invite me over to your. house and there's other people there. that I don't know I tend to be you know. Allen's call it Shy just and I tend to. it takes me a while yeah to warm up to. the group yeah even when when I do these. things right these podcasts which I. don't when I don't do a lot of them just. because. I mean I don't know I just feel like uh.

is is this going to be an environment. where I'm gonna be comfortable to kind. of be myself and like express my. feelings and then obviously with the U6. I fit right in here. we like to think it's a welcoming. environment. no but like sometimes you go in it's. like I don't you know I don't know but. what do we know well also I've noticed. that. um people a lot of people think comedy.

is a thing like you hire a plumber they. come over. oh I see what the problem is and they. fix it and I'm always trying to explain. to people they'll say like why don't you. just come over into this situation and. and do that Conan thing and get. everybody laughing and I'll start asking. questions like whoa what's what's what's. the occasion what's the room what's the. and they act like what are you talking. about just come and do the thing yeah. and I'll say it's all comedy is so hard.

and it's also so conditional on where. are we. where are we who's there what's the back. story as you know if there's a really. high ceiling that's not good yeah you. want some compression in the room if. people are eating while you're doing. your thing that's not good that's. terrible yeah I've have nightmares still. doing things at the you know. um uh what's what's the really fancy. hotel that goes back way Waldorf Astoria.

oh Waldorf Astoria has it yeah the world. of Astoria has this famous Ballroom. where they would do whenever someone was. retiring like Tom Brokaw is retiring. Conan go do you know you're gonna go and. talk about Tom and get big laughs for 15. minutes at the Waldorf Astoria and you. think there's a ballroom there that I. have still have nightmares about because. it's really wide really deep ceilings. are really high and everybody's eating a. Caesar salad. and you just hear you know silverware.

and I think again and again and again. it's about. what's the context what's the room. what's the environment yeah and you know. when you're in an environment where you. can really light things on fire and have. fun and you also know when you're in an. environment where. what is this an aquarium like why am I. here yeah these people I don't even. think know that there's going to be. anybody doing anything funny it just. feels it's very off-putting and you need. the conditions to be right yeah I think.

uh that's the misconception you could. just put comedy up wherever and it's. just gonna work I remember early on. where people you know you know a little. corporate event you know corporate. events generally speaking are notorious. for this we're like yeah no we're gonna. have a comedian and then you get there. and then it's just a dance floor and. then the people you know it's like you. got to have the people near me you know. you can't be you know 40 feet away right. you're not Mussolini yeah you know you. need you need people yes exactly exactly.

so then you would have to do a quick. adjustment and go all right I'm going to. perform now on the Dance Floor now I'm. gonna have to go you know and so you got. to make it right and it works in life. too I think you know sometimes I think. you're in a situation where it's a. social setting and you know maybe the. expectation is you know for uh you to be. funny but you look at the environment. and go this this ain't this ain't the. environment for for me to like Excel. here so then I then I go like I'm like a. shut-in I don't say nothing and then my. wife's like why aren't you talking like.

it's just it's just not right you know. like it's it's uh yeah I don't know I. feel uncomfortable sometimes around like. um went to a birthday party yesterday. kids birthday party right. I just uh I don't know I just felt like. I'm just gonna hang out with my kids. here because I just didn't feel like any. like Pockets or any situations where I. could get involved and really kind of. start to get something cooking yeah yes. I know exactly what you're talking about. I was at a Thing Once I was at an event. that I was supposed to that I emceed and.

they didn't tell me this but it was all. to raise. it was a really good cause was to raise. money for uh you know wounded uh wounded. uh military vets and so it's a great. cause and I was really glad to do it. it's this big event I'll never forget. I'm backstage and I'm gonna go out and I. know what I'm gonna do and just before I. went out they came out and they played. Taps. you know and they played they played.

Taps and the whole room gets really. solemn and then a voice of God just went. ladies and gentlemen Conan O'Brien. he's like. the. it's like a dare you know. how do I get from where we are now which. is very sacred and solemn and. appropriate but why did you why did you. want to communicate. yeah I think we're going to light it up. you know like oh it's very somber now. the comedian's gonna come out and make.

everybody laugh but I mean it's. difficult to come out to uh to that. environment I did something similar to. it I was a 911 gig and they show a video. of 9 11 and the people and this and that. and then they're please welcome. Sebastian and I come out and I'm like. okay uh you know let's get into the my. dad my dad. or else so you're doing you're doing. comedy about how you've had a hard day. oh boy the day I've had oh really did.

Two Towers collapse. and thousands and thousands of people. hold on hold on I know I know but let me. talk about my day I mean it's just. impossible yeah it's like a Harry. Houdini thing where it's like we're. gonna take Sebastian mascalco and wrap. chains around him and put him in a bank. vault and throw them in the Hudson River. and then let's see if he can get out. yeah. um you know it's funny because you. mentioned something that I like to talk. about occasionally which is. um you talk about.

life of the party and this is a common. misconception. but I've often had people over the years. say to me oh you must have been the. class clown and I've mentioned this. before in the podcast and I think oh no. I was not the class clown. I I remember the class clown but and I. but I was not that guy. and most I would say almost. all of the comedians I really like. we're not the class clown and I'm sure.

there are so many people that are huge. fans of yours and would think like oh my. God if I could have gone if I could have. been in the eighth grade with Sebastian. he would have just been. hanging from the ceiling and being crazy. and I just knowing you and how smart you. are and talented I'm thinking now I. don't think that was Sebastian yeah uh. no one if you were in eighth grade with. me you would have not known I was in the. class. I actually looked at the class clown as. I was sitting watching him going.

sit down. it's not fun. yeah so you know I was I was more of an. observer I I wasn't the uh. I wasn't the center of attention now. when I got up in front of the class to. do a book report or if it was something. that I had to get up and and do then I. was funny but like you know the rest of. the year I was I wasn't saying much so. never the class clown I never thought.

the class clown was funny I could tell. who the class clown is if if it's a. comedian that guy was the. I'm not in the class clowns yeah no well. I think they're all they all end up in. prison at least for a while. do routinely go to prison. and then they come out and they're not. class clowns anymore. they have a whole different attitude. about stuff isn't as funny to them. anymore.