First comedian on another planet?

Press, 29 June 1985, Page 8

First comedian on another planet?

By

JEFF HAMPTON

George Smilovici, the Australian comedian, says he aims to be the first comic to land on another planet in a space shuttle. Smilovici, who came to prominence recently with his successful “I’m Tuff” record, has plenty of other work to do before he leaves Earth. He arrived in Christchurch yesterday to acclimatise before starting a tour of New Zealand at Dunedin on Monday. Smilovici, aged 30, whose name is pronounced Smil-o-vich, also has hopes of breaking into the American market. Fans attending his New Zealand shows, which he will perform with an Auckland comedy troupe named Funny Business, will hear plenty of music and leave “feeling much wiser,” Smilovici said yesterday. “I’m primed,” said the man who described himself as a “George of all trades.” The career of Smilovici, a former school teacher, has taken off since the commercial success of the “I’m Tuff” record. He was recently presented with the Australian 1985 Comedian of the Year award. Smilovici. however, is

mourning the loss of a plaque which came with the award. It went missing when a car thief took his manager’s car. Meanwhile, Smilovici is busy writing a script for a comic video film which he is producing. He also plans to travel to the United States in about two months where he would like to tell jokes, sing, and act. A part in the latest “Police Academy” movie also awaits him there. Smilovici is looking forward to the New Zealand tour and says that audiences here are very similar to those in Australia. “They are about the same people. The Kiwis just came over on more upper class convict boats,” he joked. New Zealand had few stand-up comics, like himself, because of its small population, he said. Even Sydney, had few such comedians until about seven years ago. Asked whether he became bored by having to continually stay funny, Smilovici said that comedy kept him stimulated and he changed his routine often to maintain an interest. Comedy was worldly, universal, and a vehicle for acting, he said. Smilovici’s biography savs that he was born in

Cuba to a mother and father, “who in spite of this fact are both really nice people.” “When I was just five years old my father wanted to send me to West Point Military Academy to make a man out of me. Can you imagine that? A five-year-old man?” After graduating from the University of New South Wales he became a teacher. “Teaching prepared me a lot for stand-up comedy. The kids laughed at me all the time.” He then left teaching and became one half of a comedy duo called the Lobotomy Brothers, and was so poor that he had to work as a nude model for art classes at technical colleges. From there, he started performing at a venue for budding comedians and also as a musician. His humour picked on everyday things and he just tried to be as entertaining as possible, he said. Who is his favourite comedian? “John McEnroe is a comic I really admire.” Smilovici will perform in Christchurch at the Carlton Hotel on Wednesday and the Southern Cross Hotel on Thursday. He will also take part in Telethon this weekend. A