By Monique Jones
The Birmingham Times
Comedian Deon Cole might be from Chicago, but he has a deep connection with Birmingham’s StarDome Comedy Club.
“I’ve played there before with [Birmingham native] Rickey Smiley,” he said. “I used to write for Rickey. While we’d help write, he’d also give us stage time. It was great.”
Cole said he’s “excited” to be at the StarDome again. Throughout his time at the venue Nov. 18-20, he hopes audiences see life in a different way. Fans can look forward to “insight, laughter, different perceptions than they’ve ever heard and fun,” he said.
What does Cole hope fans say after they leave his show? “‘Wow, I didn’t think of it like that,’” he said in the voice of his audience. “‘He has a very unique way, a very unique approach to a situation I can attest to … I want to hear more.’”
“I would love for [the StarDome audience] to come out open-minded to see a different perception on the world and observational humor and observations on situations that occur,” he said. “A smart audience—black audience, white audience, Hispanic, Asian, mixed, a whole array of people—I would love to have that.”
Cole’s upcoming show at the StarDome comes in the middle of his already-busy schedule as Cole reprises his memorable character Charlie Telphy on ABC’s hit comedy “black-ish.”
“[Fans] think he’s insane,” said Cole when referring to his character. “They think he’s off his rocker, but they want to hang out with him. Everyone wants to hang out with a maniac.”
“Black-ish” is currently airing its third season, and for Cole, that means working with a cast that makes the job feel like playtime.
“We’re working every day on it and it’s great working on the show,” said Cole. “It’s great being around some of the greatest—Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lawrence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis and the kids [Marcus Scribner, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown and Marsai Martin] are phenomenal. My co-workers in the office scenes [Peter Mackenzie and Jeff Meacham], they’re great. We really have a great time. We’re more of a family than a cast.”
Cole also lends his comedy to TBS’ “Angie Tribeca,” starring Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, and Andree Vermeulen. Between “black-ish” and “Angie Tribeca,” which is also starting its third season, Cole is starring in the upcoming romantic comedy “The Female Brain,” starring Whitney Cummings, Sofia Vergara and NBA star Blake Griffin. These are only just a few of Cole’s current and upcoming projects.
The fast-paced Hollywood life was only a matter of time for Cole, who continued to hone his writing talent as a staff writer for NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” and TBS’ “Conan” before joining “black-ish.”
“You wait for this all your whole career. It’s all about preparation meets opportunity. It lined up,” he said. “That’s all that basically was; just that opportunity and me being prepared for it. It’s been an amazing ride.”
Those who see Cole might think it’s easy, but if stardom is meant for you, it’ll find you, Cole said.
“It’s going to dictate you, that’s what it’s going to do,” he said. “If you’re going to do this, and it’s meant for you to do, you’re going to do it. Talent is talent is talent; there’s no way around it, so it’s going to happen. If you’re meant to do, you’re going to do it.”
Deon Cole will be live at the StarDome Nov. 18-20. Tickets available for purchase at www.stardome.com or 205-444-0008.
