It’s been many moons since Adam Sandler has been on the road. But the actor and humorist is back with the “Here Comes the Funny” tour, which stops Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Mohegan Sun Arena. It’s a buddy jaunt, which also features David Spade, Nick Swardson and Rob Schneider. Swardson, 40, a stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter, reveals why Sandler decided to take a break from Hollywood and details what he will riff about on stage and why he still dresses like a teenager.
Q: Adam Sandler hasn’t toured in years. How did you persuade him to take a break from film and hit the road?
A: Every time I came back from the road, Adam would ask me how my shows were and when I would tell him, he would say, “That sounds awesome and I miss doing it.” I said, “Why don’t you get back out there?” Anyway, he wrote a bunch of new songs and we did some local (California) dates. But he wasn’t sure about doing a big tour. There was a show in San Diego that he canceled. My agent told me Adam canceled it and I called him and told him that we got to do San Diego since it will be unreal. We did it, and Adam caught fire, and hasn’t looked back since.
Q: It’s been so long since Sandler has performed between New York and Los Angeles.
A: But he loves it since, when you see the rest of the country, you meet your true fans.
Q: How much does it help Sandler since his three pals are on this jaunt?
A: It helps a lot since we’re his support system. I think he really feels that he’s in a safe zone with us. He doesn’t have to carry the entire show. It’s not like he has an anvil on his back.
Q: How personal does it get for you four guys since you’ve known each other forever?
A: It’s super hilarious since, like you said, we’ve known each other for so long. We’re all comedians and friends who know each other very well so we insult each other down to the core.
Q: Are the four of you appearing onstage together during the show?
A: We dabbled with that. We took questions and that didn’t work out. The crowds were so drunk, it was just one big screaming session.
Q: How many new songs can we expect from Sandler, since he’s so prolific?
A: He really is crazy prolific, so he generated 60-plus new songs. He’s loving this. Expect a lot of new Sandler.
Q: A few years ago, I asked David Spade about Sandler’s film success and he said Sandler is so successful because he just throws stuff up against the wall constantly.
A: It’s true. I’ve worked with him for almost 15 years and his brain just never stops working. He is one of the most creative, if not the most creative, person I’ve ever met.
Q: What are you talking about onstage?
A: I’m talking about turning 40. I’m talking about drinking and day to day stuff. I’ll have fun with observational stuff.
Q: You don’t seem very different now than when you were 30.
A: I’m not. I still dress like I’m 13. It’s because I still don’t give a crap.
Q: It’s difficult to imagine what you would do if you weren’t a comic. What would you do?
A: That’s a great question since I have no idea.
Q: What other jobs have you had and were you successful at any of them?
A: I was not a success at any of those jobs. I worked in telemarketing. I was fired. My boss went up to me after two hours and said, “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
Q: I didn’t know it was possible to be fired from a telemarketing job. What other job did you get fired from and why did you get canned?
A: I worked at a bakery. I got fired because, at the end of the day, we had 15 brownies left and I smashed them up into a big patty. I tried to sell it as a big chocolate hamburger for $40. I was told that looked disgusting and I was fired. Thank God I have comedy. Who knows what I would be doing if I didn’t have comedy?
HERE COMES THE FUNNY TOUR, with Adam Sandler, David Spade, Nick Swardson and Rob Schneider, is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Tickets are $79 and $99. 860-862-8499, mohegansun.com
