My Life, Influences, and Comedy | Eddie Izzard | Talks at Google

Eddie Izzard stops by Google for a conversation about his life, his influences, and comedy. The interview was conducted by Mark Day.

[@LilyGrace95]

Eddie Izzard was the first comedian I ever knew about. I watched... I think it was Circle or Glorious, when I was 6yrs old, and he's had a place in my heart ever since. I love him in every drama/comedy I've seen him in from Live At The Ambassador's to Treasure Island....

[@mrgooomba]

He's brilliant... Just the way he articulates his experiences and his perceptions of things is awesome.

[@Slashydutchie]

I love Eddie, I always feel an interview with him is the embodiment of "And now for something completely different..." XD

[@v.e2035]

I truly Take off my hat to you , good sir Izzard, you are a remarkable human being who has over come an adverse ,divided , world and United them in laughter and humility. Thank you..

[@EVZYL]

But do you have a flag? My all time favourite Izzard skit.

[@mikereseigh]

The Ottoman empire. Full of furniture for some reason.

[@brankogredelj6153]

Achilles: So my name is Achilles, mom, and I have an Achilles' heel? I'll be a laughing stock!

[@MichaelELambert]

Eddie Izzard is Ricky Gervais's Dark side doppelganger LOL Love 'em both!

[@AnaLuizaHella]

I don't see like this.

[@MichaelFoley64]

Love Eddie as always. The bit about French Millennials is the most encouraging thing I have heard in years.

[@MikkoB89]

He does interviews like he does his stand up comedy, it's quite random and very funny!

[@suzandouglass5241]

Eddie is a great big lovable ball of ADHD, and will make a wonderful Mayor of London in 2020...

[@markshorrocks5056]

Yay! Couldn`t agree more. I`ve been promoting his mayoral campaign, which hasn`t actually started yet, for a while. I`m not from London, don`t live in London, don`t even live in the UK now. But yeah, EDDIE for mayor! Prime Minister even!

[@duxnihilo]

He has ADHD? I know he's dyslexic.

[@jvmonitto]

Eddie is brilliant, so funny and polite. Just saw him at USC last Friday. Caught his show at Shoreline this year and a few other appearances plus Day in the Death of Joe Egg in NYC. He's simply amazing.

[@markshorrocks5056]

Fantastic interview. The performance in France in French was great too.

[@allistairmitchell3845]

Eddie is a study in revelatory courage and tenacity. I “share” his interviews to my email sometimes to study what he says more closely. His sexual proclivity is irrelevant to me. It’s his constant exploration of the human condition and his willingness to discuss it publicly that is so rare. We can employ his type of self- awareness if we’re open to challenge ourselves to become our best selves❣️

[@charbax]

Eddie, just do more recorded stuff for us thanks! KZbin guys need to convince you to put all your stuff on the web. I appreciate the work you put into making your genius shows, English is good enough, please use your energy to do more shows in English, as many as possible. Movies and TV stuff also. Release!

[@richieblackhearted]

Eddie is so right about casting/reviewing. No one thought Jack Nicholson could be a straight actor for some time and even now he is still typecasted in "manic" roles, despite proving critics wrong time and time again. Personally, I think an actor needs a refined and defined comic edge to really sell a dramatic role. No one is 100% serious about everything all the time.

[@davidsears5176]

"Bastard Son of Monty Python" should be the title of his autobiography.... (and as I understand it, the Pythons actually do have a pretty high opinion of him)

[@sandranicholson4644]

Absolutely love Eddie Izzard.

[@jimlutz6691]

I was lucky to be in great seats at MSG in NYC "12 years ago" to watch Eddie's Show - Loved it ! ! !

[@LM-pm2ir]

Eddie Izzard ; is multi talented, gifted, pure comedic genius.

[@TheFactorygirl28]

I really adore this man. Excellent interview. Thanks for the upload!

[@havanakim]

Mark Day best interviewer......amazed he let Eddie speak and asked intelligent questions.....Big Up Mark and Eddie.....

[@AnaLuizaHella]

Genius and there's no other word to define Eddie! 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅 People don't value comedy as it should.

[@The_Steffer]

Such a great interview. Thank you so much for posting it! He is so right on about trying to hard and and getting over the humiliation and shame when learning something new. Really great stuff. Had to link it to him on twitter and post a comment here. Thanks again.

[@cheapassassin]

Seeing Eddie inspired me to do stand up. I'm glad I've done it and it's awesome we can all find our own way to do it.

[@oldtrowt]

Incredible bloke. Very inspirational and bloody funny. Thanks for sharing.

[@ImBuddhaD]

You have an inquisitive mind and you have a talent for argumentation, so I'm confident that with the right direction and drive you will continue to grow smarter. I wish you the best of luck.

[@Vospi]

That was simply brilliant.

[@asfarfafar]

Such a great comedian, I really love his shows :) I love his style and personality xD I hope that some day he'll make some show in italian :D He is right about barriers breaking, I learnt english here on the internet, and I love british and american comedy, and I think that it's great to be able to understand the language of so many people :)

[@thescowlingschnauzer]

As I pull up an Eddie Izzard video, my teach-yourself-French software asks me "Vous voulez un plateau avec ça?" Magic.

[@hhtwbps]

i love Eddie, his intelligent, funny and attractive-the triple threat

[@RonJammin]

Thanks for this, Izzard is fantastic!

[@j0eMD]

SMART and effortlessly funny. What an amazing person...

[@suup101]

love it as always

[@syystomu]

Oh my god, just listening to him talk! :D Those trains of thoughts. He's even worse and better like this, just talking and getting on these random tangents. It's like a roller coaster of ideas. Oooh, the classroom one is a really good one! Seriously, because it's true, all those "historical" people were just people, just like anybody else. And often you do know people like them from your own life. Or at least from TV.

[@taunteratwill1787]

What a great analogy he made at the end 53:40 about the Republicans and Dems, nailed it very sharp and sadly very true!

[@SiempreAmigos]

always brilliant!

[@condor43]

this man is SO brilliant!!

[@DrMinsky]

Ooooh. I do enjoy such conversations.

[@johnafangy]

Eddie Izzard is absolutely brilliant. Netflix has a great documentary about him (if it's still up).

[@robert0price]

one of the best she's done go SUZY

[@tutsmom101]

I saw you in the Munsters pilot for the TV series Mockingbird Lane I think is what it was called you were hilarious , i was so hoping it was going to take off unfortunately it didn't which sucks we've seen you in dramas and of course your stand up and have thoroughly enjoyed most everything you've done keep it up you're fun to watch

[@quitethegirl]

What's he talking about?? He played Dr. Hattarras, a professor on United States of Tara with Toni Collette all through season 3. Was amazing. Love his acting as much as his comedy.

[@syystomu]

And I think he's absolutely right about language. Being a language nerd, I know very well that my biggest problem with learning a new language is always simply letting go of the anxiety over mistakes. I really suck at it so far but at least I know what to fix... I HAVE actually considered trying alcohol but I'm kind of nervous about that because I don't really drink much at all and I don't know how it'd affect me.

[@pwuk]

Gets my vote!

[@DadlaniBerlin]

Thank you so much for posting this !!! when was he in germany and anyone have an idea of when he will be in germany again .... ????

[@Ppppinkland]

In my experience of living in Tours a couple of years back, my two French housemates - in their early 20s - were watching Friends and The X-Files dubbed into French, but to be fair that was only a sample size of two. In any case it is very encouraging to hear that a preference for subtitles might be on the rise.

[@LyricalDJ]

Just guessing, but it may be because of the rise of social media and possibly also English music (although I assume that's not so much the case as that was available for quite some time now). Anyway, something that breaks the sociocultural barrier but also something that diminishes the desire to protect the language (which I'm noticing a lot here in the Netherlands. People don't really care about the language or the value it holds (although I think that's partially because of our culture and history, that being of trade and having to deal with bigger nations around us). Soo.. that may not be the case in France. - edit -To put a bit of a disclaimer on this, there's obviously a great good in being able to understand one another it's just that I love all languages, including my own and I think I'm just a bit disappointed with it being regarded as being less than it is.

[@alinemerrow]

Most adorable Eddie, amazingly dull interviewer.

[@ImBuddhaD]

3) The only advice I can give, based on my own life experience, is to try to understand the predetermination of your own perception. By understanding the inherent bias in your own thinking (we all have this) you are able to understand the world better, because you begin to see some of the ways in which you filter the external environment and the ways in which your perception is but a colored vision of an objective reality. This was one of the reasons I recommended the social psychology book.

[@syystomu]

Wow, I couldn't agree more about the universality of humour. I do think there are tendencies that differ from culture to culture, but there's always something unifying underneath it all. And I've found that people tend to be the same in every country, too: you can find the same types everywhere. There are only superficial differencies which you notice first but which fade away once you get to know the culture better.

[@or4257]

he fascinates me

[@mikemalo47]

Damned funny stand-up....and looks good doing it to boot.

[@joe94c]

Loved him in Hannibal

[@Matell]

mark d - luv it

[@genericfacelessuser]

he's one handsome dude! if it wasn't for his voice....I'd have never guessed!

[@ImBuddhaD]

I can see why you'd say that. In a general sense I believe that there is more strength in trying to understand someone else's point of view, rather than projecting our own. As a rule of thumb, in my book at least, interest in others is generally better than asking other to be interested in you, either directly or implicitly. Explaining something is difficult to understand ('(...) I still find myself going "What the hell!?"') can, because of its wording, be construed for a normative judgement,

[@Mellonote]

@mymovienerd I myself found it really interesting, and dude, for a start he has a wife, and all the professional interviewers had to start somewhere. This is only his second interview (as far as I know) and considering he's got Eddy here AND the Lonely Islands under his belt, he's not doing to bad lol.

[@Rowzgirl]

I believe Eddie Izzard to be one of the kindest people on earth.

[@barraqali336]

There is nobody like Eddie!

[@SirAndras]

Very interesting how he now wants to make shows in all these dif languages. Also the last min where he mentions how french people are now convering from dub to sub is really great news. Should happen in moreeuropean countries, namely Germany and Italy.

[@kittimcconnell2633]

FIFTEEN Languages worth of subtitles on his DVD? Zowie!

[@johnyoung6419]

I am a woman who has had a few transvestite lovers. It's not that difficult and peoples sexual choices are personal, interesting but none of us have a right to judge. E. I. is intelligent and very funny. He draws us all together and what else can we ask for from anyone performing publicly?

[@apexxxx10]

I am a horologist. Lemme ask you is a Breitling time piece Eddie is wearing on his wrist at 1:20. Thanks for the clip.

[@ImBuddhaD]

2) A) Our genetics and B) our epigenetics (the effect of environmental stimuli on the expression of certain genes as we go through life, specifically during the formative years before we reach the age of 24). The often used counter argument (which, admittedly, is something of a platitude) is: 'when did you did you decide do be a heterosexual?'. The point therein is that such aspects of our personality and personal preferences are expressions of deep-rooted constructs that make up our 'self'.

[@thefinewino]

he was great in Hannibal!

[@ImBuddhaD]

8) Some resources which I found useful in shaping my thinking: -Dr Miles Hewstone (2012) 'An Introduction to Social Psychology' - Douglas Walton (2005) 'Fundamentals of Critical Argumentation (Critical Reasoning and Argumentation)' -Athene's Theory of Everything (on YT) +Contains many more references

[@thescowlingschnauzer]

The documentary about Eddie Izzard is called "Believe". It's a great insight into how driven he is. Kind of like "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop", but with more Englishness and crossdressing.

[@zonachoke]

@ minute 24... "Whale Rider" is an excellent movie

[@Apollostowel]

It's running, jumping, climbing trees, putting on makeup while you're up there.

[@55vica]

Love his politics on languages.

[@dgloria]

Yeah he would make a perfect Brian. :)

[@dardo1201]

omg it's Mark Day!

[@ImBuddhaD]

Alright, fair enough. My apologies for not being sufficiently clear and succinct in answering your question. I think the reason why I did not answer the 'why?' aspect of your question as to Eddie's cross-dressing is because it could be seen as asking 'why are you straight?' (assuming you are). Such aspects of our sexuality are not, as some would have us belief, 'lifestyle choices' or choices of any other order. They result from the way your brain works, which could be seen as the result of

[@juliangarner56]

ImBuddhaD Sorry, but you’re not that interesting.

[@ibkristykat]

well he did do Who's Line is it Anyway in the UK... so he did do sketch comedy technically - yes as a guest - but he did it

[@rouelibre1]

Eddie is briliant. The only thing I didn't like about this interview is that he's done his show in french, this past summer, in Montral. Had I konwned, I would have gone ('cuz my girlfriend can't follow him in english). That made me mad to learn that. :O))

[@HazzaP123]

@mymovienerd I think the interviewer is great!

[@92belisarius]

I think Eddie is the greatest stand up of all time, but personally not so convinced by him as a dramatic actor.

[@KOakaKO]

At 45:00, she seems to be trying VERY hard to put Eddie into a particular category. Defining him in a particular way. Deciding for herself that he belongs in THAT pigeonhole and not another one. Which is the exact opposite of what he had just said to her. Eddie defies being placed in a hole. He doesn't fit within whatever category you try to put him in. While she seems to be happy to talk to him, she also seems to really be struggling within her own mind to "define" him in such a way that makes sense to herself. Which Eddie had JUST SAID doesn't work when people try to nail him down to one category or another. Maybe it's my contrary nature, but I find her mental struggles at that point to be extremely funny...

[@EarlofCrawford]

+KOakaKO So many of today's kiddies need to keep people in their respective lanes. Hence "Gay" has been turned into LGBTQA....and growing. First they want to know how you identify before they know how to interact with you. No wonder so many comedians have all sworn off playing gigs at Colleges.

[@KOakaKO]

***** - Yeah, I agree. The more kids supposedly "learn" at most colleges today, the more they seem to pull back into ignorant definitions - deciding for some reason that THEY are able to specifically explain things that they just don't know anything about. Then again, the 'arrogant sophomore' phenomenon has been a fact of life for as long as there have been colleges. I guess it's just a part of human nature. Students, in my opinion, tend not to realize how much they really DON'T know about the world until their 3rd year...

[@syystomu]

Mandarin is... an interesting language. There are some really hard bits like the pronunciation and the writing (though for the writing my suggestion is: just start with the super easy ones and learn one per day and it'll be much easier than you think) but it's also in other ways a really easy language. You'd be surprised. The grammar is very simple and the words are short. The actually tricky parts are when you get to the stylistics but by then you should already speak it pretty well.

[@ImBuddhaD]

5) You question why can be answered from a natural or a normative perspective. The natural approach is that cross-dressing is the result of someone's genetic and epi-genetic make-up (where make-up is a fitting choice of words..), which puts the behavior beyond the individuals realm of conscious choice and therefore responsibility. From a normative stance point we can say that cross-dressing is only 'abnormal' because of the current norms held in society. Such norms may be the result of

[@pgpeachess]

are the water bottles a permanent part of the stage set up now?

[@HardRockMiner]

She's a funny guy. Lol!!

[@03878969963]

tradução ?

[@ImBuddhaD]

3) Where our 'self' is a momentary expression of our (sub)conscious values and beliefs, that reach well beyond our conscious mind. In its simplest form I would answer your question of 'why is he a transvestite?' by saying: because it expresses the person he feels he naturally is and because he is brave enough to align his outward actions with being his intuitively felt 'self'. Being yourself is never easy, and those who have the strength to align their natural and social persona, in my opinion

[@RonJammin]

Don't mean to nitpick - but Eddie was in Ocean's 12 & 13, NOT in Ocean's Eleven. Otherwise, fantastic interview, got to admire those who are self-starters on questions!

[@fredguy2]

I want a riches Movie to wrap up the story. NOW!!

[@stacyyoust]

hey if I can work on a PC and a Mac back to back...and I do now...so the brain is quite wonderful and we can push it, is my point

[@skywize]

Dressed to kill ruled! I also loved The Riches, though it was slightly less Eddie, and more Shannon Woodward. ;v)

[@An0nym0u2]

he would be a God on just a minute

[@user-so1om6bk1m]

does it Heisenberg is taking the interview ? О_о

[@bosunbriney]

i liked your comment and caught myself being surprised at your nickname. this is because of horrible prejudice on my part and i swear i'll try to never be surprised at ANYTHING EVER AGAIN

[@trigun01414]

is he related to ricky gervais?

[@TheRatyzuma]

Its Ocean's 12 and 13!

[@TheMediterranean1]

Eddie Izzard going into politics? I am behind you Eddie, all the way!

[@ImBuddhaD]

4) Deserve our respect. All the more when their persona does not overlap with society's current 'norm' or range of acceptable behavior around the societal average (which is what norms essentially are). I realize that last bit is more of a normative statement than a clear answer towards understanding why, I hope you'll find it useful nonetheless. Does that answer your question or at least provide you with a useful insight into my perspective on how the situation could be seen? In summary,

[@ImBuddhaD]

Neuro-chemically this response is the same as being physically threatened. It impedes rational thought and disallows us to see the bigger picture, be empathic or think objectively: i.e. it creates tunnel vision. I would invite you to read up on some social psychology and try to apply to proven ways for improving decision-making. These include: -Trying your best to argue for the opposite point of view; -Asking someone who is competent in this field; -Reframing the question.

[@rouelibre1]

@LilMissRosalinde Thanks, but none online to my knowledge. We'll hope, wait and see.

[@thescowlingschnauzer]

That depends on what "here" is. If "here" is the conversation I started with my comment, then the fact that cross-dressing does nothing for me and does something for Eddie is not only relevant, it's of the essence. See, if you tell me to just have empathy, I can act like I do, but even if I want to show true empathy I won't be able to truly until I actually understand.

[@Wixdfast2]

He wasn't in Oceans 11, he was in Oceans 12 and 13

[@syystomu]

But anyway, yeah, languages aren't as hard as they seem. Often the problem is how you try to learn them. We're naturally inclined to communicate and we should try and learn languages as naturally as possible: the best way is by talking and hearing others talk. Watching movies and TV with subtitles is actually a decent start. The point is to trick your brain into realizing that this is something that it actually wants to learn. Make it hear the language in different contexts so it'll get curious.

[@dragonkattz]

hmm, he did create a little sketch show called Cows early on in his career...

[@GeorgeLista]

Am I the only one who thinks @eddieizzard is a hybrid of Hugh Laurie, Downey Jr & DiCaprio? @hughlaurie @RDJOfficialNews and @LeoDiCaprio

[@bethhoyle3033]

Yep, you may be the only one.