Man of the Moment Ben Bailey with Melissa A. Bartell

Each week, we get to journey through the streets of Manhattan with our February Man of the Moment Ben Bailey, host of The Discovery Channel’s Cash Cab, but that’s just one aspect of his life. He turned off the meter and let us question him for a change. Enjoy our interview with the comic and very well caffeinated Mr. Bailey.

Ben, please tell our readers a bit about yourself, in your own words?

Ummmm…I am a father comedian game show host. I like to golf and swim. I am a perfectionist. I have a bad temper that I have learned to control(most of the time). I am always over analyzing myself and everything else to try to improve.

You’re from New Jersey, but you attended Old Dominion University. How does a kid from Chatham, N.J. end up in Norfolk, VA? Also, what did you study?

I didn’t really put too much effort into studying in school, so my choices were somewhat limited. My sister had gone to school in VA and I had gone to visit her and liked it down there. I was planning to be a marine biologist and ODU has a great program for that specific major. I changed after one year and tried psychology, then ended up going basic liberal arts.

Marine biology is vastly different than doing stand-up, or acting. Was there a part of you that always wanted to be an entertainer? Were you funny as a child?

People always told me I should be a comedian, but I never really paid attention to them until I was working at the Comedy Store in LA answering phones.

I was always more concerned with making the other kids laugh than anything else. My only plan early on was to have as much fun as possible. I thought I was funny as a child. Other people didn’t always agree, but I usually was able to get laughs in classes…enough that I would consistently get kicked out. Then I would do the work in a study hall and get “B’s” anyway.

How did you end up beginning your stand-up career, then?

I moved to LA to become a “movie star” as I liked to say back then. I got a job working at the Comedy Store on Sunset, and ended up doing my first show there and that was all it took.

I’ve seen your comedy style described as “surrealist observation.” Is this a description you support?

That was a description by my friend Scott Dikkers (The Onion). He said it, and I agreed. It is observational, but with a touch (or more) of ridiculousness. I thought it was the perfect description.

Most people – most of our readers, at least – probably know you more as the host of The Discovery Channel’s Cash Cab than for your comedy. Has the hosting job increased the size of the audience when you do comedy? Is there ever an unfavorable reaction when you go blue?

It definitely gets the people out to see me, and generally they are suprised, but not upset by “blue” material. I am generally a pretty clean comedian, but I swear a lot when I talk. I sometimes wish I didn’t.

Speaking of Cash Cab, you actually took the exam and got a cabbie’s license. Was this required for the job?

Yes, getting a real hack license was required to get the job.

Do you have any input into the questions that are asked? Could you actually answer them if the tables were turned?

I have nothing to do with the writing of the questions, but I have some veto power. I think I would do pretty well as a contestant, but you really never know. I always get quizzed before each game, and I know about 3/4 of the answers on average.

Are people who hail the cab ever frustrated when they find out it’s part of a reality tv-show and completely unwilling to play?

Yes, sometimes they just get right out without a word. I wish we could show some of those, but they leave without signing a release form so we can’t.

In addition to everything else, you’re also a tri-athlete, and as I write this, you’re in training for an Iron Man competition (it’ll be over by the time we go to press). How did you get involved in this level of competition?

I saw the Iron Man on TV when I was like 12 years old and always wanted to do it. The race that I did a few weeks back was a Half Iron Man. I finished it, which was my only goal as it was my first one. I have always tried to counter the comedian’s lifestyle with something healthy, and I always like to have a goal to work toward.

What’s your training regimen like? Do you have a coach assisting you, or are you training on your own?

I train myself, and I have a bit of an unorthodox method. I train as hard as I can on a given day when I feel rested and strong then I don’t train again until I feel rested and strong again. Sometimes I will only train twice in a week.

Does your athleticism help when you have those long (10+ hours) days of shooting? Do you have other techniques that help keep you alert?

I guess it does, 10 hours is a short day in the cab. When we first started out, it was more like 15 or 16. But then it was the adrenaline of the show that kept me going I think. I drink coffee all day long to stay awake and alive.

You’ve had roles in several films, both mainstream and independent. Do you consider yourself an actor, first, or a comedian first, or are they all just aspects of the same?

I am a comedian at heart and always will be. I love to act and to host the show, but comedy will always be there. Stand up is the root of everything that has happened for me.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break into comedy?

Don’t do it. (Just kidding.) Get on stage as often as possible, no matter where. Try to be original, and unique, and don’t listen to anyone who tells you [that] you can’ t do it. Be ready to persevere for a long, long time, and keep another job until you don’t have time for it.

What’s next for you? Where should we look for you to appear?

I am set to do another stand up special and DVD in the spring, and there is a new season of Cash Cab on the way. There is a Cash Cab Board game on store shelves right now as well. I will be doing stand up in NYC as well as on the road for the next 6 months to get ready for the special. Check The Real Ben Bailey.com to see where and when.

Melissa A. Bartell likes strong coffee, red wine, and dark chocolate. She earns her living writing web-copy for an Internet marketing firm & dabbles in fiction on the side. She lives near Dallas, TX with her husband, two dogs, and more computers than anyone really needs. She is the Managing Editor here at All Things Girl. Find out more about her on our About Page, or check out her blog at MissMeliss.com