Comedy legend Kathy Griffin sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on her "Hollywood Firsts," from the first time she stepped on stage, meeting Robin Williams, winning her first Grammy and more.
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00:00On My Life on the D-List, I didn't know that, like the Kardashians,
00:04I should have been renting another freaking house and then lying and saying it's my house.
00:08I let strangers in my house, like, constantly.
00:14Hey everybody, it's me, Kathy Griffin, with The Hollywood Reporter,
00:17and I'm going to share my Hollywood first with you guys.
00:22The first thing I watched that was so funny it made me want to actually go
00:26into comedy was Joan Rivers, because I hadn't seen anyone like her,
00:30and my parents thought she was a riot, and my siblings thought she was a riot, and,
00:36you know, inappropriate humor, of course, had its place.
00:40The first time I stepped on stage, it was at the Comedy Store.
00:44I have this magical set, like, I'm not saying I get a standing ovation,
00:48but people are legit laughing and, like, clapping and everything.
00:51Okay, I swear to God, after that one freaking few minutes at the Comedy Store,
00:57I bombed for two years. Two years!
01:01The first person I met, this is really hard because now I'm so old I've kind of met everybody,
01:06but who left me really starstruck may have been Robin Williams,
01:10who later on became a mentor, and I will always owe him and be so grateful to him.
01:16He would take time and give me notes, and one time we were both on,
01:20if you remember a show, there used to be a show called Comic Relief,
01:22and I bombed so horribly that, like, people wouldn't even talk to me,
01:26and Robin came over, and he's like, I'm so sorry.
01:29I think I touched on one of your topics before your set. I didn't know you were going to talk.
01:33And I was like, you don't have to apologize. At least you're talking to me.
01:36So I'd say he's probably the first person that, like, knocked my socks off,
01:41because he was so magical, whether he was on camera or not.
01:46The first major award I won was honestly probably one of my gay awards.
01:52I have a Gracie, which is the women's awards, which I'm proud of.
01:55I have two Emmys and I have a Grammy, and I'm one of only four women to win the
02:00Grammy for Best Comedy Album in the entire history of the Grammys.
02:04I'm quite famous for getting in a lot of trouble for when I won my first Emmy,
02:10for when I won my first Emmy, when music artists or bimbo actors go up and thank God
02:18and thank Jesus for choosing them to win the award that night.
02:22And I just think it's funny that that's what people think God is doing.
02:27I said, and if you think Jesus had one thing to do with this Emmy,
02:32she certainly did. In fact, suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now.
02:37Probably the first time I got in, like, international trouble.
02:43The first feud in Hollywood I probably had was with, like,
02:46knowing me, probably the head of some network.
02:48Like, as my mother would say, you're kissing the wrong ass.
02:52That's your problem, Kathleen. Kiss the right ass next time.
02:56I had this feud on and off for years. The great, the one and only Barbara Walters.
03:01So I know her, of course, as a news icon and as a groundbreaker for women.
03:06And, of course, she created the show, The View.
03:09Take a minute to enjoy The View. So Barbara couldn't stand me.
03:13I would try to torture her as much as possible. Like, if she would go in the restroom,
03:17I'd go in the restroom and bang on her stall.
03:19You don't have to follow me in the bathroom anymore.
03:22I loved her every minute of it. I couldn't help it.
03:24The first time I learned about reality television is I was lucky enough to be doing a gig
03:29with Nick and Jessica. So remember Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey,
03:33when they were married, they had a show. And I had just, I think, made the deal for
03:38Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D-List. And they were so helpful.
03:43One thing Nick said, which was funny, which is he said one of our rules was
03:47absolutely no shooting in the bedroom. Like, we need one room in the house.
03:52Because, you know, on My Life on the D-List, I didn't know that, like the Kardashians,
03:56I should have been renting another freaking house and then lying and saying it's my house.
04:00I let strangers in my house, like, constantly.
04:06The first opportunity I turned down that I regret, oh, this one kills me,
04:10is they wanted me to do the daytime, host the daytime version of The Weakest Link.
04:15Was it even the 2000s? I think they brought Anne back. Remember the red-haired English lady?
04:20But I think about it, and the asshole I was in that meeting, like,
04:25I just don't know if I can be taken seriously as a comic if I do this,
04:28because then I'm a game show host. I should have taken that gig and said thank you.
04:32The first thing I would like people to think about when they hear Kathy Griffith is D-List.
04:37I want them to think of an episode of My Life on the D-List that makes them laugh to this day if
04:42they saw it, or if there's one of my 21 stand-up comedy specials that you like or have a joke that
04:49you use when you're feeling down. That's what I hope for, is to take you when you're on a day
04:54when you need a laugh and give you that laugh. All right, you guys, this has been fun. Thank you
04:58for listening to my Hollywood firsts. I know I got a little rambly, but apparently they call that
05:03content. All right, you guys, I'll see you next time. Thank you for watching.