Hannibal Rising
Need a good chuckle? Comedian Hannibal Buress will do the trick.
By Alex Scordelis
Photographed by Atisha Paulson
It's early in the evening backstage at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory, and comedian Hannibal Buress is about to have the highest profile night of his career. In a few short hours, his gut-bustingly funny stand-up special Animal Furnace will premiere on Comedy Central, followed by his debut as the co-star of Adult Swim's surreal talk-show parody, The Eric Andre Show. And he's about to perform to a packed house -- Buress has hosted a free weekly show here since 2009 that's attracted big names like Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari. Yet true to his laid-back delivery and unflappable stage presence, Buress seems nonplussed. "I live two blocks away from here," he says with a shrug, "so it's gonna be an easy drunk stumble home later on."
Buress says the strength of the Comedy Central special is partly thanks to some advice from a famous fan. "When I told Chris Rock I was doing this special, he told me, 'Make sure it's a special, and not a regular.' He didn't need to elaborate."
A former writer on SNL and 30 Rock (where he made frequent cameos as a homeless man), Buress might soon be a household name, especially since he and Jonah Hill sold a vehicle for Buress to Fox. The project is still under wraps. "It's coming along," is all he'll say.
With the stand-up special, major network sitcom project and raft of famous fans in his back pocket, Buress remains aloof about his meteoric rise, until he recounts an incident from earlier in the day. "My friend is in town, so I booked him a hotel room. I was talking to the girl at the hotel [on the phone], and she said, 'Your voice sounds familiar.' I said, 'Do I sound like one of your ex-boyfriends?' And she said, 'No, who are you?' And I said, 'I'm Hannibal Buress, a comedian.' And she was like, 'I watch you on YouTube!' I'd never been recognized by just my voice before." Buress's face breaks out into a huge grin. "It felt good."
Animal Furnace is out now on DVD and CD.
Buress says the strength of the Comedy Central special is partly thanks to some advice from a famous fan. "When I told Chris Rock I was doing this special, he told me, 'Make sure it's a special, and not a regular.' He didn't need to elaborate."
A former writer on SNL and 30 Rock (where he made frequent cameos as a homeless man), Buress might soon be a household name, especially since he and Jonah Hill sold a vehicle for Buress to Fox. The project is still under wraps. "It's coming along," is all he'll say.
With the stand-up special, major network sitcom project and raft of famous fans in his back pocket, Buress remains aloof about his meteoric rise, until he recounts an incident from earlier in the day. "My friend is in town, so I booked him a hotel room. I was talking to the girl at the hotel [on the phone], and she said, 'Your voice sounds familiar.' I said, 'Do I sound like one of your ex-boyfriends?' And she said, 'No, who are you?' And I said, 'I'm Hannibal Buress, a comedian.' And she was like, 'I watch you on YouTube!' I'd never been recognized by just my voice before." Buress's face breaks out into a huge grin. "It felt good."
Animal Furnace is out now on DVD and CD.
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