A world-class loser in films, Friedlander is a champ onstage
Judah Friedlander is better than you at just about anything. Martial arts, soccer, making lemonade. Just ask him. That's why he gets to wear his ever-present ''World Champion" trucker hat onstage. Unlike many of his fellow comics, Friedlander's life couldn't be better.
''A lot of comics talk about how the world is insane and twisted," says Friedlander, who plays the Comedy Connection tonight and tomorrow. ''I don't. Everything works out great for me. I'm the one who's twisted and insane."
It would be a stretch to describe Friedlander as subtle. He struts the stage with white-trash bravado, sideburns it would take a machete to cut through, and big, square glasses like twin television screens. There's an element of playful parody to his act, which he says is partly inspired by the arrogance of celebrities like Steven Seagal and professional athletes who celebrate even the most modest of accomplishments.
''There's all this self-publicity," he says. ''So a lot of my stuff actually makes fun of that, too. I don't comment on it, but if you look at it, that's what's going on."
The ''World Champion" is an act, and on the phone, Friedlander is well spoken and unassuming. Still, he says there's an element of the real Judah in his stage persona. ''That pretty much is me," he says. ''That's how I'm acting, that's how I'm looking at the world. And yeah, I like playing with that blur."
Friedlander's ability to lose himself in a character has made him a busy actor. He has roles in eight films currently in the pipeline. There's ''Duane Hopwood" with David Schwimmer and Janeane Garofalo, ''Date Movie" from the writers of ''Scary Movie," ''The Darwin Awards" with Joseph Fiennes and Winona Ryder, and of course, ''Feast," the product of the last ''Project Greenlight" series on Bravo.
Friedlander plays a wide range of losers on-screen. Some of them aren't even comic roles. ''I prefer to do comedy, but I do dramatic stuff, too," he says. ''I usually play some kind of idiot or psychopath."
Though he has proven himself a versatile character actor -- his Toby in ''American Splendor" was pitch perfect -- his ambitions lie in his stand-up. He's working on a CD he hopes to have out early next year and would love to have his own stand-up movie or DVD. His acting work and regular appearances on VH1's ''Best Week Ever" help to pay the bills, but he'd rather be a ''World Champion" than a TV or film star.
''I've gotten more national exposure through acting stuff, but stand-up's still my main thing," he says. ''I never got into stand-up to get a sitcom. I got into stand-up to do stand-up comedy."
Judah Friedlander performs at the Comedy Connection tonight at 8 and tomorrow night at 8:15 and 10:15. Call 617-248-9700 or visit www.comedyconnectionboston.com.
With Cam Neely in the Hockey Hall of Fame and host Denis Leary's success with his FX show ''Rescue Me," tickets were almost sold out as of yesterday. This year's bill also includes Lenny Clarke, Colin Quinn, Bill Burr, Adam Ferrara, Jim Lauletta, Patrice O'Neal, Brian Regan, Ken Rogerson, and Steve Sweeney.
