By WADE TATANGELO
HeraldToday.com
Dennis Miller's three-decade career has taken many interesting turns. Stand-up comedians commonly make the transition from club stage to sitcom or talk show. But not too many become NFL commentators or accept a job with Fox News, which is where Miller was recently found delivering his trademark rants on the "Hannity & Colmes" program in a segment called "Real Free Speech."
"I was liberal my whole life but 9/11 changed me," Miller said in a recent phone interview. "It didn't change all people but it changed me . . . When those planes hit the towers it was 'game on.’ ”
Miller's endorsement of President Bush during the build-up to the invasion of Iraq angered and surprised many of the comedian's longtime fans.
"I have people who loathe me now," Miller said.
Miller will perform at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota on Sunday. He said his main goal is still to "entertain."
Miller became a national star as the "Weekend Update" anchor on "Saturday Night Live" during the latter half of the 1980s. The witty, acid-tongued comic spent most of the 1990s on HBO, winning five Emmy Awards for his show "Dennis Miller Live." The first collection of his stream-of-consciousness diatribes was published as "The Rants" in 1996. The ’90s also found the Pittsburgh-native hosting the MTV Video Music Awards and acting in films like "Bordello of Blood" and "Disclosure."
In 2000, Miller became the first stand-up comedian to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, in an issue that anticipated his debut as the color commentator on ABC's "Monday Night Football." Miller was replaced after two seasons by NFL coach-turned-commentator John Madden.
Miller started making regular appearances on "Hannity & Colmes" in 2003 before landing his own short-lived, self-titled show on CNBC. Miller made his return to "Hannity & Colmes" on Sept. 21. The Fox News Web site posted a partial excerpt from Miller's appearance:
"Tonight I want to talk to you about the elephant-sized pinata in the room, illegal immigration. Now I don't have anything against Mexican people, but for God's sakes, sign the guest book on the way in."
Miller concluded his speech with the following statement: "And so I present my Mexican/American lifeboat theory. It's quite simple. If you really want everybody coming here unchecked, just give up your seat in the boat. One illegal immigrant in, one proponent of illegal immigration out. Hey, if you're going to talk the 'come on up' talk, you've got to walk the 'head down south' walk."
Although Miller differs with President Bush on the illegal immigration issue, the 52-year-old funny man said he agrees with the Commander in Chief in regards to the War on Terror.
"We're all just guessing here. And I admire first-guessers over second-guessers," Miller said in regards to the president's decision to invade Iraq.
Since then, Miller has had the privilege of conversing with the president while aboard Air Force One.
"President Bush believes in what he does," Miller said. "His approval rating could be down to zero but he's still going to do things the way he believes it should be done."
Miller spoke fondly of the president's sense of humor when asked about what the world leader was like one-on-one. "As far as the guy himself, he's very funny," Miller said. "He cracks me up. He's never self-depreciatory about the office of president, but he can be about himself and witnessing a moment like that is surreal."
Although Miller appears on a national television show that pits a conservative (Sean Hannity) against a liberal (Alan Colmes), he said he is "sick of the acrimony" in this country. Commenting on the outcome of the next presidential election, he said: "Whoever the leader is, I'm getting behind him, or her."
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