Jerry Seinfeld had it easy. In his “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” series, the superstar secured vintage wheels for cozy interviews with tasks no more strenuous than unbuckling seat belts.
Minnesota’s Chloe Radcliffe goes from writing for Jimmy Fallon to taking famous comedians on bike rides
The Minnesota Interview: Fast-rising comic is performing at Comedy Corner Underground.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 19, 2024 at 3:12PM
Chloe Radcliffe, on the other hand, is working up a sweat. The Minnesota-raised comic’s YouTube series, “In Tandem With Chloe Radcliffe,” has her pedaling peers like Roy Wood Jr. and Ralph Barbosa around New York’s Central Park on a tandem bicycle, peppering them with questions about their mutual love for making people laugh.
Radcliffe, who has written for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and starred in Steven Soderbergh’s “Command Z” since moving to New York in 2018, is home for the holidays, taking time out to perform at her old haunt, the Comedy Corner Underground. She spoke earlier this month about her new series, collaborating with an Oscar-winning director and polishing “Cheat,” her one-woman show in which she analyzes her unfaithful past.
Q: Where in the world do you get a tandem bike?
A: I rent it. For a long time, I considered buying. I even found one on the sidewalk that had been chained to a fence, but the lock had rusted. Then I started wondering where it would live during the days I’m not shooting. And how would I get it to Central Park? I’d have to ride a bicycle built for two there by myself.
Q: Were bikes a big part of your childhood?
A: Not huge. When I was living in Minneapolis, I decided I wanted to bike to work. A friend of a friend of mine had a child’s mountain bike. It was way too small for me, but I loved it right away. I ride so much more in New York than I ever did in Minneapolis. It’s faster than the subway or a car. It’s my special “me” time. I can figure out problems or solve a joke I need to write. And I hate working out. I hate going to the gym or going to class. This means I don’t have to do any of that.
Q: Comedians aren’t traditionally known for being in good shape. How do they react to the format?
A: The first three minutes are always the worst. People walk away feeling a little sore. I don’t feel it because these are muscles I work every day, except when I’ve got someone heavy in the back seat and we’re going up a hill. Then I feel it.
Q: It’s a strange way to conduct an interview.
A: When you’re doing something physical, like even cooking, I think you let your guard down more. That’s amplified by me having my back to them. You don’t have to make eye contact. I think that makes it a lot easier to be honest.
Q: Who would you like to have as a guest?
A: Steven Soderbergh. He would either love it or hate it. I sent him a copy of the first episode and he sent me a text: “What a self starter you are.” I responded, “It takes one to know one.”
Q: What did you learn by working with him as a writer and actor on “Command Z”?
A: He knows exactly what he wants. He doesn’t overshoot. We wrapped early every single day.
Q: Do you have a favorite film of his?
A: “Ocean’s Eleven.” Sex, Lies and Videotape,” “Traffic” and Erin Brockovich” are incredible, but at my core, I really love a fun ride.
Q: I saw your one-woman show, “Cheat,” in New York. But you haven’t done it yet in the Twin Cities. Why not?
A: The goal is to get the show an off-Broadway run, so it has made sense to pretty much limit it to New York and Los Angeles. But it’s starting to creep out. I plan to do it in the Twin Cities in the spring. There’s a little tenderness about doing a show about me treating people badly in a place where a lot of those people live.
Q: You spent a year writing for “The Tonight Show,” but I’ve never thought of you as a behind-the-scenes talent. I wonder if that played against your strengths as an upfront personality?
A: That reaction makes me feel really seen. I never laid awake at night dreaming of writing for late-night TV. That experience led directly to selling a movie I wrote to Sony, which may or may not end up getting made. There’s no world in which I say no to those opportunities. But I got into this career to be visible. I would love to be acting more than I am. There’s a strong chance that will happen soon.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re back in the Twin Cities?
A: I try to pack in time with friends. But sometimes I love just sitting at my mom’s house and doing nothing except making cinnamon rolls and tuning to “Good Morning America.” That sounds heavenly.
‘In Tandem With Chloe Radcliffe’
When: new episodes drop at 9 a.m. Wednesdays,
Where: youtube.com
Stand-up with guest Pearl Rose
When: 7 p.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri., 8 and 10 p.m. Sat.
Where: Comedy Corner Underground, 1501 Washington Av. S., Mpls.
Tickets: $17.50, comedycornerunderground.com
The Minnesota Interview is a feature in which we dive deep into the personal side of public figures with special ties to our region and readers.
