Jonathan Atherton is an Australian comedian, actor, TV presenter and just about anything else that doesn’t involve sitting behind a desk. A true citizen of the world, he has been in and out of a few jails, flown with UN officers around Africa and can speak a whopping nine different languages. We caught up with him before his Shanghai shows to discuss everything from his Dad to the dirt on Robin Williams...
You’ve been exploring the world since you were young. Have you always liked moving around?
Yeah! Gemini you know, very restless minds and low thresholds for boredom.
What are some of the things you get up to when you’re traveling?
I really love photography. I went scuba diving for a while which was great. I was also a tour guide in Africa. I think I’ve always enjoyed everything that I’ve done because it’s always been something where I’m not stuck behind a desk. I can’t stand offices, ties and other forms of bondage.
So, when did you know you wanted to be a comedian?
I always have been [a comedian]. Now I’ve just found a way of making money out of it. I didn’t do my first show until I was 33. When I was a kid I was always the class clown. I got away with it too. The trick is to make the teachers laugh, if you make the students laugh but not the teachers that’s not going to work. It’s very hard to cane a child while you’re laughing...
So you pushed the boundaries. What was the worst thing you ever did?
When I was three years old I poisoned another kid.
Details?
I was in New York at the time, where I grew up, and we were living in United Nations housing because my dad was a journalist. Anyway, all the kids in the neighborhood were from different nationalities: we had families from China, Cuba, India, Germany, Japan, France, there was even a Czech family and all the children would all play together.
There was this kid, his name was Tushini, he wasn’t a bad kid he was just one of those kids that was always asking ‘can I play with you?’ so we decided if we give him something yucky to drink and he drinks it then it proves that he wants to be our friend. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that a mixture of kerosene, detergent, bleach and anything else we could find in the kitchen, under the sink and in the bathroom would be poisonous.
So we're assuming that didn’t end well...?
I’m quite ashamed I’m even telling this story. It is definitely the worst thing I’ve probably ever done in my life. You’re honestly the first person who has ever heard that story before, apart from my wife.
Anyway, I still remember the look on his face, it was just disgust and pain and discomfort but he downed the entire cupful. He was that desperate to be our friend. The next thing was that he collapsed and had to have his stomach pumped. His family actually moved away and wanted to sue my parents...it was all quite bad really.
From then on I always made a point that if anyone wanted to be my friend they were my friend. It sunk in then that loneliness is probably the worst of all human conditions and being a friend to someone is the most valuable thing you can be. That leads on to comedy because comedy is all about making people feel good. It might be superficial and short lived but at the same time there is something great about putting something positive into peoples minds.
Do you think growing up in UN housing has anything to do with your gift for languages?
Yeah I think so. All the kids there wouldn’t speak English, instead we would all speak our own languages and somehow understand each other. This was all at a very early age as well so the highways were laid down for the rest of my life, if you know what I mean. I’m pretty hard wired for languages.
So you mentioned your dad was a journalist. Was that an inspiration for you?
Oh absolutely. My dad was an old school journalist, he was really into reporting facts and truth which is not really part of journalism anymore, now its more about printing press releases and pissing in the pocket of people with power. But he had a lot of integrity. I think that has informed my comedy.
So a lot of your comedy comes from true events?
A good slice of my comedy material is true stories, you might stretch things a little bit here, or embellish a little bit there to make it funnier, but eventually what stand-up comedy is is holding a light up to the human condition. We as human members of the audience can then empathize with the situation. It’s about connecting people. I got that from my dad too because he was always very strict being accurate about things and I try to be that way to.
How so?
Well, if I’m doing something in another language I don’t just characterize the language. If I don’t speak it I don’t use it. I don’t do that pretendy Chinese and Japanese because I find it kind of insulting and as a result a little bit racist. I do the groundwork first. I’m journalistic in my approach to comedy.
So do you speak Chinese?
No I don’t. This is the bit that really gets me because everywhere else in Asia I can just walk out on the stage and show off. I can speak Thai, Burmese, Singaporean, Lao, Indonesian, Hindi, Malay but here in China I’m pretty lost.
What do you think Shanghai so far?
I really like it. It’s got a good vibe. People are really friendly and I’ve got a lot of friends here as well.
Harking back to your TV days, what was it like being part of HBO’s Lion of Africa?
Yeah that was great. Out of school I studied law but I was also working part time as a stage hand so I learned stagecraft skills and set building and so on. I also worked part time here and there in Australia in the crews of TV commercials, so when I was in Africa it was great that I met enough people in the industry that led on to an acting job and the HBO movie.
I made enough money out of those little ventures to then spend another 6 months travelling through central Africa. I spent 6 years on the road. I left Australia with about 200 dollars and returned on a stretcher.
Must have been a great experience...
I just saw it as something here something there, work for money when you need it. I’ve never pursued money, I’ve always had enough to do whatever I’m doing and if I’ve got any left over at the end then fine. I don’t find money that satisfying. If you’ve got enough money to eat, sleep and you’ve got your friends then what else do you need. The greatest experiences don’t actually cost money.
You also did a walk on Good Morning, Vietnam. What was it like working with Robin Williams?
He jokes and carries on during shootings but as soon as the shootings done he is a very sweet and a very sensitive man and really quite funny. He was just one of the boys. Although, recently I have found out from a lot of my comic friends that he is one of the most despised people in the industry because he steals his jokes from young open-miker’s.
Really?
He goes to open mike groups where very unskilled and unknown performers might have one good joke and Robin Williams will steal that joke and do it on the Letterman Show. Then when that young guy whose pumping gas in a petrol station tells his joke to his friend his friend will say ‘no man that’s Robin Williams’ joke, you’re a thief’. Its gotten to the point where a lot of comedians will refuse to go on stage if they know that he’s there. I would say not a good person ultimately. Perhaps he is just under so much pressure from Hollywood to be funny because it’s not easy to write comedy every week. I can kind of forgive him on that level, but I cant for being a comedian that has so much power and is just ripping off people that are so vulnerable.
So how do you run through your own comedy?
I go out and distribute things and tell people about it.
And finally, best quickie joke that always makes a crowd laugh?
This ones short, not a knee slapper, but always gets a laugh. “I think Indian people are the most spiritual people on earth. I was at a bookshop in New Delhi and I gave the owner 100 rupees for a 50 rupee book and I asked him ‘Hey, where’s my change’ and he says ‘Change must come from within’”.
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