Known as the ‘fluffy guy’, internationally renowned Mexican-American stand-up comedian, Gabriel Iglesias has been touted as electrifying and witty for his ability to deliver unique, side-splitting experiences every time he steps on stage.
His high-octane live shows are a hilarious mix of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal issues to life. Instantly recognisable wearing his loud Aloha shirts and famous for the quote: "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", Gabriel is a regular on The Comedy Channel with his show ‘Stand Up Revolution’ and has appeared in 'A Haunted House 2' and 'Magic Mike'.
Last seen in our neck of the woods in 2011, Gabriel returns to Australia later this month. "The show is 100 percent different. There is probably an hour and a half of completely new content, telling stories about things from the past that have come back to haunt me," he says. "I am a storyteller, my shows are relatively clean and family friendly; nobody feels uncomfortable at my shows, I don't get political or controversial."
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The fact that his material is based on real events adds honesty to his routine and gives the audience a comic they can relate to. His well-natured remarks about his unusual features are light-hearted as he strives to deliver a clean show for all to enjoy. However, Gabriel experienced a cold reception on stage after making a Steve Irwin joke.
"Years ago, I made a joke about The Crocodile Hunter and people took it to heart — understandably. After that, I started receiving hate mail! When I came down to Australia to perform the reaction that I got was anything but negative. The next thing I knew I had a guy yelling out that I was the funniest comic he had ever seen, which was a huge honour," he laughs. "Australian audiences are definitely the most colourful with their compliments."
Since the Crocodile Hunter remark, Gabriel has received critical acclaim in Australia. Not one to rock the boat, Gabriel leaves the crude and contentious topics to some of his admired colleagues. "Comics that really make me laugh are comics that do things that I don't do — for example not getting too political or controversial on stage — comics like Jim Jefferies, Chris Rock and Lewis Black, they really push the envelope."
When the comedian announced he was making a radical life change by dieting under strict doctors orders, many cynics thought the guy who had made a career for himself as the 'fluffy' comedian would struggle under a new, slimmer image. It couldn't be further from the truth. “People say, 'Oh, he's not going to be funny anymore once he loses weight' … It's because of the whole Fluffy nickname. I made a career out of having that nickname and I stuck to it and it worked. It was branding that I started ten years ago and all my DVDs/ products have the word ‘fluffy’ in it. If you Google 'fluffy’, I'm the number one thing you're going to find.''
More so than his image, what makes Gabriel unique is his uncanny ability to flex between personas and accents. "The girl voice, people freak out when they hear it. Anytime I do the girl voice, it always throws people off. They don’t expect this 300-pound Mexican guy to go, ‘Oh my God!’”
Gabriel Iglesias Australia Tour Dates
Sat September 20 - Rod Laver Arena (Melbourne)Tue September 23 - Riverside Theatre (Perth)
Fri September 26 - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (Brisbane)
Sat September 27 - Qantas Credit Union Arena (Sydney)
