BY AMY WOOTEN
Out comedian ANT is going to get a great tan from all the exposure. The stand-up comic and beloved Celebrity Fit Club host is not only a regular on VH1's I Love series and NBC's Last Comic Standing, but has also appeared on VH1's But Can They Sing ( where he jokingly proposed to Bai Ling ) and Comedy Central's Premium Blend, to name a few. Now, ANT is wrapping up his new show US of ANT—an inside peek into LGBT culture in rural and small-town America—that will appear this summer on LOGO TV. ANT dished with Windy City Times on gay hunters, hauntings, heavy Hollywood stars and the heart.
Windy City Times: So taping has begun for US of ANT?
ANT: The principal photography is all done, and the show premieres June 19 on LOGO.
WCT: Very cool. Do you literally throw a dart at a map?
A: [ Laughs. ] You know, here's what I learned. For the pilot we did, I learned that I have a lazy eye, and that probably wasn't the greatest idea because I was aiming for Hawaii, and we ended up in Montana, which was an awesome experience.
WCT: [ Laughs. ] Really? Where else have you been so far?
A: We have been to Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Florida, New Hampshire—it's been wonderful.
WCT: So, you hit a lot of the South?
A: We got a lot of the South, some of the Northeast. We got the Midwest and we hit Bush Country.
WCT: Wow. What, so far, has been the most interesting adventure?
A: When gays go hunting.
WCT: Really.
A: I discovered that gay ghosts go, 'B-o-o-o-o-o-ts.' Instead of 'Boo.' Yeah.
WCT: [ Laughs. ] Did you get a little hunting done?
A: Actually, we really did. We stayed at a haunted inn. You have to watch the episode because it's the funniest thing. I didn't believe in this stuff until we stayed at the most haunted inn in Jacksonville, Fla. Now I'm a believer.
WCT: Oh no!
A: You'll see real evidence of a haunting captured on tape.
WCT: Wow. That sounds so cool. So how many episodes total?
A: Seven half-hour episodes. And they air every Monday night beginning June 19 on LOGO.
WCT: Good ol' LOGO.
A: Good ol' LOGO is right.
WCT: I'm assuming it's going to be a really fun show, but what else do you hope people take away from US of ANT?
A: You know, they're going to get to see a slice of the gay and lesbian community that you don't get to see by living in a major city. You're going to see really heart-warming stories and really, really, really funny stories. You're going to see a side of me that you've not seen normally. Normally you see the comedic side of me, but you're going to see a different side of me and you're going to see some of the most beautiful people our community has in some of the smallest towns in the littlest cross sections of America. I'm really, really proud of it.
WCT: You also have Celebrity Fit Club going with Carnie Wilson—
A: That premieres Aug. 7 on VH1. And that is a crazy show in itself, as well.
WCT: [ Laughs. ] Most definitely. Out of the past seasons, who has been your favorite person on Celebrity Fit Club?
A: It's happening this season with Carnie Wilson. I wanted to hate her, but I can't. I just love her to death! I love her so much that I literally want to slip her junk food to reward her with a cheat! But that would not be good.
WCT: That would defeat the purpose!
A: That would defeat the purpose. 'Hey, grab this cookie—quick! No one is looking.' But I just love her.
WCT: I'm actually surprised that she's on there.
A: Well, she had a baby. She put on 60 pounds of baby weight. So, she wanted to lose it.
WCT: Who's been the most obnoxious person?
A: Jeff Conaway. If you asked me that for season one, it would have been Daniel Baldwin. But it's clearly Jeff Conaway.
WCT: Who would you love to see eventually on Celebrity Fit Club?
A: You're asking me who do I want to see get fat?
WCT: Maybe! [ Laughs. ]
A: Oh my lord! [ Laughs. ]
WCT: Well, who do you predict will land on the show someday?
A: Well, I called Roesanne and asked her to do the show and she started crying.
WCT: Uh oh.
A: 'You think I'm fat!' So, there's no easy way to really ask your friends to do the show.
WCT: Wow, you brought Roseanne to tears.
A: 'You really think I'm fat?!' Oh my God.
WCT: Do you think Britney Spears will eventually end up on a show like that?
A: Well, she's having two babies back-to-back. And she was always a little thick to begin with. And soon, if Britney keeps up with all these shenanigans, she's going to end up on The Biggest Loser.
WCT: That's true.
A: Isn't it weird how in this world, if you are a regular person, we call the show The Biggest Loser, but if you're famous, we call it Celebrity Fit Club? Isn't that bizarre?
WCT: That's funny. I was wondering, since you're been on TV so much over the last few years, do you still prefer doing stand-up to television?
A: Stand-up is my first love. I just released a DVD called ANT: America's Ready. And if you look at it, you'll see I'm all smiles. I'm the happiest and I feel the most alive when I'm on stage.
WCT: When did you first want to become a stand-up comic?
A: When I saw Whoopie Goldberg's one-woman show on HBO.
WCT: Yeah, how old were you then?
A: Bleep!
WCT: [ Laughs. ] OK, scratch that question.
A: Yeah, why don't you ask me my weight next? [ Laughs. ]
WCT: I learned never to ask anybody their weight. Do you remember what your first gig was like?
A: The first time I was on stage? That was in New England, and I went up in a comedy club called Nick's. I bombed miserably. But everybody does in the beginning. The difference between comedians that make it and comedians that don't is the ones that make it are the ones that have perseverance and don't quit. The ones that quit say, 'Oh, I didn't make it as a comic.' Well, that's because you quit! The human spirit endures everything, so if you just stick with it, you will get your success.
WCT: That's very true. And what about being up there on stage do you enjoy so much?
A: I love connecting with people. I love making people laugh. There's just no greater sound in the world to me than laughter. When you have people come up to you at the end of a show and say 'I just lost my husband' or 'I lost my girlfriend' or 'I was just diagnosed with some disease' and they say, 'I forgot about it for an hour and I feel great right now'—that's what makes it all worth it.
WCT: It must be a good feeling. I take it ANT comes from your first name, Anthony. But why did you choose to call yourself ANT, and why the capital letters?
A: Well, I wasn't the one who chose to call me ANT. When you're born Anthony and you're in New England where there is a big Italian and Greek population where you live, people call you Ant, Antny, Tony, Tone. They shorten it anyway. So, growing up, I was always called ANT anyway. So, I kept it professionally, then legally changed it. But then I noticed that when you change your name from a 26-letter first and last name to a three-letter name, in print it gets lost. So, I changed it to all capitals. That way it would stand out when somebody was scanning the newspapers.
WCT: Now, are you currently in a relationship?
A: Yes.
WCT: Oooh, and how's that going?
A: It's going really, really well. Really well. You know, a few months ago, I was dating somebody in the public eye—not a few months ago, but about nine months ago. And then this gentleman came into my life and that relationship kind of went out the door. So, this one is built on something much more substantial. We woke up on a Sunday morning and I don't know, I was feeling really melancholy and I said to him, 'Why are you with me? I'm moody, I'm not easy to get along with. When we go out we can't have a quiet dinner because people constantly come to the table and want an autograph or a picture or something.' And he said, 'Well I'm a teacher.' I said, 'Well, I know that. What does that have to do with anything?' He said, 'Well I teach developmentally disabled children.' [ Laughs. ] And I thought, 'Oh great! That's how you're putting up with me!'
WCT: [ Laughs. ] Thanks for the comparison!
A: Thanks for the compliment! But, I just love his honesty. He's just a wonderful, wonderful person. And he's a redhead, which is a new thing for me. I found like one of the only three attractive redheads in the country.
WCT: [ Laughs. ] I love redheads. I heard you'll be performing at the Gay Games here in Chicago.
A: Yes, for the Closing Ceremony July 22.
WCT: Are you looking forward to that?
A: I am so excited! You know, it's funny because I just went to the Web site. My friend said, 'Cyndi Lauper is performing, too!' So, this is a great way to reconnect with people you haven't seen in a long time and celebrate the human spirit and athleticism, which I think is wonderful. To me, the whole Gay Games is just a symbol of triumph.
See www.gaygameschicago.org .
