Phillyist Interviews... John Oliver

John Oliver—Daily Show correspondent and reluctant heartthrob—will be performing for one night only at Helium Comedy Club, and it promises to be an evening of deliciously British stand-up comedy. Phillyist had a chance to talk to John in advance of the show, to which you should go...but only if you like stuff that's awesome.

We like to blow our journalistic credibility right off the bat: What's it like to be adorable and British? Is it difficult for you?
I can only claim ownership of one of those—and it's the geographical one. If you want to know what it like to be both British AND adorable, I think you'll have to ask Daniel Craig. Or maybe that boy who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

Tell us some things you like about Philadelphia. Are you doing anything else besides the show while you're here?
Well, as a British person, spending time in the city of Philadelphia is bittersweet. It's like being at the end of a game show and standing in front of the prize table looking at all the things you've lost. That bell could have been ours, if we'd just got the answer right to the question, "Should you tax a country without representation?"

I tried Geno's last time I was here, so this time I'm going to try Pat's instead. That way, I will have experienced both the Montagues and the Capulets of Cheez Whiz.

When is Comedy Central giving you your own show? You need one. We'd watch! Also, do you have any other projects in the works, like a new standup DVD? (We may have worn out our copy of Terrifying Times.)
I'm not even thinking of getting my own show at the moment—I'm too busy trying not to get fired from this one. I'm actually hosting a stand-up series for Comedy Central which we'll be shooting in the fall. I'm not sure when that will actually come out. Probably some time early next year.

While you weren't exactly an unknown in the UK, most Americans only know you from your work on The Daily Show. How did you come to the attention of The Daily Show?
Jon Stewart placed a golden ticket inside five chocolate bars across Britain. Five comedians found one, and we were all invited to The Daily Show studio for a tour around its many magical wonders. I was the only one not to try to steal his Everlasting Gobstopper, so I got the job.

They say America and England are two countries separated by a common language. How hard was it for you to learn "American," or have you not succumbed to our bastardization?
I have consciously avoided learning "American." When I spell the word color, I spell it with the correct number of letter "u's." Which, incidentally, is three.

What are some of the major cultural differences you've noticed between England and America?
You like flavors in your food. We don't.

We admit to being a tad childish, but we fell off the couch laughing during the "Britain's Fallen Heroes" segment on The Daily Show. Is it hard for you to keep a straight face during pieces like that?
It's not easy. It's really not easy.

John Oliver
Weds., 8/26/09
7:30 p.m., 21+
Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom Street
Tickets: $20-$25

Photo courtesy Pulse PR