OFM_Interview_0719_DEPT 6 / 24 / 19 3 : 58 PM Page 1 EW Impressionist Frank Color and watching those guys do characters more so I than impressions . You know , Damon Wayans doing Vthe Caliendo brings his R bum , ‘ My name is Anton . ’ Or Jim Carrey saying , ‘ Let me E frenetic style of show you something . ’ I always thought those kinds of NTchar - acters were cool . I loved impressions , but usually people comedy back to Ithe would just repeat lines from movies . I tried to find ways Orlando Improv to make them characters , a lot more like Dana Carvey . Carvey is one of those guys who I think is super incredible . this month . He doesn’t just do an impression , he turns it into a char - By Matt Cosentino acter who has its own point of view and is fun to watch . So many people think they can do impressions even if they can’t . Do you get a lot of people coming up to you on the street and trying out their impressions ? Yeah , people will say , ‘ I really love the way you do Yoda , ’ and I’m thinking , ‘ Anybody can do Yoda . ’ But that’s the way they break the ice for them to do their voices for me . It seems like you’re enjoying yourself more with certain impressions , like John Madden or Al Pacino or Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden . Do you have favorites ? Yeah , some are just more fun . It’s funny because I know Gruden so well now . He’ll text me at 5 in the morning , which I think is lunchtime for him . He’ll say [ in Jon AManof Gruden’s voice ] , ‘ I just did a commercial man , I had a blast . It was like being you man . ’ And I’ll say , ‘ Go to sleep , it’s 5 a.m . ’ When you meet the people , it makes it more fun . When they haven’t seen the impression live , it’s kind of like a magic trick and they’re kind of amazed by it . ManyFaces You had the long run on Fox Sports and ESPN . Did that just originate from your love for sports ? Yeah , that’s what I grew up with . I didn’t grow up around hen he’s actually being himself — and not a celebrity like John theater or anything like that . My dad was a minor - league W Madden , Al Pacino or President George W . Bush — Frank baseball player before I was born , and we just grew up Caliendo has a calm and laid - back persona , and it is easy to see that his playing football , basketball and baseball as kids in the reputation as one of the friendliest people in comedy is well earned . driveway and backyard . I’ve had a lot of fun with that . It was what I knew , so it was the route I took . Nobody was doing sports comedy at the time , only Jimmy Kimmel on so many people do know about me . On the East Coast , But even a brief phone conversation with the Fox . Now it’s everywhere and there are even comedy people really do live and die by their sports teams . But also , master impressionist can zig - zag in many different Twitter feeds . It’s become its own business . the Midwest isn’t that far off from the East Coast style of directions , all of them hilarious . At a moment’s notice , humor . The East Coast is just a harsher version of the Mid - Caliendo can start riffing in any number of familiar You once appeared on the former Disney show west.When I first started doing comedy in the Midwest I voices , from Charles Barkley to Morgan Freeman . Liv and Maddie . Was that with your children learned to do it one way , and I found when I got to the East Caliendo’s love of characters started at a young age in mind ? Coast you just do it slightly meaner , louder and faster . and spurred him to a career in show business that has Yeah , I did that because it was my daughter’s favorite show . Whereas in California if you get too loud and fast they say , included a five - year run on MADtv and his own show She actually directed one scene in the episode and got to say ‘ Settle down . ’ You can really feel that difference , and I just onTBS , Frank TV . He is also well known to sports fans ‘ Action ’ . She was there and she has all the scripts to prove it . took to it . I’m also very sarcastic and there’s a lot of sarcasm for appearing on the Fox NFL pregame show for 11 on the East Coast . seasons before moving to ESPN in 2015 . You appeal to a wide range of people , and I’m But Caliendo’s favorite creative outlet remains the sure you’ll see all ages in the audience during your Have you heard any feedback from the stage and a bustling standup career that blends sports show . Do you take pride in that ? president about your impression of him ? and pop culture . His latest tour returns to the Orlando Sure . I’m not for one specific group . Sometimes that hurts I did a sketch with Trump years ago and he liked it . He Improv on July 17 . me , but I can only do what I think is funny . I’ve been in was totally different off camera than he was on . He was In between rapid - fire impressions , Orlando Family too many TV situations where they want you to do what like a used car salesman from the ’ 70s on TV , and off Magazine spoke to Caliendo about why he refuses to they think is funny . But if I don’t find it funny and camera he was self - deprecating . That was the weirdest thing take sides in politics and his memorable meeting with interesting , I don’t really want to do it . to me . It was like he was putting on a mask and becoming President Donald Trump . a character . Are you proof that nice guys can succeed You’re a Midwest guy who now lives in Arizona , in comedy ? How did impressions start for you ? Did you but you tour extensively on the East Coast . Do You just think that because you don’t know me very realize you had this talent at a young age ? you feel like your comedy resonates here ? well . It was from watching Saturday Night Live and In Living I think some of it is the sports culture , because that’s how 18 ORLANDO FAMILY july 2019 ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM