tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with comedian andrew dice clay. americans love and come back and if that is true, he is a fortunate man. the controversial comic whose of over $1 humor went from million in loss vegas to gambling away everything he owned. movie title -- upcoming titled >> there is a saying that dr.

king had. he said, there is always the right time to do the right thing. i just try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. aboutw that we are only halfway to completely eliminate hunger and we have a lot of work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the u.s. as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: 2 names you never thought you would hear in the same sentence, woody allen and andrew dice clay.

the controversial comedienne shocked many in this country while at the same time selling out concerts' at major venues. a series of setbacks in derailed his career until a role in entourage put him back on the hollywood radar. alongside alece" baldwin. let's take a look at a clip. friends like your this and another guy, would you tell your friend? what if it causes trouble or a divorce? been a passing game, you never know. >> i would tell him because that is what our friend is for. you have to have his back. ginger?

what are we doing? are we playing charades? did you see something? on the street by accident, i saw how kissing that burn that etteal kissing that brun ? tavis: comfortable or uncomfortable? wasnce i got the movie, it a big challenge, i wanted to bring my best game to the table. it was a chance to do something i never had done before in film, to play a solid role of something i am not. i am really humbled by a lot of aboutsponse bi have heard

the film. that: you were troubled all these years you had not have the opportunity to do something like this? or you work with that creating this character to live inside of? >> i originally came to stand up to get into the acting field. tack -- acterent when i started out. i did not see a lot of performance art in their performance because i did not go to regular acting schools. ownnted to develop my method of acting. do dress like this, it is very amplified as a comic.

i decided that i would create a persona that would be a rock star comment. -- comic. i watched everybody from elvis to sinatra to big band drummers like buddy rich, bigger than life personalities like muhammed ali, movie stars like stallone and travel the. i will use my talents on the comedy stage. i thought that i could reach a goal that i wanted to in show business. the facts were simple in my mind to become the biggest stand up, the world has ever seen. give them something they have never seen and i would continue that in film. by the time for failing came out, there was so much backlash

because journalists back then, there was no internet or fans to fight back. there was so much a backlash that they pulled the premier. the premier was supposed to be the biggest premier in hollywood history at the forum, 18,000 people. up to that point, the biggest premier was to see the sequel didddie murphy's -- when he the kumps. greats ofne of the all time. that was 16,000 people watching a movie and this was going to be 18,000. i had done over 300 arena shows, but garden being the most famous in the country.

places like philadelphia, theago, five times at rosemont horizon. word of mouth. the journalists did not understand why this comment -- 20,000 seatsing a night. tavis: it was not just journalists, artists objectives. was not just journalists, though. >> i could not turn on tv without seeing some debate on my comedy. blindsided getting

because i did not see that coming. when i would get britain out be there in texas or new york, it was always things like the hoodlum of humor. they got what i was doing. the day after my special, the new york times wrote about the demise of western civilization. ivis: when you look back, and will say this real quick. a little birdie told me that there is a book that is forthcoming in the next year, the fill the truth. truth.hy when you look back at that have lyme, what you were saying that and what is happening in our culture now, it makes you feel how?

original, a guy that stuck to my guns no matter what by creating something nobody has ever done before in history as a comic. set the bar at such a level. comics are not happy unless they get to that level of madison square garden. that is a pretty cool place to be in history where you have created something to show them that they can be a rock star. you can escalate past clubs at little theaters. but it is not meant for every comic. i went through a crazy thing. onspecial started premiering new year's eve on showtime. lolflickn get it at

s.com. i wanted to do it in a small place because i wanted to do the ultimate rock-and-roll stand-up comedy special. we powers that be said that can't be in a club with 300 people. they are used to doing these big theaters now but people are not stupid. when you take a new comic and put him in front of 4000 people on tv, he is not as good as he should be because he has never bad in front of 4000 people. it should be more about the art form and being in the camera than trying to entertain 4000 people. not everyone is meant to play gigantic theaters and arenas. not everybody has the personality. tavis: where did this confidence come from?

the one tidbit that david told me said the best part of the book might be a relationship with your parents. completelyts were supportive of what i do. i was with some of the biggest managers when my career took off. but i would not make a move without my father because i always called my father and my manager. i told them about my dream, who i am the biggest in the world. allows aof 10 people, crowd, a bad crowd. are you kidding, i am going to stop traffic. the could not believe confidence of dice, but most are so insecure. even talk show hosts, he won't even let the, do what he is

supposed to do. you have to treat them like a real performer. you are on every night for an and they are not confident about who they are as people. drums,up playing the being a real entertainer. studying led zeppelin and the beatles, just the greatest musical artists. ipecially drummer's because played the drums. i've always had confidence about myself. i will never forget that when i came to the comedy store, the owner met me and said to me, you are a movie star. there has never even been a comic that looks like you. mother used to go

there all the time. she always saw that and said he will be a great comic, but you will be a movie star. confidence,s had my parentss because were always being behind me right from the first performance in brooklyn. always in school when i had to do a drum thing with the jazz bands. i really knew how to entertain people. tavis: what happens to that confidence? does it get shattered when your career ends up crashing and burning? place toof things took make that happen. i was doing the arena as up until about 1995. 1988, aer took off in

long route of doing our arena shows. when people said this guy was over, i was still doing between 7010 thousand people a night. i did have a problem in hollywood because of what failing.with fort , andcanceled the premier the powers that be were being threatened, their lives were being threatened by the gay community putting up posters around. it is a frightening is thought to be and what a whole community is after you. they just let me go and blackballed me from the film industry.

personally, my marriage was crumbling for years. i did not want to leave, i was in love with my wife. it is more about, my kids were so young at the time. both of my boys were living with me. them, bring them out. money, but i was not making career moves. right now, this is what is important. throw them out.

that was the comic persona. tavis: how important a building block was the entourage gate? >> what happened, when the recession hit, i have this house in hollywood. i never mind paying alimony or child support, he does have to be making a living to pay for that. i had no money. i had about 50 doubt -- and

$50,000 in cash. it was mostly out of boredom what i did years ago. i would play gigantic figures and i would play blackjack. i am always preaching to my kids about no gambling or alcohol. they are going to know. you could be dead, and of life. i was going to vegas with my new wife. they were pretty young, three are four years. they are 18 and 22 now. your father is going to have to gamble a little.

i am not doing it for fun, i know i can make some money doing it. turned $50,000 and 01 million dollars. hang out withto you. win $1don't always million. of dollars millions gambling and i have $1 million gambling. but it was desperate times meeting desperate measures. ofall it the summer hangover. hotels, wees at the were going nuts having a party with the money, paying off bills, things that i owed. but by the end of it, if you keep gambling, you're going to lose.

you walk away down $300,000 from that million and before you know it, most of it is gone. i don't want to know about show business or bills, i am going to starbucks. this guy walks up and i have not seen him in 15 years. on films.orks bullet.ote the movie the next day, we go for coffee. he is playing with the phone, i wanted to choke him because i wanted him to put down the phone already. he said, i never did like entourage. you know the deal. all i can tell you is that you are the biggest comic to ever

lived and once a meeting today. he starts meeting with me bearately, and it might not a little 30-second walk-on. windsbecomes my manager, up a character arc, and he said to me, i will put you in my last season and you won't believe what is going happen in your career. tavis: and then woody allen calls. was a special.ng i wanted to do one more special and show that i still got it. i always saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

manager was kidding me. to go meetg to have with woody allen tomorrow before you come back. i said ok, i have to go back. he said, i'm not kidding. it is for a movie. >> i would never know that he would get me. i won't even call it an office because it was a school hang out. much,sn't even tell you would you mind reading a few pages? i said i will do it, that is why i'm here. room, dyes is not in the your meeting andrew. if all you see me is on stage, it can be pretty intimidating to

anybody. i went in the room with the casting lady and went through the two pages one time. she said, are you sure? i said, i got it. and this guy, stand up. he is like this. here is the casting lady. i canen afterwards, change it or do whatever you want. said, you have the essence and it was perfect. >> i guess i will see you at the set. what else is there to say? i will tell you, it was very emotional. you have to wait about three days, and it was louis c. k.

that was the other actor that read for my part. movie, and in the think that is great because he is great. it is great to work with your friends. text and i knew i had a part. my wife wasn't, at the time. i have to wait and tell her first before i call the kids. it was crazy for me. does this signal for you? a resurgence? >> my boys have a band that is a very original and a great rock band.

tavis: i love this about you. the older bands would look like, who are these kids? michael chang has been teaching kids through example. i needed a reason. wife, i have my kids. i like to show them what you can accomplish. that is all there has ever been for me, to accomplish. if i was filthy rich, i could quit today because i accomplished what i set out to do. i can thank woody for giving me that opportunity and believing that i had that in me to do.

scratched theonly surface of the ongoing life and legacy. check out "blue jazzmen." jasmine." >> when you are working with people like alec baldwin, you are very humble. i was like a kid on that set. tavis: i am glad that you came to see me. our show for tonight. keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with the brilliant actor sir ben kingsley about his movie iron

man 3. >> there is a saying that dr. king had. he said, there is always the right time to do the right thing. i just try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. aboutw that we are only halfway to completely eliminate hunger and we have a lot of work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the u.s. as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. >> be more. e:

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