Ron Funches has been the king of dry, soft spoken wit since he first popped on the scene in 2011. After spending years on the road, he’s hit the big time. He’s one of the stars of NBC’s hit sitcom Undateable and is also a regular on @midnight as well as the dearly departed The Kroll Show. Spinning Platters had the honor of getting to speak to Funches recently.
Funches is playing Swedish American Hall on Saturday, January 9th (Tickets Here). He’s also doing a special brunch time set at Cobb’s on Sunday, January 10th (Tickets Here).
Undateable or @midnight, which do people recognize you from more?
If you are a comedy nerd, you probably know me from @midnight or The Kroll Show. Your average person, however, knows me from Undateable. More and more people don’t even know me I do stand up. They think of me as an actor.
Have you lost on @midnight yet?
I’ve lost 4. Right now I’m at 14 and 4. I’m actually on a losing streak at 2 losses, not that I’m keeping track of it!
What do you think is causing this losing streak?
Well, sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get beat. I’m still putting forth the same effort. It’s kind of like if you are playing against Duke or the Yankees. People are always giving their best effort when you play against me. And sometimes I’m half-assing it.
Who has been your most formidable opponent?
Probably Doug Benson, even though I’ve won against him every time he was my opponent. And probably the people that have defeated me.
Is there anything you do to prep yourself ahead of an @midnight taping?
Um, not really. I’m a little more sober than normal, and just think about jokes. It’s not that hard.
The scene you are coming from in Portland has a lot of great talent coming out these days. What do you think it is about Portland that drives such wit?
I think it’s because there isn’t much to do. There’s not much TV-watching going on. It’s a really good place for individuality. It’s got a good scene with Bridgetown comedy festival and everything. It’s a great place for comedy.
Which truly is the best donut in Portland?
<laughs> I like Voodoo Donuts. I lot of people don’t and think they’ve got too much stuff, but I don’t even go for the gimmicky donuts. I like their straight up buttermilk bars. I think they make good donuts over there.
You have a very specific look that I’ve never seen you deviate from, the jeans and the hoodie. Have you ever played a club hasn’t let you wear this?
No, but I’ll change it up. I’ll put on a suit. It all depends on my mood, really. I just learned from other comics growing up that you were supposed to wear suits or a button up shirt, but it kind of went against my character. I learned that the best way to be on stage is yourself, so I usually wear jeans and a hoodie. But sometimes I want to wear a suit, so I wear a suit.
Why did you decide to relocate to LA?
Well, I got a divorce. So I decided to go to LA where comedy is happening. So it was that life told me that I need to move, so I did.
This weekend you’ve got a show called Brunches with Funches, which is obviously a pun on your name. Did you have any say in what the brunch is going to be?
Yeah, well, I had a say in some of the menu stuff. We are going to have some fun cereals, and it’s going to be kind of like a Saturday morning with my friends. We are going to drink mimosas and all of my friends are going to be performing. It’s going to be fun.
What cereal are you most excited to bring to the table?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my favorite. Or Kix mixed with a little but of Nutella as a fun treat.
