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Murray Hill has been an institution of the New York City art scene for decades.
His old-school comic persona, natty-tie collection, and slicked-back hair are the stuff of legend.
The Murray Hill persona began as a performance-art piece in 1996 with Hillrunning for mayor.
But even after the campaign, the party would not die.
Like fellow downtown legend Mx Justin Vivian Bond, Hill made his way into John Cameron MitchellsShortbus.
But Hill has always been more of an in-person event.
Old-school jokes and interjections of Showbiz!
roll over audiences in a classic Borscht Belt style.
Hill plays Fred Rococo, the emcee ofChoir Practice, the weekly good-vibe hangout hiding in a dead mall.
Hill opened up about performing 24/7, Liza Minnelli, and, of course, showbiz.
How did you find out aboutSomebody Somewhere?Bridget and I are friends.
My friend was like, This is Bridget Everett.
She just moved here.
And I said You sing?!
Hey, wanna do my show Saturday night?
She used to do my show every week, and shed kill it.
She used to wear, back in the old days, just a corset top and underwear.
That was her look.
It was pretty wild.
We became quick friends and wed be in each others shows.
Eventually we moved to Joes Pub and worked there.
She started going on Amy Schumers show, and the audiences were going nuts for her.
She was very emotional, and we were very bummed out.
Im her best hype man, so I was saying, Something betters gonna happen.
We gotta hang in there, we gotta keep going.
Two years later, she got an HBO deal.
She told me they were interviewing writers, and they pitched me to be in the show.
Im the only one that didnt have to audition.
I make this joke: Thank God, because I wouldnt have gotten the part.
Offer only feels right for Murray Hill.Showbiz.
Its like you, but tone it down like ten notches.
Its supposed to be me, but a normal person without the vaudeville shtick.
But its still kind of there, as you’re free to see.
One thing about being Murray is that Ive only had the opportunity to be a show person.
Its more of an in-depth glimpse into a character than Murray has ever had access to before.
I know that the line between Murray Hill and your at-home persona has been different at different times.
Theres a little sparkle to the eye.
Its how much heat is turned up, depending on what project or show or character I am.
I was raised by a therapist who specializes in dissociative identity disorder.Is she taking new clients?
Yes, and she does remote.
Were all performing, all the time, different versions of ourselves for different people.That is true.
I grew up in a conservative houeshold, not understanding or even knowing what gay was back then.
So I was already performing before I even knew I was gay or queer or whatever.
I think that early performance-for-survival contributed to the Murray persona.
The outgoing person that makes everybody laugh was who I was at school.
But at home it was, Oh God, whats happening?
I was drawn to that overblown, larger-than-life personality.
And most of those people were short, by the way.
Ive somehow manifested a very similar personality and height.
There was that Catskills vibe that was in my consciousness growing up.
It was my second week in New York, and he was like, Go find Artie Shaw!
This was before the internet.
So fast-forward, I saw Don Rickles about 15 times before he passed.
And Joan Rivers used to play the slot before me at Fez downtown.
That was a long time ago.
She is right from the Catskills.
Out here in Los Angeles, we just lostMarty Robertsof Marty and Elayne.I know!
Every time I was in L.A., I went over there.The thing is, its a timeless entertainment genre.
Its a pure entertainment showbiz time.
Thats a huge loss.
I cant even process it yet.
Even by drugs or pills, or antidepressants, or television.
Its that energy transference with me and the audience.
So its kind of like this showbiz bubble of acceptance.
Its a little magic hour.
I love that the show highlights how the Midwest, yes, has homophobes.
But it also has queer people.
No matter where you are in the country, you will find your people.
Even if its just two of you meeting in the bathroom stall in seventh-period junior-high school.
When I was younger, youdidhave to go to the big city.
There was no other option than to get the hell out.
I think its different now theres more awareness, theres more visibility, and kids find each other.
Is there anything, any image or vibe, that embodies what showbiz is to you?
I think I remember Conan OBrien saying that for him its being backstage with a showgirl and a camel.
Thats showbiz.To me, showbiz is a feeling.
Its not an object or a camel or even a showgirl, surprisingly.
I saw Liza Minnelli at the Plaza a long long time ago.
Shed already had like three hip surgeries, had already been through the mill a hundred times.
Im up in the rafters, and shes barely moving.
And you might feel it all the way to the rafters.
I just want to give you some more space to say nice things about Bridget.Showbiz.
Bridget is a good friend, but Im also a fan of hers.
Were both similar in that when we improv live during a show, we usually dont remember them.
Since weve toured together so much, I know her act.
So anything thats new, I punch in it up.
Ive been doing this for years, and Im blown away by watching her perform.
Its still the most thrilling stage performance Ive ever seen.
Some nights, theres 10, 15 pages of new jokes that shell do every single night.
Bridget is a performer that makes you feel alive, much like Liza.
Wed seen drag queens, even 15 years ago, and now its completely mainstream.
Weve seen so much of transgender people being on TV in the last two years.
My personal politics is that I just want to be.
I have a special build, as we like to say in the business.
Ive got a short and chubby Italian mans body.
I have to make custom suits.
And the other place, theyre L.A.based, thats calledSharpe House.
So Ive got my West Coast and my East Coast suit-makers.
Theyve got the special measurements for a guy like me.
You know how I know youre showbiz?
You get the plug in for your suit guys.Well, its not easy to custom fit Murray Hill.
And that can be a symbolic sentence for anything, not just suits!
