Remembering Louie Anderson

Episode notes

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Louie Anderson on FX’s Baskets, his career and more

Louie Anderson passed away last month at the age of 68.

He was a great stand-up comic and had performed for over thirty years. As an actor, he had iconic parts in movies like Coming to America and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He also had his own cartoon show called Life with Louie in the 90s and was the host of Family Feud for a while.

When we talked with Louie Anderson in 2017, he had been starring in the FX series Baskets. It was a pretty different part for Louie. The show starred Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets, a kind of mean, sad rodeo clown in Bakersfield, California. Louie played his mom, Christine Baskets.

Louie Anderson was brilliant in the role. But there wasn’t any camp in it. No winking at the camera. When he played Christine, he did so with love and empathy. The role earned Louie both an Emmy and a Critics Choice Award.

We remember the life of Louie Anderson by revisiting this conversation with him on the latest episode. He talked with us about his role as Christine Baskets, who was loosely based on his mother, Ora Anderson. Louie shared his perceptions of his own career, including his comedy style and on-screen appearance.

This extended interview also features material we never played when it originally aired – including one of his darkest jokes, and what it was like being the opening act for folks like Ray Charles and Dolly Parton in Las Vegas. Plus, he talked about how being able to laugh at some of the difficult moments in his life helped him heal from past struggles.

Parts of this interview originally aired in August of 2017.

In this episode...

Jesse Thorn

Host

Kevin Ferguson

Senior Producer

Jesus Ambrosio

Producer

Richard Robey

Maximum Fun Producer

Daniel Huecias

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Daniel Arón Speer

Video Editor

Guests

Louie Anderson

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

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