Adam Ferrara, host of the wacky "Top Gear" on the History channel will do four shows Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at Comix at Mohegan Sun.
Adam Ferrara, host of the wacky "Top Gear" on the History channel will do four shows Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at Comix at Mohegan Sun.
Photo: Contributed PhotoAdam Ferrara, host of the wacky "Top Gear" on the History channel will do four shows Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at Comix at Mohegan Sun. He is shown in a scene from the show.
Adam Ferrara, host of the wacky "Top Gear" on the History channel will do four shows Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at Comix at Mohegan Sun. He is shown in a scene from the show.
Photo: Contributed PhotoComedian, actor and gear-head.
Adam Ferrara[3] combines all three in a career that has seen him do stand-up on stages throughout the country, acclaimed television series and guest spots, and hosting duties on the BBC sensation, "Top Gear," on the History Channel[4].
(For those who are not addicted to "Top Gear," it's a comic automotive adventure with wide appeal.)
Ferrara will come to the state Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2, to perform four shows at the Comix club at Mohegan Sun.
In a recent telephone chat from his home in Santa Monica, Calif., Ferrara, 50, said he admits to being an automotive buff who was not very handy as a youngster growing up on Long Island, N.Y.
"My dad was very mechanical. And way back in the day, if you wanted to spend time with your dad, you did it in the garage.
"One day, I was helping out, and blood was spurting and wrenches were flying. I was a mess. And then my dad put his arm around my shoulder, still smoking his Lucky Strike[5], and he just (sadly) shook his head.
"He quickly understood my abilities: From then on, my job was to hold the light" while the senior Ferrara worked under the hood.
After graduation from Marist College[7], in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Ferrara said he thought he'd give stand-up a try. It was on July 13, 1988, at age 22, that he did an open-mic night at the East Side Comedy Club[8] in New York City. Being from a tight-knit neighborhood with lots of Italian relatives, "Everyone showed up," he said.
Two days later, he got a call from an agent, who offered him $20 to do a five-minute spot at a local bar, and his career was launched.
He also became interested in acting, but quickly realized that "it's a whole other craft." He subsequently attended Stephen Book acting workshops after moving to the West Coast, where he lives with his wife, actress Alex Tyler, and their dog.[9]
Acting came instinctively to him and guest roles and starring roles have come regularly: For 50 episodes (2006-11), he played Chief Needles Nelson[10] on the Emmy Award-nominated FX drama, "Rescue Me," with Denis Leary[11], and 20 episodes (2013-15) as NYPD Sgt. Frank Verelli[12] on Showtime's hit series "Nurse Jackie," opposite Edie Falco[13].
He also has been featured on NBC's "Law and Order," CBS' "The King[14] of Queens" and ABC's "The Job."
"I'd describe my stand-up as confessional," he said, laughing. "I throw all my life into a blender" and the result is his show. "Nothing is off-limits. It's all part of my quest for understanding" life. ... "I want it to make sense to me.
"Success means having the opportunity to do it again," whether it be comedy or acting, he said. Success also means enjoying the fruits of his labor. His pride and joy is a 1970 Buick Electra 225, which he purchased from "Top Gear."
"It's a black-cherry metallic, 18 feet, 5 inches long. I have three garages, and it doesn't fit into any of them."
pasboros@ctpost.com; Twitter: @PhyllisASBoros
References
- ^ less (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ ... more (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Adam Ferrara (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ History Channel (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Lucky Strike (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ www.COMIXcomedy.com (www.comixcomedy.com)
- ^ Ma rist College (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ East Side Comedy Club (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Alex Tyler (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Needles Nelson (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Denis Leary (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Frank Verelli (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ Edie Falco (www.sfgate.com)
- ^ The King (www.sfgate.com)
