Hello, it's Eddie Izzard here again. I’ve just finished filming the action-drama series “POWERS” which is launching on the 10 March on Playstation network.

Saturday, I’m off Australia and New Zealand to continue my grand 'Force Majeure' World Tour. I'm claiming it's the most extensive world comedy tour ever. I’ve played 25 countries so far and no one's disagreed as yet. The tour has now been performed in Russia, South Africa, France (in French), Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, Austria, Germany (in German), Serbia, Croatia, United States, Canada and more. (Force Majeure Dates: http://www.eddieizzard.com/gigs)

This world is a fascinating place, especially the weird and interesting (and fascinating) bits, so I’ve been researching facts about Australia and New Zealand. Let me know if you have any to share.

Proof: http://imgur.com/YU72Fzw

Thank you to everyone who sent in questions, I'm sorry I couldn't answer all of them. I have to go now pack my toothbrush to get ready to fly to Australia (and New Zealand). If you are in New Zealand or Australia over the next month I hope to see you at a gig.

Thanks again, Good Night/Good Morning.

Eddie x

AMA.

Comments: 1260 • Responses: 56  • Date: 

ReasonReader979 karma

Eddie, there is nobody else on earth better suited than you to play the role of Doctor Who. How can we as fans make this happen? (Yes, I know we all love Tom Baker, but the man earned his rest.)

Edit: (Nothing against Peter Capaldi either, he's doing a fine job, but I've got to see Eddie fast-talking the Daleks into letting him escape.)

EddieIzzardHere956 karma

You all have to tell the BBC what you think if you want to make something happen.

panaspanas616 karma

Cake or Death?

EddieIzzardHere952 karma

Chicken.

the_walrus_was_ringo408 karma

Did you know that the first Australian police were chosen from the ranks of the the best behaved convicts?

What's your favourite fact about Australia? Favourite place?

EddieIzzardHere527 karma

No I didn't know that but that is now my favorite new bonkers fact about Australia.

ThouShaltMakeItClap367 karma

Would you say that being a transvestite (and dealing with the attention that it brought to you) helped you overcome the anxiety of performing in front of an audience?

EddieIzzardHere694 karma

No really - it actually helped give me unbelievable confidence in real life

panaspanas357 karma

Who is your #1 comedic influence(s)?

EddieIzzardHere810 karma

Monty Python.

ars_moriendi357 karma

Your turn in Hannibal was a marvel of understatement. The threat of unspeakable violence looming under the surface was fantastic. But it also felt like a really giving performance on your part. The interaction between you and Hugh and Mads was fantastic.

Which leads me to two questions:

1.) Keep it real. How much of that was you and how much was your direction?

2.) Are we going to get to see you in more intense dramatic roles?

Also, if a person is their work, you are a damned champion of the human race and I love you for it. Thank you.

EddieIzzardHere287 karma

Yes, you are going to see me in more intense dramatic roles and I think Dr. Abel Gideon is 40% me and 60% out there.

LaertesExtravaganza270 karma

Hi Eddie,

You've remarked on several occasions that transgender rights are currently at the place where gay rights were at in the 1950s, i.e. there is still a staggering amount of legal and social discrimination facing transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, compounded by fear, invective, and misinformation. However, as more and more trans people feel comfortable with coming out and living openly, public understanding of the issues they face becomes stronger and acceptance becomes easier. You've made a lasting and indelible impression on so many people for your work in comedy and film, but whether you intended to or not, you've also done so much for trans visibility.

How are things different now from when you came out, particularly in terms of challenges you might face? Are you optimistic about the progress being made in the advancement of trans equality? Where do you see things headed from here?

EddieIzzardHere679 karma

I think that the Trans community really 'arrived' in 2014. Having come out in 1985, I am very happy about this. But above all, LGBT must become boring. Then we have made it. I think we are finally getting there

Cold_Ass_Honkey_267 karma

Hello. Big fan. Will there ever be a conclusion to The Riches? Thanks.

EddieIzzardHere234 karma

Maybe - I can't tell that future at the moment.

kmsevero239 karma

You seem so fearless, understandable given all of your struggles, which were explored in "Believe". My question whether there is anything now that frightens or worries you?

EddieIzzardHere694 karma

In response to the spider alerts for Australia, please can the Australian government remove all spiders from Australia and blow them into outer space.

EddieIzzardHere311 karma

Spiders.

wildhearthaven196 karma

What would you consider one of your most peaceful moments? What do you do to unwind and relax amidst all the chaos and hubbub that is living in this crazy, beautiful, tiring world? :)

EddieIzzardHere764 karma

I like looking at mountains from other mountains.

teresa_gemini168 karma

Hi Eddie! Is there any chance/way I can get in touch with you to tell you about the PhD I'm doing at UCL on how Italians perceive your humour when watching some of your sketches with Italian subtitles? (I'm carrying out an eye-tracking study)

EddieIzzardHere196 karma

Send me a private message on my Reddit account.

sueshe164 karma

Eddie!! Just a quick note: The first night my husband and I met, we both discovered we loved you! One of our most romantic dates was seeing you in NYC in some super small venue where you were trying out new stuff. You were amazing and even walked by us a few times after the show. I was too shy to say hi :( Anyway, my question is what made you start running? I feel like I was out of touch with your work for a few years and all of a sudden you pop up running marathons!

EddieIzzardHere234 karma

I started running to get back in touch with the health I had when i was six years old. And it was an adventure. And it helped raise money for charities around the world. So i just thought I'd go for it.

DerKomissar99160 karma

Do you have a favorite up & coming or underground comedian that people should know about?

EddieIzzardHere308 karma

I encourage you to watch Yacine Belhousse, a surreal French comedian who is now performing in the UK in English.

AnaVeria139 karma

Dear Mr. Izzard, for a language learning “addict” like me, following your experience performing in different languages has been really interesting. My question: Did you ever consider the ultimate challenge of learning sign language and performing stand-up for a deaf audience?

EddieIzzardHere329 karma

Some of my shows have been signed for deaf audiences but I can only do so much and I have decided to learn French, German, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. I'm afraid I will have my hands full with those five.

MsNerevarine133 karma

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or David Bowie?

EddieIzzardHere477 karma

yes

Reddittimesuck127 karma

[deleted]

EddieIzzardHere284 karma

I think like an American because I decided I wanted to go and perform stand up all across America and play Madison Square Garden and Hollywood Bowl. That 'lets go do it / lets go build it' quality I've always thought of as being American. It's really an economic migrant/entrepreneurial spirit, but I think America distilled that very well.

And here are two of my ten favorite films: 1. Blade Runner 2. Robin and Marian

angie2711101 karma

Blade Runner is showing on the big screen in Cambridge, MA this weekend. I mean, you could just skip the whole Australia/New Zealand thing.

EddieIzzardHere130 karma

That's a crazy idea. I'm afraid I can't

courtiebabe420120 karma

[deleted]

EddieIzzardHere226 karma

Touring in French and German

PresyLFC80 karma

Eddie, what is your favourite language? & what sparked your interest in languages?

EddieIzzardHere198 karma

I do love speaking French but eventually I hope all the languages I speak are my favourite languages.

I have no idea idea what sparked off my interest in languages, but my language consultant, my brother, Mark Izzard, is also fascinated by languages and is way better than me. He translates all my shows in to French, German and Spanish.

Nixplosion114 karma

A friend once told me you narrated a GPS' audio directions for Tom Tom. Is this true??? Is it really you?? I love you by the way you're amazing dont ever change

EddieIzzardHere160 karma

Yes, that is me.

kmsevero86 karma

Hi Eddie! Love from Virginia! My question is: What do you predict will be your biggest struggle when running for Mayor of London in 2020?

EddieIzzardHere176 karma

My biggest challenge will be just to ensure that I do something useful and positive, if the people of London decide to vote me in as their Mayor

JitGoinHam72 karma

Do you like bread?

EddieIzzardHere152 karma

Yes, but it is the devil.

ThouShaltMakeItClap66 karma

Hi Eddie! Huge fan. Being a man of unrestricted fashion sense, how do you decide what to wear when you wake up in the morning?

EddieIzzardHere118 karma

There used to be more stress about choosing clothes when i was in girl mode as opposed to boy mode, but now that stress has just about gone. So I can really choose to wear whatever I want to wear, but if I really can't decide what mode to be in, I can always flip a coin.

kyian66 karma

Hi Eddie, I caught your performance last year in Columbus and I loved it. Are there any plans for releasing it as a special for distribution through Netflix or the like?

EddieIzzardHere94 karma

Yes - not sure exactly when but hopefully soon

PutAForkInHim56 karma

If you could be any historical figure for a day on a day of your choosing, who would it be and when?

EddieIzzardHere137 karma

Ben Franklin flying a kite in stormy weather.

EASwanson1349 karma

Two Parter: 1. What has shaped your moral and ethical compass? 2. As an educator, what would you suggest to me revolutionize my maths and science classrooms? I lied, one more, what colour/brand is that red polish?

EddieIzzardHere94 karma

1 My Parents 2 Make learning fun 3 Red Baroness by Shellac

Katiekat2743 karma

Mr. Izzard, I am such an unbelievable huge fan and have been for many many years. I find your personal story so inspiring. The political aspirations and the marathons are all things I greatly admire, not to mention your hilarious comedy career, and all the wonderful movies you have been in. I am so delightfully happy that you are kind enough to do this AMA.

My questions:

What was your greatest personal victory of 2014?

Also, and this one is a bit morbid, but, given your level of fame, it is a distinct possibility that a hundred years from now some one will claim that you “haunt” a place. Where would you like to be known to “haunt”?

EddieIzzardHere79 karma

  1. Two months performing stand-up in German in Berlin and Hamburg

  2. I won't be doing any haunting.

caterplillar40 karma

What do you think happened to the Riches after the end of the show? I waited for it to come back on for ages; I loved the familial chemistry.

EddieIzzardHere70 karma

They started a cooking program on local cable TV.

coobsboobs38 karma

Did you enjoy your time working on The United States of Tara? I loved watching you and Toni Collette working alongside one another.

EddieIzzardHere44 karma

Yes, it was great and she was great to work with again.

cdpowerman500036 karma

When did toy confirm to yourself you were a transvestite and how has your life changed since? I know you've spoken about it in your standup but it's been a while. Do you still get misgendered?

EddieIzzardHere84 karma

I knew I was a transvestite when I was four. I came out in 1985 when I was 23 and I feel the world has been slowly catching up with all of us in LGBT land.

gogojack36 karma

Thank you for joining us this evening. Thanks to you every time I find myself going 53 in a 45 zone I pretend I'm a raptor. With a bazooka.

Anyway, my question is about your many appearances on the Craig Ferguson show. Was there anytime you and Craig sketched out the basics of what was going to happen? Or was it all just completely improvised?

(sorry I have no information on Australia or New Zealand beyond what I read on Reddit...)

EddieIzzardHere66 karma

It was 98% completely improvised. 2% was highly scripted.

Blondejezabel35 karma

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with?

EddieIzzardHere72 karma

Nelson Mandela but I didn't work with him. I just raised some money for his charity.

escherbach35 karma

Did you know that Kangaroos and other marsupials got to Australia via South America when the lands were both connected to Antartica in the supercontinent Gondwana 80 million years ago?

EddieIzzardHere36 karma

No, but thanks for that, that is very interesting.

choixpeau30 karma

When you're touring, what do you do on days when you don't have a performance scheduled?

EddieIzzardHere126 karma

I practice alchemy

YerMumsSexyBum29 karma

Have you ever found people (widely or in small groups) in a particular country (whether expected based on tropes of national behavioural norms) to be particularly hostile to your performing there, whether due to your atheism, politics, or transvesticism?

EddieIzzardHere62 karma

No

InsertRelevantUser29 karma

Hiii, Eddie! I share your video of speaking Old English to a Frisian farmer all the time in my language class. Did you ever get that brown coo? You're awesome, and thanks for being you!

EddieIzzardHere30 karma

I'm glad you liked the documentary

gravelface29 karma

Did you do those nails yourself? They're amazing!

EddieIzzardHere58 karma

Sometimes its me. Sometimes its an expert.

flicticious28 karma

What's your favourite thing about Wellington? Is it the bucket fountain in Cuba Mall?

EddieIzzardHere59 karma

No it's running up Mount Victoria and looking at the view.

dustbunnee28 karma

When are you doing a show in Seattle again?

EddieIzzardHere51 karma

This Summer

TheBestStuF27 karma

Hi Eddie! Been a really big, longtime fan of yours and I’m really looking forward to seeing you in Powers!

My question to you is this: How does one get funnier? I love comedy, but watching and performing, and I can grasp how one can improve acting ability, choreography, and the like. But there doesn’t seem to be much literature or theory available (that I can find) on improving one’s comedy. As a well accomplished comedian, and one whose humor I very much enjoy, I was hoping you might be able to share a little about what you have done over the years to hone your craft. Thanks!

EddieIzzardHere72 karma

I got funnier by initially saying as many funny things as I could think of in class at school, and then doing as many comedy gigs as I possibly could on stage. I've always tried to make myself laugh and I'm the only one who has seen all my shows. So you just need to hone your instincts by doing as much comedy as you can.

Patrick_the_Saint25 karma

Did you ever hanglididided?

EddieIzzardHere30 karma

No, but I'd like to.

heronscry22 karma

Bonjour Eddie! Big fan from Poland here, the Achilles hoover skit always makes me cry from laughter. Two questions; which of your skits is your personal favorite and how did you like working on the set of Hannibal?

EddieIzzardHere66 karma

I really like the new scene that I am doing in Force Majeure. It is a fight between Darth Vader and God over spaghetti carbonara back in the good old canteen.

Working on Hannibal is great, but rather scary.

McMatherson22 karma

Mr. Izzard do you have a favorite soundtrack that inspires you and cheers you up?

EddieIzzardHere59 karma

The soundtrack from "Out of Africa" by John Barry

botanyisfun20 karma

Hey Mr. Izzard, Thanks for the AMA!

My question: Would you ever direct anything you're in? Or take up directing in any medium? Even if it's just a stand up special or a TV episode or movie?

EddieIzzardHere28 karma

Yes, but not yet.

HeatherChapman6819 karma

Hello Eddie. My question for you is this. June 11th of last year you brought Force Majeure to the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I got to ask you a question in the Q&A but I was at the back of the room and couldn't see you. What did you say and or do to have the crowd part so you and I could see each other for a brief instant?

EddieIzzardHere44 karma

All I think I said was "can everyone get out the bloody way"

klairedee18 karma

[deleted]

EddieIzzardHere34 karma

For my first stand-up appearance I wasn't prepared so I just drank a pint of beer and tried to be funny - it didn't really work. But my first ever show in America was a street performing show in Overton Square, Memphis, at the Memphis in May Festival in 1987 - which wasn't too far from where you were.

protter4318 karma

Hi Eddie, If you could go back in time to any of the historical times you talk about in your shows, which would you choose and why? Who would you like to talk to there?

EddieIzzardHere53 karma

I'd go back to the industrial revolution in Britain and I'd like to hang out and chat with Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

panaspanas15 karma

Who's your favorite Python?

EddieIzzardHere48 karma

Stephen.

elmo_punch15 karma

Can you stop by Singapore sometime?

EddieIzzardHere23 karma

I am definitely planning to.

ThouShaltMakeItClap14 karma

Hi Eddie! Huge fan. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?

EddieIzzardHere35 karma

Ben Franklin

N1bel11 karma

Hey Eddie! I've been a huge fan for a while, and was just recently in New Zealand. How do you make all of those special effect noises when you are acting things out?

EddieIzzardHere91 karma

I blow air out of my mouth

roxmysocks11 karma

Hello!

I loved your Force Majeure performance in Minneapolis this past summer. Do you find some venues are harder to perform in than others? Also, besides PSN where will we be able to find POWERS upon release? Looking forward to it!!!

EddieIzzardHere24 karma

At this stage in my career every venue I play in is pretty damn good, but when you're starting off some venues can be terrible. The first episode of POWERS will be available free at Playstation.com and then the others will be available through the Playstation Store. Google that to find the URL

mrsgrim094 karma

My brother and I are seeing you Wednesday night at the Opera House in Sydney, we are absolute die hard fans and have loved you for years. Are you doing any sort of meet and greet or photos before the gig or after?

EddieIzzardHere8 karma

I haven't planned a Q&A for the Sydney show as it is so big. That isn't a final answer but that's where we are at the moment.