Stand-up comedian and sometimes actor Brian Regan was born and raised in Miami, but he often gets mistaken for a Bostonian. “I think it’s the name,” he said in a recent phone call. “I like Boston … I love playing Massachusetts, so I’ll take it.” Regan, who is performing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester on Nov. 7, said he enjoys touring. “I always like writing [material for the shows] and it’s really cool to hop onstage and share my recent goofy thoughts with people who don’t mind laughing out loud and letting me know what they think.” Regan, 65, a father of two adult children, performs in close to 100 cities each year, is a regular on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” (he was also a frequent guest on “The Late Show with David Letterman”) and has been a guest on two episodes of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” on Netflix. “He’s a genius,” Regan said of Seinfeld. “And the fact that he likes what I do is the highest compliment.” On the acting front, Regan has a cameo in Chris Rock’s 2014 film “Top Five,” and has been on three seasons of the TV series “Loudermilk” on Amazon Prime. When asked about his current comedy tour, Regan said he has “never been good at tooting my own horn,” and referenced a radio station interview where he was asked to talk about his upcoming comedy show. “I said that I like to think I’m adequate,” he said. “So if you want to see some adequate comedy, I’m your guy.” We caught up with the “adequate” comedian, who lives in Las Vegas with his girlfriend and their 12- or 13-year-old rescue dog, Olive, to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
Advertisement
Germany. I want to drink beer out of one of those cool-looking beer steins while listening to one of those cool-sounding German bands while listening to people talk in their cool-sounding language.
Where was the first place you traveled to after COVID restrictions were lifted?
Advertisement
Italy. Had never been. It was amazing. They have better pizza than Pizza Hut.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
My girlfriend books our vacation stuff. She’s better than a travel agent.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
I like any place that has a pool with a swim-up bar. There’s something relaxing about being able to swim over to your bar stool to grab a cool drink.
Do you use all of your vacation time or leave some on the table?
Being home is a vacation. I love traveling, but there is nothing like not being in an airport.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
After a very nice vacation, we arrived at the airport to find our airline had moved the departure time up by one hour. We saw the plane just idling on the tarmac, teasing us for a few minutes, before it finally taxied away and back to our happy empty home.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
I prefer to relax on vacation. But I do like history too, so I enjoy seeing things like Mayan ruins and the Colosseum. People sure liked to kill each other a lot in the past.
Advertisement
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
Nothing. Well, I always have a book on me, but I rarely open it.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
I wouldn’t want to travel with a famous person. When I’m off, I like to lay low.
What is the best gift to give a traveler?
A round-trip ticket on a private jet. If they can’t afford that, then maybe a nice neck pillow.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
I’m not a big snacker. I like to go from meal to big meal to ridiculously huge meal.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
A hat from the Masters. I’ve watched that tournament since I was a kid. To be able to walk around and see all those holes in real life was pretty cool.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
Hmm, my crossword puzzle app. Good way to see how smart I am. I’ve learned when I pick puzzles labeled “easy,” I find out I am very smart.
What has travel taught you?
That people are nice everywhere. Except for Massachusetts. I picked that location completely at random.
What is your best travel tip?
Sit in the middle seat on a long flight. It’s a great way to get to know people.