Jay Mohr is truly good sport about life Stand-up/actor considers himself 'a lucky man' for busy career

By RODNEY BENGSTON
Staff Writer

Aug. 16, 2001

Many people may complain about the trappings of celebrity but Jay Mohr is not one of them. "I've lived 5½ lifetimes already," he says. "If my career was over right now, I'd still die a happy man."

But the career is going strong for the stand-up comic, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Cleveland Improv. (Call (216) 696-4677 for tickets.)

Besides stand-up, this married New Jersey native who turns 31 next week has three films awaiting release: "Simone," with Al Pacino; "Pluto Nash," starring Eddie Murphy; and "Speaking of Sex," featuring Bill Murray.

"I'm on a movie set and Pacino is feeding grapes to my dog," Mohr says. "How great is my life? What do I have to complain about? He's twice as charming in person as he is on the screen."

Mohr, who appeared steadily in the "Saturday Night Live" ensemble from 1993-95, says his breakthrough film role — as rival agent to Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" — meant he started at the top. "And Tom is very involved in his projects," he adds. "I screen-tested with Tom." He later played the romantic lead to Jennifer Aniston in "Picture Perfect."

Away from the movies, Mohr regularly is a guest host for "The Jim Rome Show" on radio. He narrates Fox Sports' "Beyond the Glory" and is a regular on Fox's "NFL This Morning."

But no matter where his career goes, Mohr plans to keep doing stand-up. "I look at a guy like George Carlin who's still doing it and I don't think he needs the money. It's in his blood."

He considers Richard Pryor his top comic influence. "He talked about his heart attack, shooting his car, getting a scrub bath after he was severely burned. That does not sound like stuff you laugh at, but the way he does it makes them comedy masterpieces."

Mohr started honing his stand-up early — age 15. "First, my parents told me that I could do it as long it wasn't a school night," he says. "Then, there was an open mike night on Wednesday at a local club and that school-night rule went by the wayside. Then, it became: 'Be sure that you're one of the first ones on, so you can get home and do your homework.'"

Though he knows he has fans here, Mohr, too, is a big fan of Cleveland crowds. "They're salt-of-the-earth people, a very demonstrative audience."

Sports fan that he is, Mohr purposely scheduled himself for the Cleveland Impov in 1997 to coincide with the baseball's All-Star Game at Jacobs Field.

Asked to evaluate this year's Indians, Mohr starts rattling off the roster. "Jim Thome leading the league in home runs. Robbie Alomar, Kenny Lofton, Juan Gonzalez. That's a ridiculous lineup, so many bombers."

Before he hangs up, Mohr has a question of his own. "Are the Indians in town when I'm there?" Yes, Jay, they are.

© 2001 Sun Newspapers
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