David Liebe Hart: “These dating services aren’t very good at all.” Interview by Bob Baker Fish

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With David Liebe Hart what you see is what you get. In the entertainment industry there’s always tales of carefully constructed personas that cease the moment the cameras stop rolling, yet David is not like that. There’s not a lot of self-censorship. He rocketed to fame via his appearances on Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, where he quickly became a fan favourite thanks to his off kilter stage presence and surreal humour. He is a truly unique character. In Los Angeles he was already well known as a puppeteer on The Junior Christian Teaching Bible Lesson Program, on public access TV, though he has been in and around the entertainment industry for decades. A true renaissance man, his live performances incorporate his surreal stand up, puppetry and music. He writes songs about being in love with an insect woman and even his love of vegemite. Interviewing David is a little like wrangling cats, he’s affable enough, but he doesn’t really need you, and in the end he’s just going to say what he wants to say anyway.

Cyclic Defrost: Hi David. How are you?

David Liebe Hart : They sprayed my apartment for bugs and roaches so I’m outside in the rain doing the interview. So it’s kind’ve rough. So anyway I’m happy to do the show in Australia. I’m really excited about it. I’ve had fans already calling me at all hours in the night and the morning excited about me coming to Australia. But I would appreciate it if the fans would not call me collect and I would appreciate if the fans would wait until I get there to call me because I’m gonna have a big phone bill.

Cyclic Defrost: Sure I can pass that message on. It’s not fair on you because you need to get some sleep to make sure you’re in good condition when you touch down.

David Liebe Hart: I have a really good show for you all I have puppets and music. Tim and Eric haven’t called me to work in a long time. They gave me scripts to read but the problem I’ve been having lately is other shows like the Odd Couple told me they had a part for me on CBS and then they gave it to another African American actor and then I had the part that I read and tried out for New Girl and did a reading and I was supposed to get the part but then I don’t know at the last moment they decided to hire other actors, which is very frustrating.

Cyclic Defrost: It sounds disappointing.

David Liebe Hart: Well you’ve just gotta keep on trying. The same thing with Check it Out with Steve Brule all the parts that I was supposed to get they gave them to other actors. To my competitor friend Scott Clam, who is a talented actor but I feel that if they’ve written a part for me they should have me do that part.

Cyclic Defrost: Is that what life is like as a working actor and entertainer?

David Liebe Hart: The entertainment business is very unfair. It’s very competitive and if the producers don’t like you or they change their minds they’ll hire someone else even though they promised the job to you. There’s a lot of dishonest people in the entertainment business who don’t play fair.

Cyclic Defrost: When did you know you wanted to be an entertainer?

David Liebe Hart: My parents paid for me to take acting at Goodman’s Theatre back in Chicago in the 50’s and the 60’s and I was in plays like Porgy and Bess and in Chicago Illinois and I was supposed to be a regular actor on the any Griffith Show. A talent scout saw me and paid for me to come to California as a young boy of 10 years old to read for the Andy Griffith Show. But unfortunately my parents didn’t want me to become and actor at such a young age so I had to wait until I became a grown man and when I got out of the service and came to California to start all over again in the 70’s. I started off doing extra work and stand up comedy with Robin Williams at the Comedy Store. I saw Robin Williams get his break with Gary Marshall. Gary Marshall said he didn’t want the partner David Liebe Hart he only wanted Robin Williams for Happy Days. And he gave him a spin off Mork and Mindy. But he was doing the same Mork the Martian stand up comedy with me way before he did Happy Days.

Cyclic Defrost: That’s fascinating you were part of it early on.

David Liebe Hart: Well no Gary Marshall didn’t want to hire me for any of the shows. He was biased and prejudiced. He told me if I did intern work and warm ups for the show he would cast me into one of his productions. He was doing Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley and Blansky’s Beauties. He was doing about four or five shows back in 77. He said if I did intern work he would cast me in his shows, which he never did. I wrote a song about it called Gary Marshall Blues.

Cyclic Defrost: That sounds very unfair.

David Liebe Hart: I read for CSI and they promised to hire me and they gave it to someone else, so I don’t know. I have to keep on trying. I can’t give up. I have to persevere and know that I am a winner not a loser and not give up until I can get back on television again. I’m grateful to God that I can still do nightclub work until those doors open again. The good news I have is that James Quall is not homeless anymore. Me and the actors and actresses of Abso-lutely Productions, Clark Rankers to Casting Director we paid for him to get a hotel room until March so he can get on his feet. I just wanted to tell people that James Quall is not homeless anymore.

Cyclic Defrost: That’s good to hear.

David Liebe Hart: We put our money together to help get him off the streets. So that’s progress. His wife went to the Bahamas without him and went with her boyfriend Herman instead which was very unfair and he was legally married to her. Everyone told her you don’t marry a homeless person on the street, that’s like two trains running in the same direction. You get an accident.

Cyclic Defrost: But it’s really compassionate for you guys to help him out.

David Liebe Hart: I’ve been single since 1994. The dating services are very dangerous in Los Angeles. I tried a whole bunch of dating services and there’s a lot of dangerous people on the line. I was harassed on the phone by a girl who was a bisexual who wanted me to have sex with her and her boyfriend. I told her that was not appropriate, that I only want to be with a woman, not a man and a woman and she harassed me on the phone until I had to unplug my phone at night for the last 5 nights. So I’m really hoping that I meet a nice young lady in my life because these dating services aren’t very good at all.

Cyclic Defrost: Well maybe you’ll have the chance in Australia.

David Liebe Hart: I have, this will be my third visit to Australia. I wanted to get with Olivia Newton John, I’m a big fan of hers. I wanted to get with that woman that does the Sunrise show. I like her a lot. I’m a fan of those two beautiful Australian women. What’s her name? I can’t think of her name? She’s a host?

Cyclic Defrost: The blond girl? I can’t remember?

David Liebe Hart: I can’t remember either. She’s so pretty. She reminds me of my deceased cousin who I liked a lot. I love Olivia Newton John. I texted her and emailed Olivia Newton John that I would like to write songs with her and do a duet with her and work with her to get a variety show and she has never responded to any of my emails and phone calls. And when her sister died I sent my condolences to Olivia Newton John and when her boyfriend disappeared I sent my condolences and got my church to pray that day that her lost boyfriend would be found and I don’t know. Hillsong promised to show me around Australia and they never followed through.

Cyclic Defrost: I guess that goes back to the problems in the entertainment industry.

David Liebe Hart: I like Australia. I like vegemite. I want to do a song about vegemite.

Cyclic Defrost: You’re one of the few people from overseas who likes vegemite.

David Liebe Hart: I like it on toast. I like it better than salt. I like it as a seasoning on salads. I like it for seasoning more than salt.

Australian Tour Dates
WED APR 5 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
w/ Max Chillen & The Kerbside Collective, Madboots, Spacecowboy4005
FRI APR 7 – Northern Star Hotel, Newcastle
w/ Spacecowboy4005, Skull & Dagger
SAT APR 8 – The Red Rattler, Sydney
w/ Spacecowboy4005, Skull & Dagger
SUN APR 9 – The Basement, Canberra
Guests TBA
TUE APR 11 – Grand Poobah, Hobart
w/ Mandek Penha, Harrison Forward, All the Weathers
WED APR 12 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
w/ Mandek Penha, Lessons With Luis, Curse Ov Dialect
THUR APR 13 – Jive, Adelaide
w/ Rohan Henry, St. Morris Sinners, Purple Johnson Blimp Situation
SAT APR 15 – Four5Nine, Perth
w/ Dan Cribb & Scott Connor Cover The Simpsons
SUN APR 16 – Mojos, Perth (Stand-Up Show)
w/ Sian Choyce, Gerard Maroney, Sean Conway, Glenn Grimwood

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Bob is the features editor of Cyclic Defrost. He is also evil. You should not trust the opinions of evil people.

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