As one of Australia’s most popular and well-known comedians, most people are familiar with Carl Barron’s comedy antics. But like many comedians, Carl is a contradiction. Seemingly cheerful on the outside, but much less so on the inside. Written by Stephanie Stefanovic.
“Some days it’s easy and fun, and other days it’s hard and isolating,” says Carl. “Most nights you’re in a hotel room by yourself.”
“When you come back from a tour, you feel really flat. In the early years, you think there’s something wrong with you. You’re depressed, or you need to move house or you need to change girlfriends or whatever it is. But now I don’t believe all of those things. I tell myself that when I come back, I just need to take it easy.”
Born in Queensland, Carl grew up in the countryside where his father was a sheep-shearer. He still enjoys the simple life. This could be why he’s often described as relaxed, honest and humble. It could also be why Carl himself adds “introverted” to the list.
“I don’t like big crowds of people even though I perform in front of them. I like quiet places. Anywhere it’s too busy I just don’t like,” he says.
It’s for this reason that he would prefer to remain based in Australia, unlike other successful comedians such as Rebel Wilson and Jim Jefferies who have made a life and career for themselves overseas.
But that doesn’t mean he’s shied away from a brighter spotlight. At age 51, Carl has made his film debut as the lead in Manny Lewis, which he co-wrote with friend and former stand-up comedian Anthony Mir.
The recently released film focuses on Manny Lewis, a successful stand-up comedian who can effortlessly win over a crowd but struggles to win over the woman he loves. It follows Manny as he struggles to overcome his alienation and shyness, and establish a relationship with love interest Maria (Leeanna Walsman). It’s hard not to assume Manny Lewis is in part based on Carl’s life.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Carl explains. After all, “When you go to meet a friend in a café and you tell them a story about what happened on Saturday night, it’s a mixture of truth and fiction.”
“I guess it’s up to the audience to decide how true it is,” he adds.
Manny Lewis definitely has its quirks. The film sees Manny fall in love with Maria, a shy but free-spirited woman who is new in his life. The kicker? He’s unaware that she’s also the phone-sex operator he calls regularly to confide in.
The film is certainly more serious than anything we’ve seen from Carl Barron before. It definitely has its funny moments but it’s clear that Carl wanted to show another side of himself by portraying the trials of life as a comedian. A bold move, for sure.
“We got some good reviews and we got some reviews where it wasn’t peoples’ ‘cup of tea’, but that’s normal,” Carl says. “I keep away from the response. It’s my job to make people laugh and what people think about that or want to write about it, that’s their business.”
One thing the film really hones in on is the recurring theme that a comedian’s life isn’t all fun and laughs. If it’s so lonely, it makes you wonder what inspires Carl to keep going.
“I can’t think of anything else I’d really want to do and it’s probably the thing I’m best at,” he says. “And you get a lot of fans over the years. That’s what inspires me – when you know people really like you.”
Carl worked as a roof tiler for 17 years before becoming a comedian, but he says comedy is something he’s always wanted to do, ever since he was a kid.
“When I moved to Sydney I thought about it more,” Carl says. “And I went and saw Jamal McKnight and the stuff he was talking about, I thought, ‘I could talk about that’. So I just got more motivated and gave it a go one week.”
His comedy style has evolved into what’s been described as observational humour, but Carl says it’s more like “telling stories about life”. In telling these stories, he won’t guarantee that everything he says on stage is 100 per cent true but he tries his best because he says it’s important to be honest with the audience.
It’s a policy the frank comedian sticks to both onstage and off. But for Carl, it’s not just about being honest with the audience, it’s about being honest with himself.
“Listen to yourself,” he says. “That’s all I’ve learnt to do over the years.”
“If you really do quieten down and listen to yourself, you’ll know exactly what to do. Whether it’s stand-up or whatever, you’ve got to trust yourself.”
