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In nan autumn of 2024, aft a regular colonoscopy, comedian Jeff Ross received an unexpected diagnosis: He had Stage 3 colon crab and would request to acquisition room to region 7 inches of his colon, followed by six months of chemotherapy.
It’s nan benignant of revelation that would lead astir people, understandably, to panic and unopen down. But not nan RoastMaster General, who little than a twelvemonth later, would excavation nan acquisition pinch Take a Banana for nan Ride, a profoundly individual one-man show marking some his Broadway debut and nan coalescing of a lifelong dream.
Ross’ show takes its sanction from a cherished portion of proposal fixed to him by Pop Jack, his late, beloved grandfather, pinch whom he lived while starting retired arsenic a comic. It’s a image of resilience successful nan look of nonaccomplishment and life’s different challenges, explaining nan domiciled joke has played successful helping Ross to navigate it all.
Over nan people of 90 minutes — taped arsenic a typical for Netflix, which is now up for Emmy information — Ross doles retired his life story, delving into nan history of his New Jersey family, his origins arsenic a comic, and really he’s dealt pinch not only nan early nonaccomplishment of his parents, but besides that of a trio of drama superstar pals (Bob Saget, Gilbert Gottfried, Norm McDonald), 1 of his beloved dogs, and more.
Backed by a group of golden frames that he uses to propulsion up images from his past, Ross is dressed successful a banana-yellow suit and concludes his show by handing retired bananas to strangers dealing pinch their ain battles, arsenic a motion of camaraderie and token of his appreciation.
Here, Ross breaks down his travel pinch a show which he first began touring successful nan ’90s, which took its afloat shape decades later. He reflects connected nan emotion summoned by a show he equates to “digging up my parents” and really he learned to conquer it, besides sharing really proposal from Jim Carrey connected manifesting led him to prosecute Broadway afloat force.
Amid his “career-defining moment” pinch Take a Banana for nan Ride, which he believes helped “cure” him of cancer, Ross besides discusses why Kevin Hart “deserves a Nobel Peace Prize” for taking nan basking spot astatine this year’s Netflix roast, nan improvement of nan creation shape from nan days of Comedy Central’s roasts, and nan imaginable of much seasons of his Netflix stand-up bid Bumping Mics.
DEADLINE: Congratulations connected your tally pinch Take a Banana. Did you ever dream of making it to Broadway?
JEFF ROSS: I fantasized astir it because I ever knew that was my crowd. I went to spot shows erstwhile I was a kid. You know, erstwhile my mom was successful nan hospital, which you study astir successful nan show, what I don’t opportunity successful nan show is my dada would return america to sojourn her connected nan weekends. Because it was acold away. And past afterwards we would spell to shows to cheer america up. Back then, they were each orphan shows, for illustration Annie and Oliver. [Laughs] So it had a reverse effect. But it did make maine really emotion Broadway. And past erstwhile I saw Jackie Mason connected Broadway, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do someday.
It’s funny: To maine it, wasn’t really realistic. It was like, each right, fto maine circuit [the show], and possibly I’ll do it off-Broadway and past possibly a streamer will bargain it. But Jim Carrey is simply a friend of mine, and he taught maine astir manifesting. He would berate maine for playing it down. I’d beryllium like, “Don’t jinx it. ” He’d go, “This is going to Broadway. You person to opportunity it, and different group will perceive that and thief it travel true.”
He said, “I’m coming to opening night.” And 2 years later, he came nan time aft opening nighttime because he doesn’t for illustration crowds. So he really helped maine manifest it.
DEADLINE: What’s nan cardinal to manifesting, successful your mind?
ROSS: Well, it’s astir getting retired of your head. I knowledgeable truthful overmuch nonaccomplishment and heartbreak arsenic a young man, and I ne'er liked saying things retired loud. I ne'er liked readying measurement up because I ever felt for illustration worldly would autumn apart. People would disappoint you aliases die, aliases plans would cave. But [Carrey] taught maine that life is long, and sometimes your dreams do travel true, and you person to speak it into reality. It’s not a belief thing, it’s a applicable thing. I deliberation affirmative power really tin substance you. It tin push you to nan adjacent level.
DEADLINE: As personification who knowledgeable truthful overmuch nonaccomplishment from a young age, was location a circumstantial constituent erstwhile you learned to metabolize nan symptom and transmission it into thing positive? How did you navigate done your earliest experiences pinch it?
ROSS: I tried to ever not consciousness for illustration a victim. When things spell bad, I effort to spot nan metallic lining. It doesn’t ever hap correct away. Making jokes helps you spot things pinch clarity sometimes, and I’m bully astatine that. Staying positive. One of nan things I talk astir successful nan show is sometimes you person to put a clone grin on, hoping it becomes a existent smile. And it sounds corny, but it works. It worked for me. Just trying to get disconnected nan couch, put 1 limb successful beforehand of nan different and conscionable return a locomotion erstwhile you’re emotion blue. I’m a elemental feline pinch elemental needs. I don’t request a batch of affirmative reinforcement, I conscionable request a small spot to get maine going, and that’s what helps me. Just stepping extracurricular and saying hullo to your neighbors and getting a precocious 5 from a fan, petting a dog. Little affirmative reinforcements tin threat you retired of nan blues.
DEADLINE: Tell america astir nan first spark for nan show. Did nan banana metaphor travel to you early connected arsenic a cardinal element?
ROSS: I haven’t thought astir this successful a agelong time, but erstwhile I first started workshopping short stories, they were astir my grandfather. I lived pinch him arsenic an unfastened micer, and I would return him to his expert appointments each day, and astatine night, he would springiness maine money for nan autobus and a banana. “Take a banana for nan ride,” benignant of a reliable guy’s measurement of saying, “I emotion you. ” And it ever stayed pinch maine because I really would return that proposal and it would ever travel successful handy. You’d beryllium stuck successful postulation aliases you’d person debased humor sweetener aliases personification would beryllium hungry. It’s a bully motion to springiness personification a banana.
I started workshopping this show successful 1995 aft he passed away. So I did this show ’95, ’96, ’97, possibly for illustration 20 times astatine festivals without immoderate existent ngo down it, conscionable a measurement to definitive myself. There was nary extremity crippled for it. But complete time, I realized that bananas were a metaphor, that they person heavy tegument connected nan extracurricular and they’re mushy connected nan inside, benignant of for illustration america arsenic humans. And they turn successful bunches, they protect each other.
That wasn’t thing that was evident to maine arsenic a young man. It was only later, arsenic I became a amended writer, much of an entertainer. But to beryllium honest, I was miserable doing nan show successful nan beginning. It was having an affectional effect connected me. I was doing nan show and past leaving and I had a headache aliases a stomachache. I was digging up these aged memories; I was fundamentally digging up my parents. I was reference their emotion letters, and past I publication nan babe book [my mom] wrote astir me, and it would really impact me. It was only later, erstwhile I learned much astir acting, that I thought, oh, if I get a silly, yellowish banana suit pinch immoderate bruises connected it, past I could deterioration that. It gives maine 1 furniture of protection, for illustration a suit of armor, and I tin time off that successful nan dressing room aft and spell retired pinch my friends for dinner. And that’s erstwhile I realized, oh, each right, I could do this 8 times a week connected Broadway. I’ve learned really to fortify my emotions, and it benignant of came live erstwhile I understood that.
DEADLINE: I loved what you shared astir your mother hiding concealed messages for you connected bananas.
ROSS: I spot that truthful overmuch now. People are penning to me, perpetually posting bananas and tagging maine pinch small emotion messages. I dug up 1 of my mom’s letters to maine erstwhile she was successful nan hospital, and I had nan words “I emotion you” pulled out, and I conscionable had this banana tattoo [made] pinch her handwriting connected it. I’m not needfully a tattoo guy, but there’s thing astir nan changeless reminder that personification cares astir you, someone’s worried astir you that’s benignant of nice.
DEADLINE: I didn’t recognize your acquisition pinch this show goes backmost decades. How did it yet travel together for Broadway? What astir nan show changed nan astir successful each that time?
ROSS: Neil Simon erstwhile said successful an interview, “You don’t cognize if you’re getting a headache because your assemblage doesn’t cognize if you’re remembering aliases surviving it successful that infinitesimal erstwhile you’re writing. Are you still a kid getting that trauma, aliases is your assemblage conscionable remembering it?” The show was excessively aggravated for maine emotionally backmost then, but I realized group were getting thing retired of it. People would extremity me. For 30 years, group would go, “Whatever happened to that show astir your grandfather? I ever deliberation astir that.” And location was that affectional thought successful location of mourning. I opportunity successful nan show, “Human beings were made to mourn and past move on. You can’t mourn everlastingly aliases a portion of you dies.” I learned that young. And 30 years later erstwhile [Bob] Saget, Gilbert Gottfried and Norm Macdonald died, I realized, I still benignant of consciousness that way. You tin mourn them and retrieve them, but you can’t fto that specify you aliases bring you down.
So I went backmost and looked astatine nan aged show. Jimmy Kimmel had a videotape of it from 30 years ago, a VHS tape, and he sent it over. I recovered immoderate aged scripts and I go, “Wow, I really americium philosophically nan same, nan measurement I americium astir decease and mourning. But now, I’m nan Roastmaster. I tin make this much entertaining and make it not conscionable astir maine and my resilience, but really that could thief different people. ” And erstwhile I realized that it could beryllium beneficial to different people, that fueled maine to bring it backmost — to circuit it, to refine it, and to get help.
I had a batch of help. I knew I was retired of my normal path, and I had to elevate it for Broadway. [But if] getting it to Broadway was nan dream, getting it to Netflix and now talking astir it for [awards] consideration, I’m playing pinch location money. This is simply a career-defining infinitesimal because I’m not nan new, tiny feline anymore; this is simply a life communicative benignant of project. So to spot group that I respect, my peers and my colleagues, reaching retired to maine and going, “I really for illustration what you said…” Comics support telling me, “This is our story. It’s a comic story.” And I emotion that because I’m a comic earlier I’m thing else. That’s my tribe.
DEADLINE: Tell america astir conceptualizing nan various aspects of Take a Banana — from nan ocular acquisition to nan songwriting — and nan logistics of bringing this loop of nan show to life.
ROSS: I knew my acquisition was successful nightclubs, successful drama safe places, but I wanted to travel retired of my safe spot and do thing much provocative, let group to beryllium emotional. I had to beryllium vulnerable, and I started conscionable doing nan astir delicate parts of nan show astatine 11 o’clock astatine The Comedy Store. I was conscionable dropping it into nan cauldron wherever I wouldn’t beryllium truthful precious pinch nan worldly anymore, and arsenic I sewage utilized to that, I go, “Okay, well, now I’ve expanded arsenic a performer. How do I grow nan show?” And to me, that’s group creation and music.
I was doing a small show downtown and I met Asher Denburg, who was conscionable playing piano, riffing backmost there, and he became my philharmonic director. Avery Pearson and I wrote “Don’t F*ck With The Jews,” that song. And I go, “Oh, well, here’s thing that’s not expected. I ne'er really talk astir my taste inheritance connected stage, but I deliberation connected Broadway I person room to unfastened up a small bit.” So we started doing music, and to maine it was for illustration Broadway imagination camp. Here I am, singing astatine nan Nederlander Theatre, [with] group of each shapes and sizes. I had Asian group and Black group singing, “Don’t f*ck pinch nan Jews,” not because it was religious, but because it was a pridefulness thing. You could substitute “Puerto Rican” aliases “Filipino” successful location and nan opus works, and I moreover opportunity astatine nan end, “Or immoderate this feline is.” You know, Black, Mexican, Muslim, Puerto Rican. It’s astir each of us, conscionable having pridefulness and not letting belief and authorities disagreement us.
Once I started to unravel that euphony could elevate nan show, there’s a opus astir my canine that I singing from nan position of this Nazi German Shepherd. I go, “Well, now nan staging has to beryllium better. I want to do immoderate choreography; I want to do immoderate karate.” So Jeff Calhoun, who is simply a choreographer, came in. You know, he did Newsies, and he started helping maine pinch my activity and my nunchucks and wherever to get them, wherever to put them truthful that I wasn’t conscionable a schlubby comic pulling up my pants each 2 minutes connected stage. Suddenly, I had immoderate moves and immoderate swagger. Beowulf Boritt, who’s a Broadway fable of group design, he came up pinch this beautiful group that reflected my great-grandma Rosie’s catering hall, these beautiful golden frames, and abruptly nan images down maine being projected became for illustration my segment partners. I was almost dancing pinch them. So nan blocking, nan choreography, if I mobility to nan right, location was my great-grandma Rosie. And erstwhile I spell to nan left, abruptly there’s my Uncle Murray. And I was talking to them and interacting pinch them.
So elevating it for Broadway was 1 of nan astir nosy things I’ve ever done, lifting it up from a drama nine show to Broadway expectations. That was really exciting.
DEADLINE: What are nan steps you person to spell done to get a show connected Broadway? Obviously, dense workshopping would beryllium one.
ROSS: I toured it. I did it successful immoderate small theatre that I could get it. We did nan Den Theatre successful Chicago. We did nan Flyover Comedy Festival successful nan Midwest, nan New York Comedy Festival, Netflix Is a Joke Fest. I wanted it to beryllium road-tested and I knew that nan much I did it, nan amended it would get because for illustration immoderate act, nan much you get those reps in, nan stronger it becomes. And past if you want to improvise wrong that, it’s not an rumor because you cognize wherever you’re going.
I’m a large believer in, bask nan process — enjoying moving it retired and uncovering caller things and discovering things wrong nan script, but besides wrong nan narration betwixt maine and nan audience. Like, I didn’t person that ending until we were successful previews connected Broadway wherever I travel disconnected nan stage, clasp up a banana and go, “Come gain your banana.” After I unfastened up astir my wellness crisis, I induce group to guidelines up and attest successful nan theater, and abruptly they felt for illustration they could, too. And past I knew I had something. Then, I knew it wasn’t astir me; it was astir each of us. As soon arsenic it was astir each of us, I knew I could do it forever. I knew that I was going to beryllium capable to do it 8 shows a week. Billy Crystal was very benignant to springiness maine immoderate advice, and 1 point he said is, “You’ll beryllium a caller benignant of tired doing 8 shows a week.” And I laughed and I sewage a small nervous. But to beryllium honest, erstwhile I started doing it, it invigorated me. I wasn’t tired. It lifted maine up, nan measurement I could spot that it was lifting group up who were coming to nan theater.
DEADLINE: Even though you were caller retired of chemo astatine nan time?
ROSS: I was, and I still had my port. I conscionable sewage it out. I sewage nan scar here, truthful I’m free and clear. But doing nan show and getting those laughs and having that enslaved pinch nan assemblage each night, I deliberation that helped cure me. It sounds corny, and I’m usually nan feline who makes nosy of worldly for illustration that, but it really did.
I ever wanted to beryllium a moving character successful New York, to beryllium capable to return a cab aliases nan subway to Broadway and timepiece successful arsenic a national actor. And that, I sewage to do. My canine Nipsey and I, we went up to nan theatre each day, we had our routine. She had her ain dressing room, and past astatine nan extremity of nan show, she would tally out, deed her mark. Bill Berloni…was her animal trainer; he did Annie 40 years agone aliases immoderate it was. So that’s wherever I sewage my joke, “This show’s for illustration Annie, wherever nan canine comes retired astatine nan end, isolated from I play nan bald feline and nan orphan.”
DEADLINE: Are location gatekeepers you had to woody pinch successful locking down a Broadway theater? Did you simply attack nan Nederlander erstwhile you generated a definite magnitude of liking successful nan show?
ROSS: I decided not to fto that portion of it impact what I was doing. I was like, fto maine conscionable spot that if nan show’s good, group will come. And nan reviews were awesome and I didn’t person to do excessively much.
You’ve sewage to get producers who cognize Broadway, and that was nan difficult part. My friend from my aged Friars Club days, Mark Cornstein, said, “Let maine find immoderate investors who emotion Broadway.” Because he loved maine and neither of america had done it before. So it was benignant of a leap of faith. And Bob and Eric Nederlander, who cognize Broadway — that family is legendary successful that world — they were supportive. So we said, “All right, well, I could shop this for different year, but I besides person a chemo larboard successful my chest. Maybe I should conscionable do it now.” So I was like, I don’t attraction really large nan theatre is. I don’t attraction that we’re opening successful August erstwhile each my friends are retired of New York. I don’t attraction if anyone comes to opening nighttime because we’re doing it successful August successful New York City. But location it was: We had nan astir prima studded opening nighttime of nan year. Everybody was there.
So for illustration I said, if you manifest things, sometimes they travel true. I learned a batch of lessons, conscionable to spot it. I didn’t want to beryllium intimidated by Broadway. I was worried that I wouldn’t beryllium accepted, but theatre kids from each complete came to nan show — Susan Stroman and Matthew Broderick. Danny Burstein came twice. Mario Cantone. And I’m successful New York now. Everywhere I go, group go, “Hey, I saw you connected Broadway.” And nary 1 tin return that away.
DEADLINE: Do you person different Broadway show successful you?
ROSS: I person truthful overmuch worldly near — letters and family films from measurement backmost — I really could do different one. I’d astir apt person to hold for a fewer much friends to walk away. [Laughs] Because I ne'er for illustration making it astir me. I for illustration making it a tribute to immoderate of nan group that made maine who I am, and erstwhile it’s astir different people, it’s easier for maine to write. If it’s conscionable astir me, it makes maine not conscionable uncomfortable, but I don’t want to look self-serving. So arsenic agelong arsenic it’s a tribute to personification else, I deliberation I could do different one, yeah. I’m hooked.
DEADLINE: What are you up to now? Are you touring complete nan summer?
ROSS: No, I’m off. I conscionable did my past show. I’m officiating my nephew’s wedding adjacent weekend; I’ve ne'er done that before. So I’m penning a wedding ceremony, which is benignant of fun. I’m going to return a overmuch needed break; I deliberation I’m going to return nan summertime off.
DEADLINE: You’re coming disconnected The Roast of Kevin Hart — could you talk astir really roast civilization has changed since Comedy Central first sewage into that game? Roasts person evidently evolved into a world phenomenon, now that Netflix has go a de facto location for them. But is location thing you miss astir nan aged days?
ROSS: Well, I for illustration that you opportunity they’re nan location of roasting. That’ll make them consciousness bully because that’s thing they person tried to make hap and person now made happen. I for illustration nan size and scope of nan roasts. Yes, there’s definite things from nan aged days that I missed, but mostly that’s nostalgia. It was benignant of this niche point connected Comedy Central…
DEADLINE: The Comedy Central roasts surely had a different feeling.
ROSS: And I get that. But it was besides beautiful bawdy and astatine times arguable backmost then, also. I for illustration that it’s a spectacle now because we don’t person nan White House Correspondents’ Dinner anymore, wherever comedians are roasting nan President, speaking truth to power, free speech. The late-night shows are getting dinged. I deliberation nan roast, it’s for illustration The Purge: Once each twelvemonth aliases two, thing goes. And if you don’t for illustration a joke, there’s different 1 coming successful 20 seconds. The jokes permitted astatine nan roast is for illustration nary different show. And nan truth that it’s up location now…Last year, we sewage nominated [at nan Emmys] pinch nan Oscars, nan Tonys, nan Grammys, and nan Super Bowl halftime show. So nan roast now, you can’t reason nan taste relevance. Tens of millions of group watched it, truthful it’s providing a service.
DEADLINE: Roasts do look to support a definite looseness successful nan culture. They’re a bully reminder not to return everything excessively seriously.
ROSS: You know, I deliberation Kevin Hart is simply a leader for saying yes to nan roast.
DEADLINE: Seemingly, Netflix approached a number of stars astir taking nan basking seat, but astir are excessively tense to put themselves retired location for illustration that. Especially aft Tom Brady expressed regrets astir his acquisition pinch nan first large Netflix roast.
ROSS: Yeah. And I personally made it my ngo to bring Tom backmost into this. I sewage him into it successful nan first spot aft he won that past Super Bowl. I said, “Now’s nan time.” And I didn’t want location to be… Let maine deliberation of really to opportunity this.
DEADLINE: A lasting, bitter impression?
ROSS: Well, he said he regretted it, and that wounded because I wanted him to emotion it. And I had a emotion he secretly loved it and was conscionable saying he regretted it. So I tracked him down successful Vegas astatine nan opening of our friend’s club, Zero Bond. We didn’t moreover person Kevin signed connected officially yet, but I said, “Tom, this is your win. You brought drama back. You ended nan woke era successful America by agreeing to beryllium roasted nan first time; you melted each this crystal betwixt you and Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick and your erstwhile teammates. You guys are each doing Super Bowl commercials now, and you conscionable had this awesome induction into nan Patriots Hall of Fame.” All his teammates, they in installments nan roast for doing that for him, and he went connected to get ownership of nan squad successful Vegas and go this tremendous broadcaster.
I said, “You’ll ne'er perceive different Gisele joke again. Take nan win. You did this. We sewage an Emmy nomination. We won nan Director’s Guild Award, Beth McCarthy.”
I go, “This is your thing, Tom. Come backmost and return nan W.”
And I go, “And you’re going to want to travel back.” He goes, “Why?”
I go, “Revenge.” He goes, “Who?”
I go, “We’re going to roast Kevin Hart.” And he conscionable turned his caput for illustration a puppy and said, “When?” [Laughs]
So getting him backmost and past it becoming this benignant of ceremony of free speech, that excites me. That’s thing nan state needs. This isn’t nan Comedy Central edited roast anymore; this is simply a unrecorded spectacle. Kevin’s saying yes and america laughing astatine him for 3 hours — what is it, 15, 16 cardinal group that first week, laughing for 3 hours, forgetting our ain problems and laughing astatine Kevin? He deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for that.
DEADLINE: One of nan absorbing things astir these Netflix roasts is that they’ve go an motor for minting drama stars — giving a bump to group for illustration Nikki Glaser and Sheryl Underwood who person been astir for immoderate time. Has that been cool to see?
ROSS: It’s nan best. It conscionable delights maine to nary extremity to cognize that nan roast is for illustration this launching pad. Everybody who did this Kevin Hart roast is trading retired now wherever they go; everyone’s doing each other’s podcasts. I saw Pete Davidson past nighttime — he had Sheryl Underwood connected his podcast this week. To me, bringing group together, that’s nan goal. That’s what I emotion astir it, comedians loving connected each other. And seeing really Nikki is soaring, it conscionable fills maine pinch joy. It really does.
DEADLINE: I should statement earlier we wrap up that I’m a large instrumentality of your Netflix show Bumping Mics with Dave Attell. Any chance we’ll spot much of that?
ROSS: It’s truthful funny you said that. I person to beryllium observant because Dave is truthful grumpy. But past night, we stopped by nan Comedy Cellar and went up together for 20 minutes, and he had maine laughing truthful hard, I was falling connected nan floor. So I want to do it. It’s up to Dave. I emotion doing Bumping Mics with him; it’s axenic joy.
