Laughing Up That Mountain: Hal Sparks

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"I CALL THOSE my Sisyphus years," comedian and actor Hal Sparks says of his 20s. "I did bit parts on a lot of shows. I would just roll the rock up the hill and watch it roll back down. I did a lot of work, but none of it ever got any traction."

The "Queer as Folk" actor and former host of "Talk Soup" now best known as a regular presence on VH1's "Best Week" series, Sparks, 39, splits his time among voicing cartoon characters for Nickelodeon and the Game Show Network, working as a political talk radio host and shuttling around the country for stand-up gigs like this weekend's shows at the Cinema 'N' Drafthouse.

An earnest, high-volume comic equally comfortable with semantic parsing and wanking motions, Sparks has two rules for his act: "Only make fun of people in a better position than you, and don't make fun of anything people can't change."

As the comedian's niche broadens to include evermore political analysis, it has become clear that this thoughtful, informed commentary is, surprisingly, perhaps his greatest gift.

"The Democratic party is genuinely a big tent," he said.

"You can have a decent conservative and liberal discussion entirely on the Democratic side. You want a real super-majority? You need 65 [senators]. You have to keep pushing."

» Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington; Fri. Aug. 7, & Sat., Aug. 8, 9:45 p.m., $18; 703-486-2345.

Written by Express contributor Tim Follos
Photo courtesy Marleah Leslie & Associates