Queer as Hal: Hal Sparks shares his comedic influences and previews upcoming Salt Lake show

Whether you know him as Michael Novotny from Queer As Folk or his many appearances on VH1 specials or E!’s Talk Soup, Hal Sparks has one of those memorable faces. With an infectious smile and a comedic styling reminiscent of comics much older than the 42-year-old actor, he’s bringing his stand-up tour to Salt Lake City, April 22, 7 p.m. He’ll be performing at Wiseguys Trolley Square. Tickets are $20 and available at wiseguyscomedy.com.

Sparks spoke with QSaltLake about what to expect at his show, some of his pet peeves and the importance of staying CPR-certified.

For people who only know you through your acting, how would you describe your stand-up comedy?

Umm… gosh, it’s so hard to say whether it’s more brilliant than funny or more funny than brilliant. Honestly, it’s about social and political issues, without mentioning politics. It’s about religion and sex, without mentioning religion.

I think it’s the comedian’s job in the world to be part bullshit detector, part social CSI member. There is a lot of built-up stress that people deal with in their lives. Our lives get stacked on with stuff we don’t know or understand and it’s irritating. It’s unworkable and we don’t have a solution for it. To me, the comedian’s job is to let that valve open.

I listened to your comedy album, Escape from Halcatraz and I absolutely loved it! I found myself chuckling along the whole way. Could you talk to me about your writing process?

I have comedic influences that are a decade older than I should. I grew up without a TV so my comedic influences were from the ‘50s and early ‘60s. My contemporaries were listening to Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby; I was listening to Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin. Guys who are in their mid-50s listened to everything I did. I lived out in the sticks in Kentucky so my comedic influences were a little different.

My writing process might be a little older as well. I usually start by sitting down and going, ‘according to news reports and scientific studies, what is causing people the most stress in society?’ I let it sink in and talk about it frankly. If I think we’re all fucked, I’ll say it. If people are overreacting and making a bigger deal than I think they should, I’ll say that as well.

Is it tough to make the transition from dramatic to comedic?

I think it is for some people. For me, it just feels logical and normal. But really, it’s just dealing with honest emotion in a different way. I think great comics make great dramatic actors. If we didn’t care a lot, we wouldn’t bother.

The most extreme adage of this is Andrew Dice Clay playing that super tough guy to mask what he would perceive as his own weakness that women have the upper hand.

With everything else you’ve done in your career are you tired of being identified as Michael from Queer as Folk?

I don’t.  It’s work that I’m proud of. I think people remember me from a certain show or role and that’s their favorite, but I am lucky to be able to be proud of all the work I’ve done. Some people remember me as that VH1 guy and the guy from Talk Soup. You’ll see what you want to see.

It’s kind of like with a band where one fan loves the second album and another loves the first or third. It’s not to say that one album is better or less important than another.

I’ve made a career of being an affront to other people’s bigotry. When I first signed up for Queer As Folk, people warned me that it would hurt my future career options and people would pass me over because I worked for that show. But to me that wasn’t ever a problem, ‘You mean I won’t get to work for bigots? Oh, how sad. In fact, give me a list of people who pass me up just because I worked for that show so when I see them I can kick them in the nuts.’

That being said, I do find it creepy when someone calls me Michael. I think that person is probably a whack job. In fact, that’s one thing I would want everyone to know: that when you see your favorite actors at the mall or whatever, whether they’re from True Blood or QAF don’t call them by their character’s name.

After QAF, did you fall into your role as a queer-rights activist, or was it a conscious effort?

I think it’s the other way around. Being that you care you find a show like this. You’re not going to get big Leviticus fans auditioning for the role of Michael. I doubt Kirk Cameron is going to be accidentally cast in the QAF spinoff and decide, ‘Hey, you know what? I was wrong about all that.’

The role on QAF was very different and there was a lot of push-back. We all got death threats. I got more than most others because I did a lot of the press.

But I’ve loved being involved and I do events for the HRC, GLAAD and I’ve been working with the LGBT Super PAC to get President Barack Obama re-elected. I’ve also been asked to be a grand marshal for pride parades, I really appreciate it and I’ll be there, but I think it’s a bit odd. I think they should have a gay person do it. After all, it’s their pride. I think it’d be kind of like asking Mel Gibson to grand marshal a St. Patrick’s Day parade just because he played in Braveheart. It’d be like having C. Thomas Howe lead a million-man march. It’s just a bit fucked up.

What other projects are you working on now?

Well I am in a Disney XD show called Lab Rats. It debuted three weeks ago. It was the most popular launch in Disney XD history. We just wrapped up the first season and it will air through the summer.

We asked our readers what question they wanted to ask you and Shaun Carley asked ‘Do you stay CPR certified?’ He remembers hearing you had saved someone’s life.

Yes, I’ve done CPR three times in my life. A little over a year ago, I did CPR on a gentleman in LAX. In 1996 I did CPR in the Spectrum Club in Los Angeles when teaching kung fu. And I did it once when I was 19. It’s important to know how to do it and stay certified.