‘Phat Tuesdays’: Guy Torry Recalls Booking Bob Saget For Comedy Set
Back in the days, it was so hard for Black comedians to have the space to express their comedic talents in front of a crowd and be themselves. Actor and comedian Guy Torry felt if Hollywood didn’t want to come to the hood, he would have to bring the hood to Hollywood.
And that is how Phat Tuesdays was born.
It was a humbling beginning for stars like Martin Lawrence, D.L. Hughley, and the late Robin Harris to find their footing in South L.A. during the ’90s as they were shut out of mainstream clubs and had limited opportunities. In the words of Dave Chapelle, it was a “segregated” and a “white” industry at the time. Many Black comedians had to perform Black comedy in a certain way to appeal to white audiences at the time.
At that same time, actor and comedian Guy Torry moved to Los Angeles to live with his brother Joe Torry and formed a relationship with The Comedy Store, an iconic nightclub located in West Hollywood, California. Through his manager and a devoid of Black comedy in the area, Phat Tuesdays was created as a way to spotlight the greatest rising talent in the game After an initial trial run, it became a hit, becoming the hottest night on Tuesdays during its 10-year run.
Everyone who was anyone would step into the club on Tuesdays to watch the hottest of the hot perform. You could’ve easily seen basketball legends like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and John Salley to celebrities like Prince, Tupac, and Eddie Murphy on hand if you popped in on the right Tuesday night at The Comedy Store during that time.
BET.com was able to speak to Guy Torry and executive producer Reginald Hudlin about the legacy of Phat Tuesdays, memorable moments creating the docu-series, and recount a fond memory about the late Bob Saget, who, spoiler alert, appeared on the comedy stage during his time on Full House.
“Phat Tuesdays was an assignment — a divine assignment sent from above that needed to happen,” said Guy Torry. “I didn’t know I was being used as a servant, but I’m glad I was obedient enough to give back and give comedians a chance to be seen. I never met Robin [Harris], but I felt like I knew him through my brother Joe [Torry], Martin [Lawrence], and other comedians who came up under Robin [Harris]. I wanted to continue that legacy of Hollywood being supplied with great talent.”
Audiences will be able to dig deep into the history of the storied comedy night with memorable recollections shared from Black Hollywood icons like Regina King, Anthony Anderson to then-newcomers like Tiffany Haddish, who has a lot of fun spots and laughs throughout each episode. When asked about the memorable moments he had while filming the documentary, Reginald Hudlin tells us his favorite moment was the joy of hanging out with his pals.
“There were so many moments — part of it was having the opportunity to hang out with my friends,” expressed Hudlin. “These folks, whether it’s Steve [Harvey], Bill [Bellamy], or Dave [Chappelle], I’ve known these guys for years. When Guy approached me about this opportunity to be a part of the documentary to talk about ‘Phat Tuesdays,’ [I thought] to chat about the good ol’ days and hang out with the funniest people I’ve known for 20 years? I’m down for that.”
Leading up to Phat Tuesdays release, Bob Saget, the venerable TV dad from Full House, passed away. Torry recalls Saget inquiring about performing on the Phat Tuesdays stage, sharing that he was very open with having the comic perform a set.
“When he first came on stage, the audience was in shock and said, ‘That's the ‘Full House’ guy,” Torry recalled. “Our relationship was cool because he just wanted to perform for people. That’s what most comedians wanted to do — perform in front of people. We just want to tell our stories.”
Torry has a full house of his own with stars like Steve Harvey, Jay Pharoah, John Salley, and other influential Black comedians sharing their come-ups in the new docuseries Phat Tuesdays. which premieres on Prime Video on February 4th.
Ty Cole is a New York-based entertainment reporter and writer for BET.com who covers pop culture, music, and lifestyle. Follow his latest musings on Twitter @IamTyCole.
