Go ahead. Try not to laugh in just a simple conversation with Ron Pearson. The bellyache that comes from his good-hearted sense of humor stays with you, meandering its way back into your mind for another round of applause.
Applause is something this multi-talented entertainer is used to hearing. In an auspicious beginning, he juggled his way onto the Mike Douglas show at the mere age of 14, and won a world record in juggling by the time he was 15. After a short college stint that diverted him to Europe, he landed in Hollywood, where he’s been for over twenty years. In Tinsel Town, he is truly an icon in many ways. Successful. Happily married. Christian. In a very funny, yet revealing interview, Pearson spoke about his family, his diverse career, and the most difficult time in his life.
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Almost everything about life is humorous to this natural-born comedian. As much as he unabashedly adores his wife, it is hilarious to hear him talk about her Texas drawl. “She has a phrase, ‘y’all,’ that means everybody. Then she has another phrase, ‘all y’all’, that means everybody plus everybody else,” Pearson joked in one of his acts. Married 10 years, “a golden anniversary in Hollywood” he said; you can only imagine the fodder for material that ends up on The Late, Late Show or Comedy Central, among other stand-up venues where he performs regularly.
In a rare, serious moment, Pearson spoke openly about a time that had no humor. He called it “my most difficult time in my life.” When his first child was born, his wife suffered post-partum depression that lasted two years. “One in three women suffer with this problem after giving birth,” he noted … and that statistic landed on Pearson’s doorstep. Just to add to the family crisis, he lost “an unbelievable amount of money in the stock market,” his business manager of 13 years died, and the TV series he was on got cancelled. All of these events hailed their home in that same year. Alcohol was the drug-of-choice to ease the pain, though he had never ‘drank’ before. Each of those circumstances was “terrible,” he noted, but it was dealing with the post-partum depression that sent him over the brink. “All of a sudden, this person that you married … you really don’t know who they are at this point,” he mused. “Where did she go?” Feeling “ill-equipped” to deal with it, Pearson uncharacteristically drowned his sorrows, just for a time. When his wife’s chemical imbalance was corrected, she was quickly restored. “There she is! I got her back,” he exclaimed. They both recovered, and now warn other couples not to ignore the symptoms of this common dilemma.
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Whatever this veteran performer puts his mark on is bound to reach the tickle bone of all ages.
Having two young children, ages 8 and 5, he is keenly aware of the battle for the soul of a generation. Though the “culture war” is raging, he’s on the war path, providing entertainment that delights and inspires. His short film, Curb Your Evangelism, won the Best Comedy and Best Supporting Actor awards at the 168 Hour Film Festival. Pearson is in the midst of co-writing his first full-length screenplay that he promises will be worth the wait.
“Ever since I was little I loved laughing, telling jokes and goofing off,” Pearson admitted. Now you can see him goofing off on many popular sitcoms, like That 70’s Show, The George Lopez Show, Eve, Malcolm and Eddie and a barrage of other hit shows. It’s in these secular settings that Pearson has been able to influence the Hollywood heavyweights with his outright love for the Lord. His own Christian walk began as a child with the impact of his father’s deathbed conversion to Christ. Though he has seen some prejudice to his faith, Pearson said there are other actors who are very open to discussing anything spiritual. The bonds made with his Hollywood friends bring natural opportunities to share each other’s work. Pearson has written award-winning Christian films that his buddies came to see. One night the whole cast of That 70’s Show came to see a film he had written for the 168 Hour Film Festival
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This funny man gleans his comedy from real-life happenings. Whether it’s bringing the boardroom together at a corporate event or doing stand-up at a dinner show, the laughs come easy. Lately, he’s been talking about how his parents got their first computer and how he had to teach them a brand new language, like what “lol” (laugh out loud) means. Now his mother will put in her own letters. “The other day she wrote ‘lshmdfo.’” What? He asked his mom … ‘Laughed so hard my dentures fell out!’ Too much information!” No surprise that Pearson was nominated for Comedian of the Year just a couple years ago.
If you’ve had a bad day, comic relief is on the way. In his latest project, a new film called Apostles of Comedy: The Movie, Pearson joins forces with three other comedians who purpose to lighten your load with their crazy antics! He spoke candidly about creating a comedy that is successful with this DVD and tour, and mobilizing the church market. People will “follow the money,” he said, so this will create more opportunities for quality work. “The bigger we are the more will follow in line,” he quipped. Pearson cited the example of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and how that “woke Hollywood up.” As with all his body of work, Pearson said “my goal is that this is a small cog in the wheel of the culture war we’re fighting.”
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Like ‘Midas with the Golden Touch,’ it seems like everything Pearson touches turns to gold. Much in demand, his accolades as an actor, comedian and all-round entertainer are long and distinguished. Yet, it’s his family that garners his priority and passion. He spoke about the challenges of raising a family amid the “culture war,” and how to stay married in an atmosphere known for broken hearts and displaced families. “I believe you marry someone not to get, but to serve them. If they serve you, you serve each other, and you always lift each other up,” Pearson noted. Never far from a laugh, he had to add “that’s the same principle that went into the wonder bra, and it worked great!” Waxing philosophical, he went on to say “I was put on the earth to do one thing – to make sure my children know the Lord.” Pearson’s closest brother was on drugs from an early age up until recently, so he is well aware of the dangers that lurk about. “If I fail there, I lost the battle. I don’t care what I did. Who cares? …. I’ve got to put my time into those kids.” Pearson said “I married a woman who definitely puts her time into those children. I’m lucky to have her.”
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From his childhood, Pearson has kept the courage of his convictions where others may fear to tread. “The great thing about Christianity is the peace. The peace that comes from Him always answering your prayers,” he said, even though God “can answer some in crazy ways.” Pearson mentioned his brother who battled addiction for so long and recently found his way to the Lord. Mel Gibson was another example. “Here’s why Mel Gibson scared Hollywood so bad. He had everything, and he said he wasn’t happy… until he went back to God and found peace.”
“God says laughter cheereth like medicine,” Pearson remarked, and so he has spent his life giving out doses of cheer wherever he goes. He recalled the time after 911 when “people laughed so hard at the dumbest little jokes because they wanted to forget.” Or other times, when a widow would come up after his show and said this was her first laugh in a long time. “When you hear about someone going through such anguish, and you can lighten them up like that, it’s really amazing.” Both comedy and God are “based on truth,” noted Pearson. Truth isn’t always pleasant to look at, but this comedian will help them see “a different side of the coin.”
“An unextinguishable laughter shakes the skies.”
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Homer
Do you know if you died today that you would go to Heaven? If not, please pray this simple prayer: Father, please forgive me of my sins. Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for me. I give You my life today. Please give me Your wisdom to understand Your Word and help me find a church that speaks life through Your Word and help me to desire to be with those who will help me grow in my passion for You. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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