PARAMOUNT PICTURES Bill Bellamy brings his stand-up act to Hawaii Theatre today.

Bill Bellamy
finds time
for laughs

The former MTV veejay returns
to Hawaii for a stand-up gig that
he says is him being him

---

By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com

Do you know who Bill Bellamy is? Could you tell someone what his career's been up to lately?

An informal poll last week taken around town revealed most people remember Bill Bellamy for his five-year stint as a MTV veejay or his role in the 1997 movie "How to be a Player." That's not a problem for Bellamy, who returns to Honolulu tonight for a stand-up performance at the Hawaii Theatre.

"Those aren't bad things," said Bellamy about references to his tenure as host of "MTV Jams." "MTV has really helped me get my career to where it is today. They've given me the opportunity to expand my horizons."

As it turns out, Bellamy's last two visits to Hawaii were to promote "How to be a Player" and to represent MTV at a Mariah Carey concert in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Since then, he's ridden a wave of success into Hollywood movie roles and millions of televisions around the country.

Following the release of "How to be a Player," Bellamy starred as the voice of Skeeter on the Nickelodeon children's show "Cousin Skeeter." Although the show was canceled last year, Bellamy enjoyed the "opportunity to bring life to a puppet" and expressed an interest in working on another kids-oriented project. "If I were to do another one, I'd do an animated movie," he said.

Once his relationship with MTV came to an end in 1998, Bellamy began to focus his efforts on Hollywood. In 1999 he starred in the independent feature "Love Stinks" and played a wide receiver in the Oliver Stone film "Any Given Sunday." Bellamy also co-starred in last year's comedy "The Brothers."

BELLAMY'S LATEST project, a one-hour TV police drama called "Fastline," is yet another opportunity he's grabbed a hold of in the entertainment game. Following a stint on the WB sitcom "Men, Women & Dogs" last year, the move to Fox this fall provides Bellamy with a chance to show television viewers he's not just your average funnyman.

"It's not a typical comedy, because the situations are serious," Bellamy said from Los Angeles last week. "There's not a lot of chuckles at first, but once you get past that ... I think I'm still going to make you laugh."

Which ultimately is what Bellamy does best. The Newark, N.J., native originally made a name for himself by winning amateur competitions and performing at comedy clubs. After being spotted on "Showtime at the Apollo," Bellamy quickly landed on Russell Simmons' "Def Comedy Jam" and followed up with a Showtime comedy special that gained the phrase "booty call" national attention. It's this comedic background that Bellamy thinks will set his character, "Deaqon Hayes," and the new series apart from other cop shows on the air.

"I think this show will help step the game up for me as far as the dramatic side," he said. "The show's like a 'Starsky and Hutch' for the 21st century. It's cool like 'Miami Vice' ... hot cars and hot ladies.

"My character's attitude is very edgy ... it's going to be fun for the people who dig what I do," said Bellamy.

And while standing alone in front of a crowd and making them laugh is no walk in the park, Bellamy insists that there's nothing else he'd rather be doing with his free time. "I love to do stand-up, but I can only do it between projects," Bellamy explains. "So it's like I'm never not doing anything. Right now is pretty much my downtime, but I'm still doing my stand-up."

When asked if he had to choose between the two -- movie star or stand-up comedian -- Bellamy confesses, "ultimately, I'm a movie star. That's been the whole mission.

"Right now I just love acting," he said. But the man who mentions an interest in working with Will Smith, Brad Pitt or Hugh Jackman also admits "I'd like to produce a movie or direct at some point."

In the meantime, tonight's performance should provide the audience with a rare glimpse of the "real" Bill Bellamy. He promises "It's really me. When you come to my show ... you understand who I am outside of the movies.

"There's a difference between Bill Bellamy the actor, and the person who hangs out, goes to the movies and kicks it with the Playstation 2," he said.

Bill Bellamy With special guest Matt Kazam Where: Hawaii Theatre, 1130 Bethel St. When: 8 p.m. tonight; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets: $27 to $35, plus a $2 restoration fee per ticket Call: 528-0506

Click for online
calendars and events.