sykes They say everyone has 15 minutes of fame. The best I could manage was 15 minutes with fame, my allotted phone time to chat with comedian Wanda Sykes, who’s performing Saturday night at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

It wasn’t always this way. Back at Hampton University in Virginia, Wanda and I were once schoolmates. We pledged the same sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

But even then, Wanda Sykes was always known as the funny one. She always had some wisecrack that she’d casually toss out and leave all of us dying. Whenever I see her on TV, I think, “Man, look at Wanda!! She’s doin’ it!!”

I jumped at the chance to reconnect with her, if only to let her know how proud we are of her. Fifteen minutes? Fine!

Highlights of our brief chat:

On getting her first laugh as a child: I think I was probably in junior high. It was at a block party and the neighbor across the street (who was older) had a few too many drinks, and he fell and cracked his head open. When they checked him in at the ER and asked him if he was on any medications, I said, “I just wouldn’t put him near an open flame.” When they all laughed, I thought, “Oh, OK, something’s here. I know how to put something together.” It felt good because everyone was stressed. Here was this 70-year-old guy and we didn’t know how bad it was. It felt good just making people laugh in such a serious situation, just breaking the tension.

On leaving her successful government job to follow her dream: I just was not happy. I remember going through my yearbook and reading the inscriptions from people that said, “You should be on stage, you’re so funny,” and I was like, “Maybe I should be on stage.” I felt that I should give this a shot because a job will always be somewhere. If it doesn’t work out, what’s the worst thing that can happen? I go out, it doesn’t work out, OK, so, I’ll end up back at the job. At least I tried.”

What she’d like people to understand about being a comic: It seems like people expect you to be funny all of the time. It’s just not how it goes. Most comics are pretty quiet. I’m kind of shy, really. But for some reason, I can get on stage and talk to a bunch of strangers. It’s weird. I don’t think most comics are like who we are on stage.

You meet people on the street or people come up to you in the streets and they’re like, “Come on, curse me out. Hey, say something funny.” That’s the worst thing you can say to a comic. If we had a quarter slot in the middle of our foreheads, then fine. It’s the worst.

Really, you do want to punch ‘em—‘Make me laugh!’—I want to punch you in the face right now.

On being the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in May 2009: I was so focused on my material and getting my jokes out—I even had them on cards and everything. I didn’t want to mess up. I was so focused that I couldn’t really enjoy being there. I’m on the dais and I’m sitting one seat from the First Lady and I’m looking at my notes and she leans over to ask me a question, and I look at her like, “Woman, don’t you SEE I’m busy?” I was (thinking), “Not now, not now, I’m trying to work, here.” It wasn’t until after the performance and I sat back down and she said, “Good job, Wanda” that I thought, “Oh my God, I told the First Lady to pipe down. I could’ve had a really nice conversation with the First Lady and I was like, ‘I’m busy.’

On working on Curb Your Enthusiasm (which returns for its eighth season on HBO in July): It’s lot of fun. It’s all unscripted, which makes it very stressful. Although they’re pretty short days, as far as the time that you’re shooting the scene, I feel like I’ve worked a full day because you have to really be on your toes. He (creator/executive producer Larry David) doesn’t give you much. He just tells you what the scene is about and any piece of information that he needs you to say, that’s all he give you. I enjoy it. It’s a really good show.

On her wish list: I would like to start doing more shows outside of the country. I want to hit London, maybe some spots in Europe, Australia, South Africa. Some international touring. I’m working on that now.

What’s next? I’m working on Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (to be released in July 2012), I’m back on the road doing tours and I’m looking forward to Long Beach. This is going to be fun!