Print edition: 
There’s a lot more to Scottish-born comedian Craig Ferguson than you might suspect from watching his nightly wackiness, often opposite a mohawked skeleton sidekick named Geoff, on CBS’ “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”
He’s an author of best-selling novel “Between the Bridge and the River.” He also wrote his memoir “American on Purpose,” about becoming an American citizen in 2008 — or, as he puts it, “the improbable adventures of an unlikely patriot” who loves America but not its current politics.
“I try to stay away from politics because it’s so divisive anymore,” Ferguson said during a phone conversation from Los Angeles.
With his monologue style that puts him in intimate contact of the camera, he has turned the show into a ratings powerhouse.
He’s an actor, filmmaker and screenwriter credited on three films, including “The Big Tease.” With his distinctive accent, he’s a sought-after voice actor for everything from TV’s “Futurama” to features like last year’s “Winnie the Pooh” (Owl) and next year’s “Brave.”
“At least you don’t have to memorize the voice-over roles. You can just read them,” says the guy who garnered attention as the supercilious boss on “The Drew Carey Show.” “But, of course, you still have to act them.”
He’s a high school drop-out who’s been a punk rock drummer, factory electronics technician, night club bouncer and even a construction worker. During his quest for citizenship, he asked for — and received, albeit tongue-in-cheekly — honorary citizenship in 15 individual states. (Sorry, Kansas isn’t one of them.)
But he has a pilot’s license and proudly notes that he once owned a Cessna made in Wichita: “I had to give it up because I wasn’t flying enough to justify it,” he says.
He’s had three wives, two divorces and two sons. He also has three tattoos, two for the family crests of his mother and father and “Join or Die” for himself as a new American. As a recovering alcoholic, he hasn’t had a drink since Feb. 18, 1992.
As he prepares to turn 50 in May, Ferguson marvels that late night TV comedy is what his life and career have all come down to. Make no mistake, he’s absolutely thrilled with that.
“But I still like to do live stand-up. Three or four times a year when the show goes dark for a week, I get a chance to connect in a different way. I used to go out on weekends, but now that I’m a new dad (of Liam James, who turns 1 on Tuesday, brother to 11-year-old Milo Hamish), I can’t be gone that much,” he says.
How is his live act different than his TV stuff?
“They’re clearly related, but the stand-up allows more freedom. There’s definitely more cussing,” he says with a laugh. “The way I look at it, when I’m on TV, I am coming into your living room as a visitor, so I have to watch it. But when I’m in the theater, I figure you’re coming to visit me, so I can cut loose.”
Every 18 months or so, he hones his show into final form and tapes it for “Comedy Central.” His last one — “A Wee Bit o’ Revolution” — was in 2009. The next one, using some material from his Wichita appearance, won’t be until 2013.
Is anything off-limits for humor?
“Nothing should be off-limits for humor, but for me, certain things just aren’t funny. That’s not to say that no one can do it. Some guys are just brilliant at it. It isn’t a moral decision. It’s a practical one. If it’s not joyous for me, then I can’t be funny.”
