Don't preach about the importance of education to comic Aries Spears.
"School is highly overrated," he says. "Once you learn how to add, subtract, read and write, it's a waste of time unless you go on 'Jeopardy.'"
As a teen, he would cut school and spend the day watching classic sitcoms, such as "Sanford and Son" and "Good Times." He cut his comedic teeth in some of Jersey's grittiest clubs, at just 14, in such embattled cities as East Orange and Newark. "I worked a lot of rough areas when I was starting out," he says. "But I didn't mind. I knew early on comedy was what I had to do. School and comedy weren't working out together."
His teachers at his New Jersey high school thought the class wiseguy was wasting his time. But Spears was studying the nuances of comedy. And then it paid off. In 1995, Spears portrayed Redd Foxx, the star of "Sanford and Son," in the film "Why Do Fools Fall in Love."
"I knew exactly what I was doing," he says. "I used my time wisely. My teachers might not have felt that way, but that was their opinion."
Spears, now 35, quit high school as a sophomore and embarked on his comedic career.
School for Spears was Los Angeles comedy clubs, which led to a quick rise in the world of entertainment. By the mid-'90s, he made the move to acting in major features, appearing in 1995's "Home of Angels" and 1996's "The Pest." That same year, Spears made his mark in the box office smash "Jerry Maguire," playing Cuba Gooding Jr.'s petulant younger brother.
"It was incredible working with true professionals," he says. "I learned a lot from that experience."
Spears joined the sketch comedy show "Mad TV" in 1997 and delivered a number of memorable impressions. Bill Cosby, Coolio and Jay-Z were among the personas he took on during his 10-year "Mad TV" run.
"I was very comfortable on that show," he says. "I accomplished a lot, but it was time to move on and challenge myself. You can't do the same thing forever."
Spears, who will perform today through Sunday at Goodnight's in Raleigh, has been focusing on stand-up comedy. He's delivering political and personal material, and is a big Barack Obama fan. "He's the Will Smith of politics," Spears says.
The charismatic Spears would love to follow in Smith's shoes as a mega-successful actor. "I could make that work. Will needs a break from all of his success. Let me take a shot at having that kind of film career."
No matter what happens with his career, Spears is secure enough to deal with any of his high school classmates, who probably didn't expect much from the former class clown.
"I think most of them thought I would end up a crackhead or homeless or both," he says. "I can't blame them since I was a terror back in high school. But things worked out so well for me. I make people laugh for a living and I make some good money. If I run into any of them, they'll run into a proud guy, who isn't done yet. I still have plenty to accomplish."
