Comedian Bill Bellamy to keep it topical, relatable at Goodnights

Bill Bellamy made a name for himself as an actor in movies like “Booty Call,” “How to be a Player” and “Any Given Sunday,” but he is finally in a film that his children can watch.

The comic actor, who became a familiar face as an MTV VJ a generation ago, is starring with Dolph Lundgren in “Kindergarten Cop 2.” The squeaky clean movie was released direct-to-DVD this month.

“My kids actually get to see Daddy in a movie,” Bellamy says while calling from his Los Angeles home. “When you see my movies, you usually have to be 21, just like when you see me in a comedy club.”

Bellamy, 50, is arguably at his best when he’s performing at comedy clubs.

“It’s something that I just love, and I think the audience can tell,” Bellamy says. “It’s fun, especially now with so much going on. I’m going to talk about everything from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders.”

Bellamy, who will perform through Sunday at Goodnights in Raleigh, is surprised Trump is going to take the GOP presidential nomination.

“It’s unbelievable,” Bellamy says. “I think people think that this is ‘The Apprentice’ and he’ll eventually fire everybody. I’m not sure everyone realizes that this is real. As much as I like Bernie Sanders, I’m afraid that he’s going to fall down the stairs if he becomes president. There’s a lot of craziness with this election but at least people are passionate about this election. I just hope we don’t get hit with some bombshells. Like how weird would it be if Bernie Sanders has as many women as (2012 Republican Party candidate) Herman Cain had. I’ll be getting topical and I’ll be talking about a number of different things.”

Bellamy will also talk about being the parent of a 9-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. “I’m sure what I’m going through is relatable,” Bellamy says. “But it’s getting weird what I’m hearing and seeing. Pretty soon I’ll probably have to knock out some boy who will be trying to get close to my daughter.”

Outrageous teen behavior is nothing new for Bellamy, who saw some wild stuff when he hosted MTV during the early ’90s.

“That period was such a blast,” Bellamy says. “People were about having a good time. Everyone was going for it. It was a musical explosion. I lived it at MTV, since the network was at the forefront when it came to recording artists taking that next step.”

Bellamy reminisces about breaking such bands as No Doubt, Blind Melon and Sugar Ray. But who was the funniest recording artist he hung with on MTV?

“Snoop Dogg, hands down,” Bellamy says, laughing. “Snoop has a great sense of humor, and he’s such a character. I look back on those days proudly. I was right there when so much was happening. I’m still friends with (ex-fellow MTV VJs) Dan Cortese and Kennedy. We’re all doing well.”

As much as Bellamy enjoys strolling down memory lane, he is also very much about the future.

“I’m working on balancing my acting, comedy and family,” Bellamy says. “I’m in an amazing space. If you would have told me back during my MTV days that I would have all of this, it would have been hard to believe. Life has changed so much for me, but I’m still entertaining. That’s all that I want to do. It’s not bad for a guy who started at the bottom in this industry and worked his way up. I’ve come a long way and I appreciate all of it.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Comedian Bill Bellamy to keep it topical, relatable at Goodnights."