Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere
Charlie Todd’s pranking career began when he and his college buddies would pull outrageous stunts to make each other laugh. In 2001, the aspiring comedian decided to set up Improv Everywhere, a comedy collective that travels the world performing skits on unwitting passersby. He talks to Jonathan Miller about how these antics have turned his group into a global sensation.
HK Magazine: Can you give us a bit of background about Improv Everywhere?
Charlie Todd: Yes. It is a New York City based collective that goes around public places and puts on performances. It started with me in New York City; I didn’t have a stage to perform on so I decided to create my own.
HK: What inspired you to get into this form of entertainment?
CT: It was really accidental. For the first five years of my career, I was working in an office, miserable. As YouTube came around, I thought of an opportunity to make my comedy acts a full-time job. I now go to a lot of university campuses and give talks about the project.
HK: What are some of the most memorable pranks you’ve carried out?
CT: The most memorable prank I’d have to say would be “Frozen Grand Central” when more than 200 people froze in Grand Central Terminal in New York City for about five minutes. Passengers love it. Also, we are very well known for our annual “no pants” subway ride. It started in 2002 and it grew to become an international holiday.
HK: Did you ever see Improv's acts becoming so wildly popular on YouTube?
CT: Absolutely! I am so lucky that I started the project in 2001 and not 1991. The internet made it possible to become a world entertainment and YouTube really changed everything. Going viral around the world has allowed us to go places we never could imagine.
HK: Favorite prank of all time?
CT: One of my favorites is actually a more recent one. I received a letter from some guy who said that he looks like a painting of King Philip IV of Spain at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Manhattan. So, I contacted him, had him dress up identical to the painting and told him to stand directly in front of it. We had a King Philip IV signing. Some people didn’t even notice the date [King Philip IV died in 1665] and thought that it was actually the king himself.
HK: Have you ever had a prank backfire?
CT: We’ve had the police called on us a few times. At Best Buy in the US we had 100 people dress in blue-collar shirts and khaki pants [Best Buy’s signature uniform] and as a result, the manager dialed 911. The police found that it is not illegal to wear a blue shirt and khaki pants.