Arsenio Hall still running the show

Kirk Baird

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 10:26 a.m.

Arsenio Hall

Who: Arsenio Hall.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday.

Where: House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Tickets: $35, $45, $55.

Information: 632-7600.

Arsenio Hall was several hundred miles away from Las Vegas, holed up in his office somewhere in Los Angeles.

He was answering questions in a recent interview to promote his appearance as a stand-up comic Saturday at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Still, it is just as easy to picture Hall sitting on a comfortable couch, nattily attired with some ridiculously trendy haircut that is nearly out of style a month or two before it is ever in style.

It is the same look and sofa he occupied for six years on "The Arsenio Hall Show," as the first successful black host of a late-night talk show, which aired weeknights on Fox from 1989 to 1994.

And, truth be told, it is probably where he was always most comfortable.

Certainly those skills he developed on his program, namely controlling the course and flow of the conversation with the guests, is still evident during this chat.

"I've been on both sides. I've been guy in the hot seat sitting with Bryant Gumble grilling me, and I've been the guy doing the interview asking Bill Clinton about smoking dope and his girlfriends, and Louis Farrakhan if he killed Malcolm," Hall acknowledges. "I've been in both places."

Although the 47-year-old Hall never said which seat he preferred, the truth is it really no longer matters to him. Hall is quite content he is out of the late-night wars, which he helped create with a small feud with Jay Leno after Leno took over "The Tonight Show" in May 1992.

"A lot of people, I guess, expected me to go back and do another talk show," Hall said. "But it's like getting a divorce. When you decide to do it, you should let it stick. And that was my decision. I don't think I want to do anything every night again for the rest of my life."

Which segues perfectly into the big question: "So, what are you doing now?" Hall first became known to most American households in 1987 after serving as host on Fox's "The Late Show," the network's first talk show, which originally starred Joan Rivers before she left the program that year.

In 1988 the comedian from Cleveland found his stock on the rise after co-starring in buddy Eddie Murphy's comedy blockbuster "Coming to America," in which both he and Murphy played a variety of characters.

That cinematic hit was followed shortly by one on TV, "The Arsenio Hall Show."

Hall found himself a quickly rising B-level celebrity, with the top tier in sight. It was little wonder that Hall, tired of the late-night grind (and suffering sinking ratings) left his show in September 1994.

He said he wanted to continually developing his acting career. And with a recognizable name and face, it seemed Hall was on his way.

"In my mind, I probably thought there would be movies out the wazoo. But the bottom line is there is not as much good stuff available to you," he said. "The great projects out there probably go to guys named Tom and Denzel. There is not as much for a guy like me, but ... you have to be available to try and pursue it, and that's what I wanted to do by leaving the show.

"Some of the things I wanted to do after the show I haven't necessarily been able to succeed at, but the reality is you have to leave it to be able to try."

Hall was offered a part in "Bad Boys," the 1995 comedy smash that starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, but he turned it down in order to take a trip to Hawaii with his then-girlfriend.

"If I could do anything over again, I would cancel that Hawaiian trip, because she didn't deserve that kind of commitment," Hall said. "I probably should have done that movie."

Instead, he ended up in 1-800-COLLECT phone commercials for MCI and in a two-year run on "Martial Law," a one-hour martial arts/cop-buddy/comedy that aired on CBS from 1998-2000.

Still, the work has paid off, since, by self-admission, Hall is now a "lazy, rich bastard."

These days Hall spends his time meeting with network executives about possible TV shows and doing the occasional stand-up performance in clubs or on the late-night talk show circuit.

"I love making people laugh. It may sound like Hollywood mush of some kind, but I really dig it. I would do stand-up for free anytime, anyplace. I love getting out there and doing it, the thinking and jamming with the live crowd. That's a lot of fun.

"I've taken a couple meetings here and there deciding if I want to do another show or something, but I'm kind of loving my life, going out every now and then and doing a (comedy) concert."

Although he has no interest in returning to the world of late-night TV, Hall still keeps up with what is happening with his one-time rivals.

And, of course, he had a comment on the recent Letterman-CBS contract renegotiations, which messily spilled over to include ABC and its late-night lineup, "Nightline" in particular.

"The word here (in L.A.) is that Letterman was looking for a little love and he never planned on leaving. And we all need a little love sometimes. I mean, he's already the highest-paid guy."

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