Q+A: Phyllis Diller

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006 | 7:09 a.m.

Phyllis Diller gave her final public performance at the Suncoast in 2002. She was 85 years old.

That performance is used as a thread that stitches together a new documentary about the legendary comedian and concert pianist, who soon will turn 90.

The DVD, "Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller," will be released today . (For more information, go to goodnightweloveyou.com .)

Diller raised five children before she started her career at age 37. Her first appearance was at the old Purple Onion in San Francisco in 1955. Soon after, she appeared on Jack Paar's "Tonight Show" and caught the attention of a national audience.

In addition to her other talents, Diller is a gourmet cook and an accomplished artist.

Diller recently chatted with the Sun from her home in Los Angeles.

Q: What have you been doing since you retired from performing?

A: I've sold a lot of paintings. I'm painting madly all the time now. And I have a social life now. I go out every night to dinner with friends, and I like that. You know all those years when I was performing, dinner meant nothing. I was dinner.

What about play ing the piano?

That's gone. I performed concerts from 1970 to 1980.

You don't even play for your own pleasure?

Oh, I got loaded and played at a Bel Air bar two nights in a row. I'm so ashamed. But I enjoyed it.

Do you travel for pleasure?

I can't travel. In July I'll be 90. I have I guess you'd call it rheumatism. I'm kind of stiff, so stiff I can't reach my feet. In other words I can't dress myself, so that leaves travel right out, and I have so many beautiful invitations to go here, there - New York, everywhere.

Do you miss all that?

No, no, no. I used to love it. I even liked the traveling. I even liked flying, airplanes and all that. Remember, I worked until I was 85. It became too difficult. Too difficult.

How did the DVD come about?

Somebody got that idea and came to me. Gregg Barson produced it. I just received the first copy. God, it's beautiful. A big spotlight on the front. I had no idea that dress was so pretty. The DVD is really a documentary. A lot of different people are in it, and a lot of my act. My son. A magician who traveled with me for 30 years. My travel secretaries. A lot of famous people - Don Rickles, Rosanne (Barr), Red Buttons, Lily Tomlin, Bonnie Hunt, David Brenner, Rich Little. A lot of people.

Was your last performance the only one he shot?

Just that one performance. He made a beautiful DVD out of it, cutting it all together. He won first place in two festivals.

Tell us about the video.

It starts with my arriving at the Suncoast. Then it takes me right through that last day, going up to the suite, down to rehearsal, to the show and then the party afterward. He talked to my magician, my manager, the six girls who traveled with me, my son and various comics.

Were you happy you did the video?

Oh my, yes. It will forever be on tape. All my life I have been quite remiss in not making sure I had some memorable things put on tape. I have no symphony act saved on tape, and it was a whole different act from my comedy. I didn't get it on tape or film, so I was thrilled someone was going to get something on tape for posterity.

What do you do to pass the time now?

I paint every day. I'm very active in art showings. I have shows in my house. It's a big house, so I have lots of places to show the art.

Any other projects?

I'm a regular on "The Family Guy," a cartoon series on TV. It's a big hit. I do the voice over of an old lady. I'm going to be on Megan Mullally's talk show. She used to be on "Will and Grace."

It doesn't sound as if you've slowed down much.

I have speeded up, honest to God. I don't travel, so if it's around here, I just do it. It's very difficult for me to say no because I enjoy it all.

I don't have a lot of energy anymore, but I do have enthusiasm.