Dat Phan, Las Vegas Sun

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: ‘Last Comic Standing’ winner Phan has big plans Lisa Ferguson Friday, Aug. 29, 2003 | 8:19 a.m. Success isn't about to spoil Dat Phan. In July the comedian won the top prize on NBC's reality series "Last Comic Standing: The Search for the Funniest Person in America," beating out a houseful of other stand-up comics to win a sitcom-development deal with the peacock network and his own special on cable's Comedy Central. Since then Phan has been riding a monstrous publicity wave, with an appearance on "The Tonight Show" as well as radio, television and newspaper interviews and press conferences. Within days of his win, he began taking the stage at The Improv at Harrah's for a series of once-weekly gigs that wraps Monday. But at the end of the day, comedy's new darling doesn't collapse into a silk-sheeted bed in some swanky Hollywood manse, similar to the digs he shared with nine other comics for most of "Last Comic Standing's" eight-week run. You see, despite his win, Phan still doesn't own a bed. He continues to rest his head each night on the floor beneath a desk in the studio apartment he shares -- the same place he slept during his pre-celeb days. And the 28-year-old intends to keep it that way for a while. "The reason why is because I'm trying to save up money to invest in other projects," the future-focused Phan explained during a call from Los Angeles earlier this month. He is all too aware that his 15 minutes of fame could be fleeting, and is not about to squander them away. "I'm looking at the longevity of this thing,"he says. "I don't want to go out and buy a Porsche and buy all this stuff and then my show tanks, and now I've lost a lot of leverage. "Also, sleeping under the desk, until I make a lot more money, will keep me humble. It will help remind me that I came from a place on the other side of the tracks, and not to forget that." Actually, Phan came from a place on the other side of the world: His family escaped from Vietnam when he was an infant, immigrating to the United States and eventually landing in San Diego, where he and his mother struggled to survive. For a time, the two were homeless and slept on bus-stop benches. As late as last year, Phan reportedly lived in his car. The experiences also fueled Phan's comedy. His mother (more specifically, her Vietnamese accent) is the butt of the bulk of his jokes, though that will be changing. "I actually plan on eventually transitioning over to other stuff that talks about pop culture." He doesn't have much choice: Of his 45 minutes of existing shtick, 30 minutes were divulged during "Last Comic Standing's" run, and now he is "frantically" penning new jokes. Having survived such adversity early in life likely played a huge hand in shaping Phan's personality. He is a meticulous planner -- an attribute for which he was mocked by his "Last Comic Standing" housemates, who giggled over Phan's extensive chart-and-graph systems that track the number and duration of laughs he receives during his comedy sets. "Being successful and winning is important ... But preparing to succeed, preparing to win is vital," he explains of his personal philosophy. Actually he should thank the snickering stand-ups for his surprise win on the show. It was no secret Phan didn't have many fans within the house: The others twice attempted to remove him from the mansion during the show's weekly elimination rounds. Then there was an infamous game of hide-and-seek: On the housemates' suggestion, Phan hid -- and hid, and hid -- but none sought him. Such antics, he says, likely gave viewers of the show the nudge they needed to vote for underdog Phan (via telephone and the Internet) to win the "Last Comic Standing" crown during the series finale, which taped Aug. 5 at Paris Las Vegas. Phan, who began his comedy career seven years ago, explains his strategy for taking out his foes ("the bad guys" as he calls them) was to let the comics remain in the house for the duration of the show. As one of the series' final five contestants, "America was able to see what happened in the house, how I was treated. "I believe firmly that ... the last comic standing should not just represent humor, but a comic's job is to bring joy to people's lives. So, the last comic standing should also represent integrity and honor" -- qualities Phan claims to incorporate in his life and career. Now that he's attained his goal of starring in his own sitcom (he's mum on the still-developing show's specifics), Phan says he's looking forward to landing roles in feature films, where "I can inspire millions of people ... so that way I could change their life, even if it's just for a couple of hours." What pushes him forward is "being able to make a change in our society through entertainment, because ... I can actually go out and meet people and tell them not to give up hope ... I want to be able to spread that message to people to stay honest and believe in the rules of integrity." That said, it's time Phan fessed up: "I don't think I'm the funniest person in America. I think that I'm a funny guy who loves comedy, and I believe in comedy." Out for laughs Following a brief silence, the laughter returns to Santa Fe Station's Green Room Comedy Corner starting Sept. 5 and Sept. 6. As reported here earlier this month, the fledgling comedy club was shuttered without a specific reason offered by casino execs, who have apparently decided to revisit the concept. Show times are 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; comics Peter Berman and Todd Sawyer are on next weekend's bill. Meanwhile Palace Station's Laugh Trax -- sister club of Green Room Comedy Corner -- is changing its show times: Starting next week, performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's been a busy summer for Mitch Fatel. He was featured in a story in the August issue of Penthouse magazine, and also served as a correspondent for "The Tonight Show" (a rerun of his remote from the biker rally in Sturgis, S.D., airs at 11:30 tonight on Channel 3). Catch Fatel's stand-up act Monday through Sept. 7 at The Comedy Stop at the Trop. Emmy-winning "Saturday Night Live" alum Ellen Cleghorne takes The Improv at Harrah's stage Oct. 14 through Oct. 19.