©Lions Gate/Courtesy of The Everett Collection
On a recent quiet morning, a crane was called to deliver olive trees to the home of Sebastian Maniscalco, a very exclusive community of clients in Los Angeles.
The Illinois native, known for his relatable stance on his immigrant parents and his on-stage physicality and swagger, was uncharacteristically silent as he watched the evergreen descend on the sights of Beverly Hills. He is used to talking about his humble roots.
“I like to make light of things that we see in society and laugh at my own family and my old-world immigrant upbringing. I think I do it in a way that we all laugh together,” he says. Difference.
Maniscalco’s father, Salvatore, emigrated from Sicily when he was 15, earning a beautician’s license to support his wife and children in a suburban salon with cutting and coloring operations. He is the inspiration for “About My Father,” co-written by Maniscaco with Austin Earl, in which Robert De Niro takes on the role of Salvatore. It opens in theaters on Friday.
Viewers of Maniscalco’s six stand-up specials, most of which air on Netflix, will immediately recognize his father’s patina. “If the sun’s out, somebody’s got to work,” Sebastian says in the opening montage. The film is a pseudo-biography following Sebastian’s relationship with a WASP-y artist (Leslie Bibb) and her intimidating politician mother (Kim Cattrall). He and De Niro are invited to a country club family weekend, and the cultural differences flow quickly from the Tom Collins mix.
“My father saw the film six weeks ago. he cried. He is my biggest fan and biggest critic. Living in Los Angeles, many people are sycophants. Where I grew up, people see all that shit. My father is harsh, but he keeps me honest and level,” Maniscalco said, sitting in his home office. A nightclub throwback exudes a menacing presence with elegant subtlety. But here is a contradiction. He’s the guy who cries at Hallmark commercials but screams in the parking lot.
Maniscalco moved to LA in his early 20s to work the comedy club circuit while bartending at the Four Seasons. He recalls his formality at the hotel (he recalls being asked to sing “Good morning, sir, good evening, sir”) and his laid-back attitude made him memorable for guests like Jerry Seinfeld. Fifteen years later, he’s playing stadium tourers and making it big in Hollywood. In addition to “About My Father,” he also completed production on the HBO Max comedy “How to Be a Bucky,” directed by Charlie Sheen and created by Chuck Lorre. He sees the projects as an opportunity to expand the mainstream audience.
“Internationally, TV and film will introduce my comedy to a wider audience. I wanted to do this creatively and as a business,” he said. “I wanted to share a love letter to my father, and in doing so I put some of my perspective into it. Whether you know me or not, I think the film gives a good insight into who I am.”
Maniscalco said he was intimidated by film as a medium, saying that stand-up would “allow him to do an hour-long episode and get the laughs.” In film, I’m working and I don’t get anything. It was hard to wrap my head around that.
While he hopes “About My Father” will be a box office success — a challenge for comedies that have been released in theaters in recent years — Maniskaco believes he’s already won. “I grew up watching Deniro. I had his posters on my wall. And now he’s playing dad?” He says. “My kids are going to see this one day. It’s already a success.”
Salvatore also got a few perks by teaching De Niro how to do a proper paint job. But that’s a whole different set of roots.
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