California Inspires Me: Reggie Watts

Musician, comedian, performer and self-proclaimed “weirdo” Reggie Watts discusses blowing up model airplanes, how he prepares (or doesn’t) to go onstage and the intrinsic health benefits of life on the West Coast in
California Inspires Me, a Google Play x California Sunday Magazine collaboration. The music that shaped Reggie Watts is available on Google Play.

Music was something that I had always done since the age of four. I was taking piano lessons, and then in elementary school, I started with violin. My parents really loved music; jazz, soul, R&B. My family had good music tastes. I always loved music. Music was pretty much all the time.

In school I was a big science fan, loved my science classes. I would draw cutaway sections of cyborgs after school. Just loved being a weirdo kid, playing violin, kind of girl crazy, but none of the girls really noticed cause I was a weirdo. It was a fun time.

I think improvisation in comedy works because you can tell immediately if something is working or not. And music is the same way. Those two are closely related cause the audio reactions are so immediate.

California was never a place I decided to move to, but with the Late Late Show, I had to move here. It’s cool. I want to take advantage of it. California has always kind of been an innovator when it comes to lifestyle. Health food. Exercise. Yoga. All that stuff. There’s that health component to it. I mean New York is more of a struggle, you’re having to hustle all the time. LA’s a little bit more laid back, more relaxed.

An animated film by Drew Tyndell. Watch Reggie Watts talk about his inspiration and get the entertainment that shaped him, on Google Play.