Who is that drag-dressing comedian performing with Cho?

Associated Press
Published: April 10, 2008

Becoming an Internet sensation was never the plan for actor-turned-comedian Liam Sullivan. Of course, neither was touring the country dressed in drag.

“I just wanted to work as an actor,“ said Sullivan, widely known as “Kelly,“ the foul-mouthed, fashion-obsessed character in his YouTube.com “Shoes” video. “I only fell into comedy because I had an ability to play different characters that are kind of on the fringe, that are wacky and strange.“

Sullivan opens for comedian Margaret Cho, now on her “Beautiful” tour, for three shows April 10 and 11 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Sullivan, who has guest starred on television shows such as “Alias,“ “Gilmore Girls” and “8 Simple Rules,“ gained an Internet following after “Shoes,“ a spoof music video, debuted more than a year ago. The videos usually begin with a skit intro, in which Sullivan also plays several of Kelly’s eccentric family mem-bers, and closes with Kelly starring in another fashion-themed music video.

Since Sullivan’s “Shoes” video debuted on YouTube.com a year ago, it’s scored more than 14 million views. Sullivan, 34, has since won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite User Generated Video, built an Internet video empire and gained a cult-like following on his Web site.

“‘Whirlwind’ is a good word for it. I didn’t expect anything,“ Sullivan said of his rapid rise in popularity. “I’m just kind of flabbergasted by it. Not the fame part, but just that so many people have responded, has been a real high.“

He got the idea for “Shoes” while walking the streets of Los Angeles. He was staring at his feet as he walked and began repeating the word “shoes” to the beat of his steps. He’d already developed Kelly’s character, and used “Shoes” to jumpstart her career as a recording artist.

He recorded the song using garage band software and basic video equipment. It was originally intended as a video to show at his live performances and to submit at film festivals.

“YouTube was an afterthought,“ said the Norfolk, Mass. native, who attributes Internet sites such as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook to his success.

“It’s amazing and it really can launch you. It jumpstarted my whole career,“ he said. “There’s no real gatekeepers anymore. If you want to put yourself out there it’s really easy to do now, and you can do it without approval.“

Sullivan writes, produces, directs, edits and stars in all of his videos, three of which are on YouTube’s top 20 favorite comedy videos of all time. He has sold more than 250,000 singles from his “Shoes” comedy album on iTunes and his Web site has more than 60 million hits.

Sullivan’s stardom may seem like an overnight rise to the top to some, but he’s worked in the entertainment industry for more than a decade, and remembers playing “Shakespeare in the Park” in Boston when he was 21.

“From that to here is a big jump but it took a while,“ he said.

This is Sullivan’s second tour with Cho, whose husband designed costumes for the “Shoes” video. Last year he performed in her off-Broadway “Sensuous Woman” variety show.

Cho was one of the first to blog about the video—an act that Sullivan believes propelled its popularity.

“I just fell in love with that video and that character,“ Cho said. “I really admire him and love his filmmaking. He’s just amazing.“

Sullivan, a self-proclaimed homebody, is still adjusting to the city-to-city treks of life on the road.

“I have to get used to it,“ he said. “It’s tough to be in hotels and living out of suitcases, but the show is the payoff.“

He’s found that performing his own material is most rewarding.

He keeps two notebooks full of video ideas and tries to write every day to push the development of characters such as “Kelly” and “Aunt Susan.“ He admits to feeling more pressure to deliver now that he’s gaining national attention, but brushes it off with a much lighter approach.

“If I make a clunker, I make a clunker. So what?“ he said. “The idea is to just keep having fun because if you’re not having fun, this is all kind of stupid.“

Kyle Ridley is a freelance writer for the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger. He can be reached at

WANT TO GO?p>

What: Liam Sullivan, aka “Kelly” from “Shoes” performs

When: Thursday, April 10 at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.

Where: Warner Theatre, 13th and E Streets N.W., Washington, D.C.

Tickets: $28.50 to $45.50 on Ticketmaster.com

Info: Warnertheatre.com