14 DAY TRIAL // She is one of the most appreciated television personalities and stand-up comedians, being able to boast of accomplishments like having her own show, which also happens to be very popular, successful live gigs and three best-selling books. To promote her latest book, “Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang,” the star is featured in the April 2010 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, where she openly talks about topics like growing up, her crazy family and life in Hollywood.
Chelsea jokes that she became a comedienne because friends told her she would only have to work weekends, and imagined that this could be the life she always wanted. Instead, she ended up being the one who works the hardest in her family, getting up early in the morning to go for a jog, heading to the office, attending meetings and then doing her show. She’s not complaining, though, because she can also afford the kind of vacations her family can’t – so there’s a silver lining to every cloud, she says laughing.
One thing truly remarkable about Handler, says Harper’s Bazaar, is that she keeps a safe distance from her and the glamorous Hollywood life she criticizes. She doesn’t even have “handlers” and she explains why. ‘Sometimes the publicists are worse than the star. They really are delusional. That’s why when I hired a publicist, I was like, I never want the type who is going to be such a pain in the [expletive] and treats people terribly. […] A lot of publicists trade their clients. They’ll say you can have this person only if you’ll have this person who’s not as successful or famous. If your client knew what you were doing, then they wouldn’t be having you represent them,” the star explains.
Of course, she too has a publicist, but he’s far from the “type.” This would explain why she agrees so easily to joke about her family and upbringing, and not just in this particular interview. “Everyone in our family has a pretty warped sense of humor. I just have the biggest mouth about it,” she says. The guests she has on her show must be prepared for that. “If I can keep it together for the entire day, then you have to keep it together for the 10 minutes that you’re being interviewed. I don’t think anyone would come to the show thinking that [diva behavior] was acceptable. That’s not really how I roll,” she adds.
Though she often talks about Hollywood life, she hardly has any connection to it. Chelsea says she gave up partying in her 20s and is not particularly fond of having her picture taken when she goes out, so she avoids the places she knows are genuine paparazzi magnets. Instead, she likes to take her friends on awesome trips and, when there’s no time for that, throws them “hummus parties,” of which she says they’re a blast.