DJ Cooch on Thinking Positive, Eating Salad, and Being Naked in Hallways?

[Editor's Note: Quick Questions is our semi-regular feature where we ask comedians a ton of random questions without giving them time to think of anything funny to say. Surprisingly, they still do.]

Don't be fooled by the stage name DJ Cooch (aka Jorge Marroquin) because spinning hot tracks isn't all that this man does. Sure it's the way he got his name out there but parlaying his performing skills into comedy and the good old stand-up stage proved to be a great move for this man. And when you press fast-forward, he's toured the country headlining clubs and colleges for the last 10 years. With Cooch's gig at the Brea Improv (February 5th) fast approaching, we hit him with a round of randoms in order to get you better acquainted with the man behind the mic. OK, and the turntables.

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OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): What was your first time on stage like?

DJ Cooch: I was nervous as hell because I did it by accident. I went to go see a concert and went on stage because the opening band wasn't there. They asked me because I was a MC at City Walk so they wanted me to go up and entertain everybody at the Gibson. In front of 5,000 people! I was on a date so I didn't want to embarrass myself but long story short, they told me I had to do it in Spanish so the first time I ever did comedy, it was all in Spanish. I didn't know what the hell I was doing but I did it and it was fun. The next day, I searched out comedy courses and ended up going that day at 11am to the Ontario Improv to start taking them.

Whoa that's insane. What was that concert? The concert was Juan Gabriel, the Mexican Frank Sinatra. He's a very famous dude.

Oh I'm familiar. I actually had a Sancho back in the day and we saw Juan Gabriel at the Gibson. I don't recall a stand-up opening but that would've been crazy if it was you! Oh my god right? How weird would that have been? It was the day he received his star on the walk of fame. That's what I remember.

Hilarious. OK so back on track. Do you have any superstitions? Yes I do actually. I think that if I think about something negatively, it's going to go bad. That's why I'm so positive in every single thing that I do.

If you could always pick the genre when DJ-ing, what would it be? House music. I love house music.

What's something you're not very good at but enjoy doing anyway? Shit. That's a good question. Running. [Laughs.] It's not very fun and I stop every five minutes but, I still do it no matter what.

What app do you use most on your phone? Most definitely Instagram.

Do you have any favorite Instagram hashtags? Well myself, #DJCooch. [Laughs.] I don't really do hashtags that much. When I do, I always try to see who uses the same ones and it's like, no one does.

Hey I think you're doing it right because to me, hashtags are funnier when random. Now I don't want you to croak but if you knew you were dying, what would you pick as your last meal? Oh Jesus! A New York steak, a side of potatoes, a salad with ranch dressing, and tiramisu.

A salad with ranch? Haha wow. What motivates you? When I see another comedian make it. It just shows me that there is chance, you know? I'm in an industry that so many people do and there are so many things going on so it's easy to fall back and think that you're not going to make it. Anytime I see somebody make it, it just makes me so happy and it makes me feel like I am just getting closer too.

What's your guiltiest pleasure? Shit, I don't know! I think my guiltiest pleasure is that I get to do whatever I want when I want. [Laughs.] I don't have to clock in anywhere anymore.

I feel you on that one! Who's your hero? I know this is going to be corny but, my real hero is my grandmother. She raised my mother with no father and she helped raise me because my mom had me at sixteen. So yeah definitely, my grandmother is my biggest hero.

Awww that's sweet! What are you always late for? Actually I was really disorganized last year when I was on the road so I was always late with paying my bills. I never got anything cut off, but I was always late. Now I pay everything on-line so that fixed it. They take it directly out of my account so I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Ha. Yeah, you're a little late to the bill pay game! What's something that you can't live without? And don't be a smart ass and say air and water. [Laughs.] OK I'd say a good whiskey. Wait, I don't want to say whiskey because then I'll look like an alcoholic. [Laughs.] I'd say a good steak. Yeah, that has to be it because at least once a week I cook up a fucking beautiful steak!

Good recovery but on the topic of booze, what's a memory you have from your drunkest night? [Laughs.] Walking down the hallway butt naked. That actually happened after a night that we were hanging out in Vegas! It was the night that I performed at Mandalay Bay! I got really drunk and I went to go pee in the dark and instead of opening the bathroom door, I opened the hallway door and locked myself out of the room.

Shut up! Did you piss in the hall? No! [Laughs.] I was totally naked walking down the hall and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought, what the fuck? I pretty much woke up right there, ran to the elevator phone, and I called the front desk. Security had to come up and open the door for me. True story.

Oh my god that's amazing! Ahhh…good times. OK last question. If you could remake any movie and star in it, which one would you pick? The Godfather. And yes, I'd be the Godfather. Wait, actually no. I'd remake Scarface and I'd want to play Manny.

Why not Michelle Pfeiffer? [Laughs.] Nawww…you can be Michelle Pfeiffer.

Check out DJ Cooch at the Brea Improv February 5th, 120 South Brea Blvd. Brea, CA 92821. (714) 482-0700. For free tickets go to www.Improv.com and use the promo code COOCH. Be on the lookout for DJ Cooch on Fox's “Laughs,” NuvoTV's “Stand Up & Deliver,” and for more info, go to his website www.DJCooch.com and follow him on Twitter @DJCooch.

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