Orlando Jones talks SYFY’s Geek Love Chapel, comedy in Twitter era

Orlando Jones spoke to us about officiating weddings in SYFY’s Geek Love Chapel, comedy in the social media era, and one of his favorite pranks.

In a candid interview, Orlando Jones spoke to us about marrying couples on Valentine’s Day on SYFY’s Geek Love Chapel, and much more.

The American Gods star hopes to make Geek Love Chapel into a staple of comic cons, giving space for couples to indulge their wildest fandom wedding fantasies. You can watch the special event in its entirety over at this SYFY Facebook link.

FanSided.com – Nir Regev: I was wondering how did you go about getting ordained to officiate this wedding, and was that something you always wanted to do?

Orlando Jones: I thought it would be awesome to do a wedding at a comic con, because I’ve been a part of that fandom for a very long time. You kind of fall in love with a character or a game and then you meet your loved ones and you fall in love again. I don’t know that I always wanted to officiate weddings.

The ordaining process is through the Universal Life Church, and you can go online and get ordained. It always seemed like it was more of a celebration of love than anything else. When I met with SYFY, they were talking about their 25th Anniversary as a fan thing, and marrying fans seems like a really awesome fan thing!

FS: How do you feel about Geek Love Chapel being streamed live? I mean a wedding, live, right on Facebook!

Jones: I think it’s awesome! I had a blast doing it at the San Diego Comic-Con, and I’m hoping we get to do more of them in the future. It’s a really fun thing, man. For me, it’s more of an honor to be a part of someone’s wedding. Obviously, it’s a special day in a person’s life. They’re committing to someone for the rest of their lives and all that. I have a feeling there will be plenty of family members online watching along.

FS: What’s the coolest thing about marrying a couple on Geek Love Chapel?

Jones: It’s always the stories for me! I think that’s always the most exciting stuff. just hearing the stories of how people met and how it happened. You know, I’ve married couples that met on Tinder, and I’m sorry, but I don’t know anybody who thinks a Tinder “meeting” is going to turn into a marriage. But in many cases, it has.

More from Entertainment

My favorite one at San Diego Comic-Con was marrying this couple dressed as Poe Dameron and Han Solo. They had met at a sci-fi chat room, 25 years ago. I was like, “I’m sorry… What did you say?” Their first date was putting on The Phantom Menace in a DVD player and pushing play at the same time, all while speaking to each other in the chat room about the movie. I married them for the 25th anniversary of the sci-fi in a Geek Love Chapel, and like you can’t make that up, that’s just crazy!

I also married Scott Pilgrim and Ramona, and the dude made a huge Scott Pilgrim guitar. It was just awesome because I’m a big Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim fan. Doing Geek Love Chapel is super fun and it’s really cool, and I thoroughly enjoy every moment of just being able to be in that space to do that. The other cool thing is since San Diego [Comic-Con], I’m in touch with all the couples I married on social media! We’ll tweet each other and be on Instagram and whatnot.

Of course, it’s not going to be cool when suddenly somebody has a divorce and now I gotta choose who’s side I’m on. If I have to unfollow somebody, that’s gotta be awkward. Hopefully, all the couples stay married. *laughs*

FS: You’ll have a great track record!

Jones: I know, right? If I pull that off, I’ll do what no clergy before me has pulled off!

FS: Is it true you’re currently working on a biopic project on Dr. Bobby Jones? Is that connected to this, like a kind of progression? I know he was a gospel singer.

Jones: That came up a couple of years ago, and I would love to do that. You’re good! What needle in a haystack did you find that in? How did that happen? *laughs* He’s just one of those figures that I think played a much larger role than people often give him credit for.

FS: A couple of years ago you did a prank where you said you were going to play Madea from the Tyler Perry films. I was wondering if you have any pranks like that planned this year?

Jones: Listen, I’m not giving up the prank game baby! That prank was actually one of my favorites. I was humored by how many people got really mad at me for that. I just thought it was a great April Fools Day bit to do. I have an idea for one prank that I want to do this year. If I don’t get it off this year, I’m definitely doing it next year!

It’s a good one that I think you’re going to like. People might be mad at me again but I mean come on, it’s April Fools! It should somehow feel real but be funny.

FS: You spoke about free speech in a 2011 documentary titled “Looking For Lenny” about comedian Lenny Bruce. I was wondering if you’re a fan of George Carlin as well and how you feel about free speech in comedy today? I feel it’s very difficult to do comedy today without being partially vilified for its content.

Jones: Yeah, I think that’s kind of part of it. I’m a huge George Carlin fan, and obviously, Lenny Bruce, Shelley Berman, W. C. Fields fan, and I could just keep going on the list. I really feel like comedy has always been about holding up that mirror that’s a little uncomfortable, and doing it in a way that evokes a laugh. Social media like Twitter and the news feed on the Facebook wall has changed that in a very real way. Now, suddenly, somebody can be offended as you say something, post it, and now an army of people who have you totally out of context are angry with you.

That’s the risk you run, that’s the price of the ticket as James Baldwin would say. I’ve gotten in trouble plenty of times for that sort of stuff, but you know, it is what it is. I don’t think you can really call yourself a comedian otherwise. Particularly when all of the comedians that we now cherish, every one of them would have been roasted for most of the things that they’re most known for. I’m sure I’ll piss someone off again soon enough. There’s no stopping me! *Laughs*.

FS: Would you ever return to hosting a show like The Orlando Jones Show back in the day? Is that something you’d want to pursue again?

Jones: I don’t know that I want to go back to host a show. Late night feels like it’s super crowded right now. There’s too much to watch at 11 o’clock at night if you’re a late night fan. Between American Gods, several movies, NPR, my card is a little too full to even think about doing late night at the moment. I see Geek Love Chapel as more than a once a year thing. My hope is to do five to six cons a year and make it into this huge event. I’m really excited we got to do the second one on Valentine’s Day.

I do want to do a show that truly allows us to talk broadly about all the crazy issues that are out there. I’ve been putting together this animated show called The Blast, where the various hosts just talk about stuff that’s completely crazy going on in the world, and eventually, their head explodes. Which is why it’s called The Blast! *Laughs* I prefer my yelling to be funny and have a punchline as opposed to a punched fist.

No late night in my future, probably aside from going on Colbert, Fallon and the like. It just doesn’t feel fresh and hot to me anymore. It would have to focus on interviewing people who don’t really have a voice out there. Like an air traffic controller who works for 35 years of his life and makes one mistake, then everyone hates him, that’s pressure! I’d rather talk to gamers, gaming superstars in that culture.

FS: Do you still attend comic conventions like New York Comic Con or San Diego Comi- Con as a fan, or do you feel you get recognized too much from the celebrity aspect?

Jones: Oh yeah, I don’t care about that at all. I’m going to six or seven cons this year. I don’t mind at all, I mean if you really wanna hide you can go as a Stormtrooper or Chewbacca. *Laughs* I love going to cons, it’s awesome! I don’t really consider myself as a celebrity, I consider myself as a fan. That’s how it started for me, and frankly that’s how it started for everybody if we’re being honest. I like being in fandom as a fan, not a celebrity.

I don’t feel like my fans are bothering me at all. It feels like a return home to me rather than, “Oh please no! I’m at a con, I can’t be bothered.” Taking pictures, high-fiving and hanging out, that’s cool too.

FS: Just wanted to mention, I really loved MADtv as a kid. You were great on the show.

Jones: Honestly, I would have paid them to be on that show! MAD Magazine was the first thing I ever picked up that really spoke to me. I picked up my first issue at around eight years old. For me, MADtv was like a dream come true. I could not believe I was going to be on MADtv, I could not believe it! It was super fun both to write on that show and to perform on that show, it was so awesome!

FS: Thank you!

Jones: Thank you!

Relive the magic with Orlando Jones on today’s Geek Love Chapel at this SYFY Facebook link.