INTERVIEW: Comedian Colin Quinn Reminisces About His Favorite Hamptons Spot, The “Saturday Night Live” Reunion And Life In The 70s

Before comedian Colin Quinn has his Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) audience in hysterics, we caught up with the “Saturday Night Live” alumn, who had us cracking up within seconds as we discussed the memorable “SNL” 40th year anniversary special, where he spent his time in the Hamptons, and what WHBPAC attendees can expect during his upcoming show.

Quinn, who landed a spot on “SNL” in 1995 and remained on the show for five seasons, said that attending the recent special and being around the other “SNL” icons was surreal. “It brought back a lot of memories,” he told Hamptons.com. “Just being there was crazy.”

While the comedian noted his entire time at “SNL” was great, he did share one particular skit that stood out. “When [Robert] Deniro came on,” Quinn said. “That was pretty wild because I was dressed like Deniro, and then he comes out. We weren’t really expecting him, so that was kind of a weird thing at the time.”

His latest project, “Cop Show,” also has its fair share of celeb cameos, including guest appearances by Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Che, and Amy Schumer. After years of not being asked to make an appearance on “Law & Order,” which who are we kidding, everyone and their mother has had a guest spot on, Quinn took matters into his own hands. “The fact that I’ve never been on there made me mad,” he expressed. So, he created, wrote, and stars in the parody web series, which can been seen on L/Studio’s website.

Since the comedian is familiar with the East End, we had to find out what are some of Quinn’s favorite haunts, and one of his beloved spots is basically a rite of passage if you live on Long Island. “My favorite spot is, well… I mean, let’s face it, the height of Hamptons class has always been since I was a kid, where the elite go, all the big stars, a little place called the Boardy Barn,” joked Quinn. “A nice Sunday afternoon cocktail at the Boardy Barn. You’d see all these people coming from their East Hampton fancy houses stuck on 27 and then there’d be people punching each other in the middle of a beautiful sunny afternoon.”

For those curious about what to expect during Quinn’s WHBPAC show, the comedian gave us some insight. “They can expect kind of a mediocre time,” he sarcastically said. “You know, maybe a laugh about every four minutes. A polite laugh. A smattering of golf clap applause at the end. And, an uncomfortable time in the lobby, where I shake hands.”

But really, the show he assured us, is about his time growing up in the City. “It’s about New York in the 60s and 70s basically,” noted the comedian.

Colin Quinn is performing at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 28th. Tickets are $50 to $75.

WHBPAC is located at 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach. For more information, call 631-288-1500 or visit whbpac.org.