Comedian, Writer, & Storyteller Out On Tour With 'King of Late Night' Greg Gutfeld

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer 

He may not be the 'King of Late Night', however comedian, actor, and storyteller Tom Shillue works alongside the current 'King of Late Night', Mr. Greg Gutfeld, whose 10pm show Gutfeld! on Fox News easily outpaces the other three late night network shows when it comes to viewership. Gutfeld's show garnered its highest-rated quarter in program history with 3.3 million viewers. 

Whether he's on camera or writing material for the show, Shillue has been along for the ride since he and Gutfeld teamed up nearly two decades ago. The duo will be on tour together this spring and summer, coming to venues all across America.

While Gutfeld is more about satire, and unabashed when it comes to taking pot shots at politicians, Shillue is not as over the top. He recalls the early days when he first dipped his toe in the comedy pool. 

"At first it was a challenge. There's that unwritten rule, 'stay out of politics' or you'll offend half your audience. I think Johnny Carson set the standard for that." He adds, "But showbiz has changed. It's become so left wing. So political humor isn't off the table for many stand up comics"

Still it's not Shillue's brand. "On stage I'm apolitical. I tend to talk more about my life. What's happened to me or things my wife has said. I find humor in that, mainly because it resonates with the audience. And I'm Irish Catholic, so there's that."

Shillue is methodical. He likes to know what works and what doesn't work in his stand-up routine. "When I have new material, and I take it on stage, I'll record my act. Afterwards I'll transcribe it and underline in red bits that worked and lines that didn't. Maybe I'll take something out, or I'll try to punch up the bits that didn't go over as well."

During the Biden presidency Shillue was famous for parodying Joe, often under the guise of 'Angry White Male', a bit that got a lot of attention on Gutfeld!. "It kind of grew out of a character Jim Gaffigan and I developed back in the 1990's. We did this sketch show called 'North American White Male', based on the extinction of the white male."

Shillue goes on to say, "Years later, during COVID I revisited the character, and brought the idea to Greg. He's very open minded and allows comics that work with him present new stuff. Of course he said let's try it out and see how it goes. Thankfully, it went over well and Greg said let's have him back tomorrow night."

For those who have seen Angry White Male on Gutfeld!, the set up is somewhat ironic. "They would lead into the bit with edgy music and some weird font, yet I wasn't that angry. I'm more of a Mr. Rogers, but I still got my rant across. I think that is why it worked, and Greg saw the beauty in that. That character is kind of retired, since a new guy is back in the White House."

Surprisingly Shillue's first taste of entertaining came from a different route. A Norword, Massachusetts native (suburb of Boston), Shillue graduated from UMass, and began his career singing in a barbershop quartet in the late 1980's and early 90's.

"I've always been drawn to the art form. I love to sing a cappella. I was a big fan of Terry Clarke in the group Boston Common." The late Clarke was a legend in barbershop quartet genre for more than 50 years before passing in 2018.

It was that first taste of entertaining that spurred Shillue to stand up. "I was having fun. I was touring with a great bunch of guys. We weren't making a killing, but we were paying the bills."

Still Shillue wanted more. "I've always appreciated stand-up comedy. Doing the whole barbershop quartet thing gave me the wherewithal to try stand-up. I was already in front of lots of people, so I didn't have that initial fear factor."

As many of the comedy greats do, Shillue took the plunge. "So in 1991 I did an 'open mic night' and I was hooked. I came up with fellow comics like Greg Giraldo and Jim Gaffigan." Shillue stills tours occasionally with Gaffigan, dubbed the 'King of Clean' stand-up comics. "We're good friends. Our style of comedy fits well together."

Shillue's early comedy influences are big names in the industry. "Two really stand out. Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby. They did clean comedy, and I could find their comedy albums in my local library."

He explains further. "Even though they were different, both were great storytellers, which is how I approach my comedy. I was more influenced by Newhart because he was unassuming. He could get a laugh by pausing. He had great timing. For me, I wasn't the class clown. I had to wait for my moment to deliver a punch line."

Over the past three decades Shillue and Gaffigan have been on both sides of the 'rising star' spectrum. "Jim and I both opened for Brian Regan. In the same aspect, I can remember when Nate Bargatze opened for me, and he's become one of the hottest comics in our industry."

Shillue paid his dues and finally got some TV exposure. "I did Conan in 1999, and that gave me a boost. I got a little more work after that." He would stay busy doing commercials and voice over work. His television acting work includes guest spots on programs like Spin City, Broad City and Law & Order. "Whatever paid the bills."

In the early 2000's Shillue would do comedy specials, making appearances on Comedy Central as his star began to rise. By 2008 Shillue landed at Fox News, writing and appearing on Red Eye, an American late-night, early-morning satirical talk show.

"That's pretty much when I met Greg. And it was Andrew Breitbart who introduced us." Even with its 3am time slot Shillue gained some cred. "I can't explain it, but I got a following from doing Red Eye, which in turn allowed for more work."

When Fox gave Gutfeld his own Saturday night show in 2015, Shillue took over Red Eye for another two years before they pulled the plug. 17 plus years since he's been with the 'most trusted news network' on TV, Shillue hasn't been idle.

"No doubt. Once you're in the building they (Fox) keep you busy. I could be on 'America's Newsroom' in the morning, do the 'Big Weekend Show', fill in for Greg on 'The Five', do a podcast, be on the radio, record silly videos." In 2019, Shillue served as the host of 'The Quiz Show' on Fox Nation. Whatever they need. It's a revolving door, but I absolutely love it."

In between it all Shillue found time to write a book, 'Mean Dads for a Better America: The Generous Rewards of an Old-Fashioned Childhood' (2017), based on stories from his childhood, and a portrait of growing up in 1970s America. 

Shillue has a regular gig (sometimes once or twice a week) as one of panelists on Gutfeld!, an American conservative news and political satire talk show starring Greg Gutfeld that airs weeknights at 10pm. "I'm not surprised it's the number one late night show in America. It's really good. Greg is smart and funny. He's good at satire."

According to Shillue, Gutfeld does it all with less. "I think Greg uses about one tenth the amount of employees to do his show. He surrounds himself with really good and professional people who understand him, and his style of comedy. Besides myself there's guys like Joe Machi, Jamie Lissoe, and Joe DeVito. We all write for Greg."

Shillue admits all their efforts fail in comparison to Gutfeld's. "I think he wakes up writing. He writes jokes while he's on the Peleton. He'll write jokes and bits in long hand with a marker and sends them in to his team, so they can work them up for the show.

Regarding his long time friend Shillue says. "Greg keeps up with everything that's happening in the news. He's crazy busy all the time. And keep in mind he writes and produces, as well as hosting the show. And it tapes right after 'The Five'."

Gutfeld's popularity extends to the weekend, where he often carries his comedic wit and satire on the road. Shillue tours with Gutfeld on several occasions as his opener. "I enjoy doing shows with Greg. We approach our comedy from different angles, but it's really good for the audiences."

While he appreciates performing in the larger venues with Gutfeld, Shillue welcomes solo club dates. "Absolutely. I love the big rooms with Greg, usually they are venues with thousands of seats, but I also love being on my own in a small room, where I can perform before an intimate crowd." He adds, "I welcome that interaction, and after my shows I'll do a question and answer segment."

Tom Shillue and the 'king of late night' Greg Gutfeld will bring their respective brands of comedy to the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium on Sunday April 27th at 3pm in downtown Spartanburg SC. According to a blurb on the venue's website "It's therapy for anyone who says on a daily basis: "Honey, what the hell happened to our country?"

Join Gutfeld, comedian Shillue & a surprise guest for an unforgettable evening filled with laughter, insight & surprises. To keep up with Shillue visit his site at https://www.tomshillue.com/ and for more on the Spartanburg show visit https://www.crowdpleaser.com/events/427/gutfeld-live-2025-featuring-greg-gutfeld-special-guest-tom-shillue