How old school is D.L. Hughley? He remembers goats and chickens in South Central.

– Comedian and actor D.L. Hughley may be recognizable from numerous films and TV shows on Comedy Central, HBO, and NBC. But he’s probably best known from his role as one of the Original Kings of Comedy, which became a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 2001.

– We chatted with Hughley before his appearances tonight and Saturday at Denver’s venerable Comedy Works about recent projects like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, his upcoming HBO special, and how being born in L.A. gives you a completely different perspective on Hollywood than moving there…

Is it easier doing stand-up during the summer when you’re not on TV?

I never stopped doing the stand-up route, but we just shot an HBO special. So now I have to write a whole new hour of material…

Does the stand-up keep you on your toes in general?

Sometimes it’s just kind of freestyling riffing on something, but it has a purpose. For the last three months it’s had a purpose, and that was trying to get ready for this HBO special.

When did you tape it?

On June 3rd in Washington D.D., and it will air September 29. It’s called “Unapologetic.”

Does your material come from anywhere in particular?

Waking up every day and seeing what’s the news and just living life has given me a lot of different perspectives. I always just kind of ask myself how I feel about any number of situations.

Is Studio 60 returning next season, and will you be on it again as Simon Stiles?

Oh no, I don’t think so. I’m 0 and 2 when it comes to shows at the moment (if you count Comedy Central’s short-lived talk show Weekends at the D.L.)

What was that Studio 60 experience like, since (creator) Aaron Sorkin is known for shows like The West Wing?

It was a dramatic piece, so it was interesting. The next genius I work with hopefully will be me (laughs). It’s tough because they’re very exacting and very deliberate, and that’s the antithesis of comedy. You can’t be that kind of deliberate and structured in comedy. I don’t believe comedy works in that kind of context. But that’s the way we did it. We were creatively kind of constricted because of that.

Most comics grew up outside of L.A. then moved there to make it big. As someone that grew up in South Central and overcame a tough adolescence, do you feel more connected to the town?

Yeah, it’s my home and I’m not a transplant. The L.A. that most people talk about I didn’t get to learn until 10 or 12 years ago in the entertainment industry. Most of the people I knew when I grew up… there were people on the corner that had chickens and goats, literally, in central L.A. So it was just home to me. I’m just now becoming familiar with the L.A most people know. I mean, most of the people in L.A. aren’t from there. They come from whatever cities they’re from. But they mess up traffic for everyone else. They say, “I miss the seasons.” But you realize, you CAN bo back there (laughs).

What about your new movie, Doubting Thomas?

It’ll be out hopefully in the Fall. We shot it in Albuquerque but it was freezing. It was like November or December, and you’d think any place with Mexico in the title would be warm, but it wasn’t. Anyway, I got to play a role I hadn’t ever gotten to play — I was a Secret Service agent.

Are you looking forward to playing Comedy Works in Denver?

Oh yeah, it’s one of my favorite places to play. It feels like when I imagined being a comic, when I disconnect from what it really has been and just imagine — it always looks like that room at Comedy Works. It’s moody and dark and kind of dank. I always feel creatively connected to it. I can create there.

For more information or tickets for Hughley’s June 22-23 shows, click here.