His voice sounded thoughtful and gentle — it was as if he had been doing a lot of thinking. He was about to go through airport security headed to yet another gig, but his voice sounded far from the voice we hear when he performs stand-up comedy.

“I’ve always thought that every person is beautiful in his or her own way,” comedian Roy Wood Jr. told me. “Each and every one of us is a beautiful flower, but when we are alone in a vase, we’re lonely flowers. Only when we come together with other flowers do we make for a beautiful arrangement.” Heavy stuff for a wise-cracking celebrity who continues to aim for the stars and cover himself in success.