Actor, comedian, and all around renaissance man, Shuckey Duckey brings laughter to millions all over the world. The Dallas native has been in the comedic arena for years and coining one of the most popular catchphrases “Shuckey Duckey Quack Quack” is just one of his many accomplishments. In 2002 Shuckey Duckey, whose real name is Cecil Armstrong, was approached by the VP of Ringling Brothers after performing in a gospel play in Atlanta and was asked about joining the circus. He did, and recently he sat down with rolling out to share his life as Ring Master for UniverSoul Circus.Has being a comedian helped you as Ring Master? [There] was something that I still had to learn for the simple reason that comedy is about entertaining adults, and now I have to entertain children, parents and grandparents. It was a whole different thing to learn in order to get that appeal and be comfortable with it.
How do you feel about coining the famous catch phrase “Shucky Ducky Quack Quack”? My goal was not to be a comedian, my goal was to take Shuckey Duckey and make it a household word, so I’m proud of the fact that I accomplished that. As soon as I put the catchphrase out there, Quincy Jones put it on his album, Juke Joint; Mac 10 said it with Ice Cube on his album and Herman Cain said it when he announced his plans for [the] presidency.
How do you balance your comedic career and your UniverSoul career? We hit with the same markets in stand-up as we do in the circus, but I’ve found that working with the circus you have to put comedy on hold. The circus is a very demanding gig! You have to do two shows a day, promotions and then three shows on Saturday, so you really don’t have time to fit in stand-up. So when I find different scenarios where I have time, I try writing different ideas down and start developing them, so when I get back to the stand-up aspect of my job I can start putting it into play.
What upcoming projects are you working on that we should know about?I’m in talks with some studios in regards to a talk show or game show. I love interacting with and playing off a crowd, so game shows and talk shows are right up my alley. Recently, I created my own development company called 3 Points Corporation, LLC to bring businesses to the Oakcliff community in Dallas; I have already started the architectural designs and bought the land. Proceeds from my shows will also be used to help raise the $3 million that’s needed to finish the project. Dallas is my hometown, so I want to use my popularity to bring jobs, and to inspire and uplift my community.
For more information, please visit www.shuckeyduckey.com www.facebook.com/shuckeyduckey.
