Fans of morning radio know Thomas Miles as “Nephew Tommy,” co-host of the nationally syndicated “Steve Harvey Morning Show.” The Texas native livens up the broadcast with his own cast of colorful characters, zany humor and hilarious prank calls, which have become a fan favorite.

What many fans don’t know is that Miles doesn’t really consider himself a comedian. He’s a thespian with a B.A. in theater arts from Texas A&M University.

“I’m an actor,” he says. “I found out how to act like a comedian.”

Miles has starred in more than a dozen stage plays and a number of independent films, including 2010’s “N-Secure” and “The Heart Specialist” with Zoe Saldana. He also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Before taking the stage Thursday night for his stand-up comedy show at Charlotte’s Comedy Zone, Miles spoke with Qcitymetro. Below is an excerpt of that interview.
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Q. How did you get your start in comedy?

TM: After college, I started doing stage plays. Plays are a lot like school. You are off in the summertime and on holidays. So, when I was off, I tried my hand at comedy back in 1991. One of my buddies suggested I get into this amateur comedy competition. I was like, “No, I’m an actor. I’m a theater major. I’m Shakespearean.’ (Begins reciting lines from Shakespeare) I know that stuff like the back of my hand. They got me to enter the competition, and I actually won. So, I started doing comedy. I couldn’t believe I was doing comedy, but I continued to do it, and I got better at it.

Q. You toured three years with Luther Vandross as his exclusive opening act. How did that come about?

TM: After Luther and his manager viewed a video of me, they decided to use me as a fill-in while Luther’s normal comedian was out for the week. The first night I performed with Luther, we were in Rochester, NY, and I was in tears. I was crying because I couldn’t believe that I had just opened for Luther Vandross. After the first week, his road manager comes to me and says we needed to talk. He told me, “The boss wants to keep you.” I thought the other comedian was just taking another week off. He said, “No, you’re going on the road, kid.”

Q. How did you come to be on the Steve Harvey Morning Show?

TM: After leaving Europe (with Vandross), I went out to Los Angeles. I called Rashawn McDonald. I know him from back home. He owned a comedy club in my hometown, Houston, TX. Every time I was in LA, I called him for auditions. When he sent me on auditions, I would get these guest starring roles. Ironically, he also happened to be Uncle Steve’s manager and the executive producer of “The Steve Harvey Morning Show.” He told me he wanted me to do something different. He wanted me to go to the radio station and just kick it with Steve and be the nephew that I am… I thought he’d lost his mind, but I went and did it for about two weeks. They loved it. They felt the camaraderie between us. That became the first of Uncle Steve and Nephew Tommy.

When they told me they wanted me to do the show, I just intended to do it until Luther called me saying we were going back on the road. I told them, “When Luther calls, I got to go.” It was comical to them, but the blessing was that God gave me a job before I knew I needed one. When we came back from Europe, Luther never went out again. He got sick. We never went back out on the road. Here it is 10 years later and Uncle Steve and Nephew Tommy are still going.

Q. So is Steve Harvey really your uncle?

TM: Yes, he’s my mother’s brother, but I never thought I would work with him or that we would do stuff together. I thought I’d be the guy that they’d say, “Oh, by the way, this is who his uncle is” -- kind of like, “Oh, by the way, Charlie Murphy is Eddie Murphy’s brother.” I thought I would be the “by the way.”

Q. What would you say is the funniest prank you’ve ever done on the show?

TM: I called this guy and told him that his wife, Tina, is really my brother Tim, and that just totally messes this man up. I call and ask him questions about his wife, like: Does she have this type of scar on her waistline? I tell him my family has been going through a hard time because we lost my brother. He said, “I’m sorry to hear that your brother died.” I tell him my brother hasn’t died; we lost him. He’s been missing. Then I tell him that his wife, Tina, is really my brother Tim. And this dude loses his mind. He says, “Are you saying I’ve been married to a man all this time?” He starts stuttering and says, “You going to have a dead a## brother bleep-bleep.” He said he was going to kill him when he got home that night… That’s my favorite. If you ever listen to that, you are going to be keeled over.

Q. What would you say is the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome on your rise to success?

TM: I think my biggest obstacle would have to do with comedy, because I’m an actor. Comedy is something that I’ve learned to do, and I’ve learned to do it well. I have shaped and molded myself to the point where I’ve grown to be a great comedian. But at the end of the day, I am truly, truly an actor. With me, you never know what you’re going to get. You never know what I might drop on you, just because I feel like doing it.

Q. You do a character named Eugene, whose favorite things include butterflies, sequins, designer sunglasses and the color fuchsia. How did you come up with this quick-witted character?

TM: Eugene is my cousin, but his name is different. The name is something that I just chose from the top of my head. My cousin passed away about 17 years ago. Acting was always in my blood. I study people. I had a cousin that had these feminine ways, and I studied his mannerisms. As a kid, nine or 10 years old, I would watch him, and then I would mimic him. I would do it when he wasn’t around, and one day he caught me. He was like, ‘Tommy! I see you.” I said sorry and he was like, “You alright. Do what you gonna do.” He was cool with it. After he passed away, I felt uncomfortable doing it with his name. But because he had said it was cool, I changed the name and continued to do him as Eugene Ferguson. Where that name comes from, I have no idea.

Q. What’s next for you?

TM: I’m working on a special, which will include my characters in rare form and in costume. It’s going to be something different. It’s going to be me performing about three or five different characters, including Eugene. It’s going to be like the Klumps telling jokes. I’m definitely going to take it to another level.
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Editor's Note: This transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.

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