Art often imitates life, and in “Del Shores: My Sordid Life,” which is now available on DVD, it has never been more hilariously evident. Del Shores, who entered the gay hall of fame as the comedic genius behind “Sordid Lives” and “Southern Baptist Sissies,” has developed characters who have delivered some of the most memorable one-liners this side of the south. With his in-your-face stage performance, witty monologues and one-liners of his own, Del Shores reveals the juicy details behind the inspiration for his characters. In addition to dishing on his family’s crazy antics, he gives props to many of the actors who turned his characters into legends—I’m talking to you “Brother Boy.” After 99 minutes of absolute hysteria, you may find yourself re-watching these classics to ask yourself, “Did that really happen?” Del recently spoke with Mark’s List about the DVD for “Del Shores: My Sordid Life,” his Southern Baptist family, ungrateful actors, working with Rue McClanahan and Leslie Jordan, and some of the special features available on the DVD.

The DVD for “Del Shores: My Sordid Life” is now available in stores. Do you think your fans will be surprised that so many of your projects have come from personal stories?

What is so funny about that is that I forgot how much I had borrowed from my own life and my family’s life to create my movies and plays. With this show in particular (“Del Shores: My Sordid Life”), I thought the fans would really like to see how a writer comes up with the different ideas for plays or movies and really go back to the source of what entertained me—my Southern Baptist family.

When did you realize that your family’s experiences would make good entertainment?

I never thought my family was crazy or eccentric until I started sharing my experiences with other people. Directors and other writers I was working with couldn’t believe some of the stories. I would get phone calls from my mother or other family members and I would let everyone listen in on the conversations [laughs]. After that they never doubted me again.

You talk in the show about your family getting mad at you for using their likeness as inspiration for your characters. How do you think they will feel after seeing the DVD of your show?

My family doesn’t really watch my shows [laughs]. I’m a little bit concerned when they see it; there are a few bits in there that they might get onto me for, and there are also a few bits I actually cut out.  

During the show you impersonate your family and actors you have worked with?  Have you always been good at impersonations?

I don’t think that I’m completely dead-on in the way they sound, but more in a way that the character will be in play. I actually do my mother really well, but that was because I talked to her so much. I worked really hard on the impersonations and by the time we filmed the DVD they got much better.

The James Earl Jones impersonation was really well done.

Thank you! I really had to listen to him to get that down.  I love James—talk about a classy man.

You give props to Rue McClanahan and Leslie Jordan and you also take shots at Perez Hilton. What is your favorite bit in the show?

I do.  My favorite part during the show is when I talk about fat ass preaching where I pay homage to “Southern Baptist Sissies.” I love using the Bible to expose other people in the very same way they use the Bible against us. I also love asking the audience their favorite lines from my movies and plays. That was always a very fun part of the show to connect with the audience.  Of course I loved talking about Rue, because she was so special to me.  And of course there is the Perez Hilton bit—another asshole [laughs].

Speaking of Perez, during the show you call out people like him and Randy Harrison (“Queer as Folk”) for being bitchy or an asshole. That’s really brave.  

It’s either brave or stupid. I was recently at a party where I ran into someone I trashed publicly and I knew they were aware of it and wasn’t really happy about it. I thought there might be a confrontation [laughs].  I really don’t care though—it doesn’t matter to me.  There are many actors out there I never care if I work with again. When actors want to act like assholes, I feel like I have to act like karma when I call them out on it. It kind of pisses me off when actors misbehave and don’t appreciate the work.  Being successful in the business is almost like winning the lottery.

Who are some your favorite actors you have worked with?

That would almost be like publicly choosing one of my daughters over the other. There are a lot of people I love and adore that I would never want to offend. If you look at my body of work you will see the people I continue to work with, and no one sings my comedic songs the way Leslie Jordan does. He is brilliant and I will work with him until the end of time.

What are some of the features on the DVD?

There are a few other stories on the deleted scenes section of the DVD that I had to cut for time purposes. There are some fun behind the scenes parts where Leslie Jordan comes to the dressing room and kicks everyone out to confront me about calling him a midget—of course it’s all really funny and tongue-in-cheek.

Were you any more nervous doing the show knowing that it was being filmed for DVD and there were many of your colleagues in the audience?

No, I wasn’t really nervous—I had done so many shows by the time we filmed the show for the DVD. There’s just something about that first wave of laughter or amazing applause that just relaxes you. Looking out and seeing Beau Bridges, who was in the audience in second row, beaming and laughing wildly just made things much easier.

Do you want to continue performing?

Forever now—I have the bug again.  I just did a movie where I play a gay uncle—it’s a very sweet movie.  I also have another stage show that will be opening sometime in the summer.  It makes “Del Shores: My Sordid Life” look like a church service [laughs]. It is so raw, and so dirty and so politically incorrect.  So look for me back down in South Florida this summer.

Watch the trailer:

Order "Del Shores: My Sordid Life": www.breakingglasspictures.com