Proud Biripi man Andy Saunders is known around Australia for being a comedian, but viewers will get a more intimate look at him in an upcoming episode of Living Black on NITV.
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As well as being his usual engaging and funny self, Andy speaks from the heart when he sits down with Walkley Award-winning journalist, executive producer and host, Karla Grant in the episode which airs on Monday, April 29.
'People who are watching the episode can expect me to be honest," Andy says.
"I think once you start sitting comfortably and talking about your own life, all of the regalia just fades away. It dissipates. Because you start to peel those outer layers off and you get to the core of who you are and what you want to portray to people.
"That's pretty much what I was trying to do was just speaking from the heart and being as honest as I could."
In the episode he talks fondly about growing up in the Manning Valley, Biripi country, and particularly his family.
"Every time I speak about my grandparents, my mother, I definitely am emotional. Everything good in me I learned from them and everything bad in me I just developed on my own, so I'm proud of that!"
Andy says he walked away from the interview wishing he had more time to "drill into things", and when asked what in particular he wanted to talk more about, it was his loved ones.
"Always, always my family. Always, always connection to community. And also the people that I grew up with and who helped shape me into who I am today.
"And I like talking about my wife and the life that we've built together, because we're a really good team,"Andy says.
Comedy as a teaching tool
During a discussion about Andy's career in comedy, he revealed he felt he would be doing First Nations people a disservice if he didn't address social issues and challenge stereotypes with "a few jokes".
"If anyone's allowed to address racism, we should be allowed to because we've been the subject of it. And I don't think you would find too many black fellas in this country that haven't been, if any at all.
"I've always sat comfortably in addressing issues through comedy. Because I always feel when a person is laughing, they're at their most vulnerable. So that's when you can teach them anything. And I'd say my jokes are powerful," Andy says.
While the episode is being aired initially on NITV, it will also be aired on SBS the next day. And there's a message Andy wants non-Indigenous people to take away from the show.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more than just a welcome to country. We're more than a no vote," Andy says.
"We are everyone and everywhere. We are everything, anything and we we are surviving. We're a surviving people and we're thriving people now as well.
"If you ask me, we are the picture of success, not the stereotype."
Andy's episode of Living Black airs on NITV at 8.30pm on Monday, April 29, and on SBS on Tuesday, April 30 at 10.30pm