Howie Mandel just wants to be on stage (including in Monterey) and crack wise.

If you’ve watched television in the past 35 years, then you’ve seen Howie Mandel on the screen at some point. Famous for his role in shows like Deal or No Deal, Bobby’s World and America’s Got Talent, Mandel has transcended generations as an entertainer. But the generations he has reached through television might not be aware that beneath that versatility is one core desire. The Weekly caught up with Mandel via phone while he prepped for the next appearance on his latest tour, which visits Golden State Theatre Friday Oct. 20.

Weekly: What has been at the core of your identity as an entertainer over the years?

Mandel: Saying yes! I’ve done so many different things, but the core of my identity is standup comedy. Standup comedy is where I started, it’s what I do and it’s my primal scream at the end of the day. People know me from Bobby’s World or even America’s Got Talent, those are great family shows, but they should not bring the kids to see me. I love [standup] because it’s the autonomy of not having any leash, there’s no editing, there’s not marks to hit, there’s no lines to recite. Anything can happen. I look at it like a giant party and I’m just trying to be the center of attention.

What comics inspired you to do standup in the first place?

I was inspired by anything I’ve ever been expelled for, hit for or punished for, and that’s what I seem to get paid for today. It started as a dare and I just got up there. The most inspiring comic I ever saw live was Richard Pryor. In the ’70s when I came down to the comedy store in LA, he was working, putting together and writing live on stage for “Live on the Sunset Strip,” which is one of the most seminal standup comedy concerts in history.

I know comedy is competitive. Do you have any advice for young comedians trying to cut their teeth in the game?

There’s nothing more competitive about standup comedy than banking. The thing I would tell them is what Nike tells everybody: “Just do it.” Do it. And I did it whether it was in the middle of a disco because they had to turn off the music, or in a banquet hall or at somebody’s birthday party in their living room, you can always find a space to do it. Whether you’re doing it on YouTube, or whereever you can do it. The fact that you think it’s tough to do it, if it’s too tough to surmount, you won’t make it.

What’s the weirdest gig you’ve ever had to do?

They continue to come upon me. I do gigs like the one in Monterey, but I also do corporate gigs. I did one last month for a corporate company [in Miami] that sells groceries in South America. Not a person in the audience spoke a lick of English, but the guy who booked the gig was a huge fan of mine. And you know how they say if you make one person laugh, then you’re doing your job? I made that guy laugh.

Do you have a creative process when it comes to writing your material?

Come to the show and I’ll be writing. After 40 years I have a plethora of material to call upon, but I look to be veered off of my well-beaten path. The audience becomes very much a part of it and there’s a lot of interaction. Whether there’s a noise in the room, something happened that day, there’s a technical problem or someone up front is talking, I just take it to wherever it goes and that makes it fun and fresh and new for me.

Do you thrive off of certain venues more than others?

I like the live moment. I’ll finish at a casino or a theater and then I’ll say, “Is there a club in town?” and I’ll drop in on the [comedy] club at 1am where there are three people sitting 200 feet apart and there’s no energy there, but that’s kind of fun and a great challenge to make something out of that.

What do you do for enjoyment outside of standup comedy?

What I do is what I love to do. If I was still a carpet salesman, I would try to find a place once or twice a week where somebody would allow me on stage even in front of two people to do this. I love it, it doesn’t feel like a job. I always say I do my comedy for free, what you pay me for is to leave my house and get in a plane and stay in a hotel. Monterey happens to be a really nice place, but not everyplace is Monterey.

What’s your favorite thing to do here?

When I’m not doing comedy I like to do nothing, and Monterey is a great place to do nothing. But honestly, I am just counting down the moments until I can get back on stage.

HOWIE MANDEL performs 8pm Friday, Oct. 20. $53-$86. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com