Terry Fator always knew he wanted to be a performer. But how did this legendary America’s Got Talent winner rise to the top with an all-star cast of…puppets? Although he’s usually pretty tight-lipped, we had the pleasure of chatting with him to uncover what makes him tick and where he draws his inspiration. Our favorite tidbit? After 16 years as a Las Vegas headliner, he’s just as thrilled to make a pitstop in Flint during his tour as we are to welcome him.

Would you consider yourself more of a ventriloquist, comedian or something else entirely?

I like to think of myself as an all-around entertainer.  It all comes from my talent as a ventriloquist-that is what enables me to tell jokes, perform parody songs, and create funny characters in a way that is different than everyone else.

Who or what is your biggest influence?

It would be the first ventriloquist I ever saw, Paul Winchell. Other influences are really any performer who gives the audience a total show like Carol Burnett, Tim Conway and Dick Van Dyke

What is your greatest achievement?

If you don’t count once eating 2 pizzas while watching a football game, it would be winning [America’s Got Talent].  Coming from nowhere with a talent no one had seen before, overcoming that first “Oh no, a ventriloquist!” reaction, and winning. That is right at the top.

Have you ever performed in Flint? In Michigan? Any specific memories?

I’ve never performed in Flint but I have performed in Michigan several times. I am so looking forward to my first time in Flint with my wife, Angie. By the way, one of our favorite vacation spots is Mackinac Island!

What’s your favorite kind of crowd or venue?

I like all venues and crowd sizes. But at the top are crowds of, say, 1500, like at the Capitol Theater…they give me so much energy.

How do you invent a new character? Does it start by seeing a puppet? Or is a puppet created based on a personality or concept you conjure up?

It’s really the chicken and the egg. Sometimes, I’ll envision a type – like a cougar or the world’s greatest Latin lover – and then have the puppet built while I build the routine. And other times I’ll see someone – for example, a stoner – and realize I can make a puppet that looks like him.  And, of course there are my celebrity puppets that people love: David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury to name a few.

Any new characters you can tell us about?

I’m always thinking of new characters to bring onto the show but with my new show at the Strat and my road show, my focus lately is more on new comedy and new songs and impersonations for the established characters fans love.

Who is your favorite character? Why?

That’s like asking me which Disney Park is my favorite – I can’t choose one. But if you give me three, it would be Winston because he can impersonate anyone (and let’s face it, he helped me win AGT); Walter because he was my first professional puppet; and Maynard because, after all, he is the world’s greatest Elvis impersonator, and he is my favorite to perform.

How do you know you’re onto something in terms of a new character or concept?

The truth is you never know until you bring it to the stage. I won’t do that unless I’m 90% sure it will work. But just talking about it with my team and seeing if just the description excites them is a good clue whether I’m on the right path.

Do you test out new characters, ideas or jokes on anyone before trying them onstage? Who is your go-to test audience?

I’ll try them out on my wife, Angie, who is the perfect combination: greatest wife and toughest critic. And when I rehearse things in front of the crew, that’s a second test. But truthfully, I take that leap of faith and then go right to the audience. And confession – sometimes things I’m not sure about kill and get huge ovations. Then there are jokes that make me laugh out loud when I come up with them that may get zero from the audience. And those disappear, never to be heard again.

Any news you can share with us about anything exciting on the horizon?

I’m going to perform overseas for the first time. I’ll be doing shows in Blackpool in the U.K.  I just hope they understand a Texas accent.

What would 10-year-old Terry think about all this? What did you originally want to be as a kid?

I think 10-year-old Terry would be so thrilled because even back then I dreamed of being on stage, and to do so in Las Vegas or onstage in Flint is a dream come true.

Don’t miss Terry at FIM Capitol Theatre on March 1 at 8 pm! Tickets are available by visiting a box office location at Whiting Auditorium or Capitol Theatre, contacting FIM Ticket Center at 810.237.7333 or visiting the link below.