Fluffy’s Fierce Fall: Iglesias Knocked Out in Skirt on ‘All That’!

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias Recounts Hilarious and Painful ‘All That’ Stunt Gone Wrong

Before he was a household name, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias was a young comedian navigating the bright, often bewildering world of 90s children’s television. In a recent conversation, Iglesias, now a comedy titan, regaled audiences with a wild tale from his time on Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy show, All That. It wasn’t just about landing a coveted gig that launched his career; it was about a spectacular, on-set accident involving a cheerleader costume and a rogue beam that left him unconscious and earned him a concussion – and a very memorable apology from fellow comedian Katt Williams.

From Laugh Factory to Nickelodeon: A Star is Born

Recalling his early 2000s stint on All That, Iglesias painted a picture of a young performer eager for his big break. “I was on a show, basically the Saturday Night Live version for kids. On Nickelodeon called All That,” he explained. The show was a launching pad for future stars like Amanda Bynes, Nick Cannon, and Kenan Thompson, who at the time was already setting records on SNL. Iglesias joined the cast around season six, stepping in after Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell spun off to their own show, Kenan & Kel.

His audition was a testament to his burgeoning talent. “Someone had seen me at the Laugh Factory doing standup and they recommended me to Tolen Robbins who was the producers of the show,” Iglesias said. “And so next thing you know I’m at Nickelodeon and I’m in an office and it’s me and my manager and they’re like, ‘Okay, so you’re Gabriel, you’re funny. Someone saw you blah blah blah blah blah and they’re like, um, they said you’re good at characters and they said can you do some characters for us?'” Iglesias, then in his mid-twenties and one of the older cast members, rattled off his impressions, including a notable female voice that immediately impressed the producers.

The transition was dramatic. “I went from being a comic on the weekends making, I don’t know, maybe $300, $400 on the weekends if I hit a bunch of clubs and stuff to all of a sudden I’m a cast member on All That. And I was making about $3,500 a weekend. So my life dramatically changed.”

Intimidation and Inspiration: Working with Young Stars

Iglesias also shared his impressions of his young co-stars, particularly Amanda Bynes. “Early on with Amanda, she was the golden goose on the show. She was incredibly talented,” he recalled. He remembered seeing her host a Nickelodeon event at just 11 or 12 years old, displaying a level of poise and professionalism that intimidated him. “The amount of poise and confidence that she had hosting with a microphone… she’s such a pro. So when I actually got to meet her, even though I was older, I was very intimidated by her.” Despite their proximity, Iglesias never became close friends with Bynes, feeling a professional distance due to their age difference and his own newness to the cast.

Nick Cannon, on the other hand, was a different story. “I clicked more with Nick. Nick was super cool. Nick was always inviting me out to eat,” Iglesias said. Cannon would often treat Iglesias and fellow castmate Danny Tamberelli to meals at a nearby Carl’s Jr., a gesture Iglesias deeply appreciated. “I was so excited. I’m like, ‘Yay, free food.'”

The Pressure of Replacement and the Infamous Fall

Stepping into the shoes of Kenan and Kel brought its own unique pressure. “Yeah, that was a lot of pressure because they had one person replace two,” Iglesias admitted. He often heard the whispers: “‘Oh, this is the guy that they brought in to replace the two.'” While he joked about the double salary for replacing two performers, he acknowledged the immense talent and chemistry of Kenan and Kel, which led to their own successful spinoff.

But the most dramatic moment from his All That tenure wasn’t about ratings or replacing stars; it was a physical mishap that nearly ended his career before it truly began. “So, you got fired. So, um, one on Nickelodeon on on All That because of the fact that I could do the girl voice, they they loved dressing me up, putting wigs and skirts and stuff,” Iglesias explained, preemptively addressing the inevitable question about his departure.

The incident occurred during a sketch where Iglesias was dressed as a cheerleader. “I had like the pigtails and then the bangs and stuff like that, pom poms, the socks with the little the little ball in the back.” As the cast rushed onto the set after the musical guest’s performance, following a typical running order from shortest to tallest, Iglesias, blinded by his bangs, ran directly into a low-hanging beam.

“I ran right into the beam and knocked myself unconscious on the set of All That. And so boom, hit the floor,” he recounted. He awoke to a fireman asking if he knew where he was and why he was wearing a skirt. “Do you know why you’re wearing a skirt?” the fireman asked. “Paycheck,” Iglesias quipped.

Hospitalization, Mistaken Identity, and a Signed Waiver

The severity of the injury was evident as paramedics, not allowing him to remove his wig for fear it was stabilizing his head, placed him on a gurney and transported him to the hospital. The visual of him being taken away in an ambulance, still in his full cheerleader costume, while his family and friends followed, was a surreal and public spectacle.

At the hospital, scans confirmed he had a concussion. The real chaos, however, ensued when news of an entertainer with the last name Iglesias suffering a head injury at the Nickelodeon lot reached the public. “So people think that Enrique Iglesias was hurt and now there’s all these news stations showing up to the hospital to see if Enrique is okay, not realizing that fat dude in a skirt,” Iglesias said, highlighting the absurd mix-up.

The experience left a bitter taste in his mouth, which is why he has avoided All That reunion shows. “Unfortunately, which really left a bad taste in my mouth, which is why I never did any of the reunion shows, is that they sent someone there to, with a clipboard to get me to sign a waiver saying that Nickelodeon’s not responsible for the fact that I got injured on the set,” he revealed. When he hesitated, he was threatened with being fired. “And so I’m like, they threaten me with that and then I sign it and then they fired me anyway.”

A Future Forged in Comedy

Despite the painful and unprofessional handling of his injury, Iglesias remains pragmatic. “It’s okay cuz you know things turned out all right,” he concluded. His career has since soared, cementing his status as one of comedy’s most beloved figures. The tale serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in live television and the resilience required to overcome adversity, even when dressed as a cheerleader.

Source: Gabriel Iglesias Apologizes To Katt Williams For Wearing A Dress On Nickelodeon’s All That (YouTube)