My name is Kris Simms and I am the writer and producer of Crazy Legs. I got hooked on late-night television at an early age and would often click between Leno and Arsenio waiting for something to pique my interest. One night, I saw a man with Cerebral Palsy tell a joke about skiing in his home-state of Colorado. A Latino comedian with Cerebral Palsy wasn’t a common sight and yet, somehow, he was on Arsenio. And he was from Colorado— my home-state! This was, of course, Chris “Crazy Legs” Fonseca. I was only twelve-years-old at the time but I still remember hearing the buzz about how this hilarious, home-state kid with a physical disability made good and broke through the gates of Hollywood. I was proud.

Many years later, I’d try my hand at breaking through the gates of Hollywood. With the help of my buddy, Dave Franco (not James’ brother), I was able to produce a low-budget horror film. We had the time of our lives and got something out into the world. Dave would go on to work as a photojournalist and I leaned into screenwriting. Yet, we always wanted to work on another movie together and, in 2018, started discussing the prospects. 

It was at this time when my wife graduated from nursing school and went to work at a long-term care facility. She told me that one of her favorite patients was a comedian with Cerebral Palsy who was huge in the 90’s. It couldn’t be the same guy I saw on Arsenio all of those years ago, could it? It was!

When Chris learned that I was a screenwriter, he asked my wife to connect us. Over coffee and cheesecake, he told me about how he rose above the challenges of Cerebral Palsy to attain a career in Hollywood but, with success, came the trappings of fame. He said that he confronted a severe bout with alcoholism but couldn’t find stability and checked himself into the long-term care facility. This is a story that needs to be told, I thought.

Although Chris was not touring as regularly, he was still close friends with television producers and needed the help of a screenwriter. Chris and I had a lot of fun writing spec scripts but I was inspired by his life. He told me that he’d been approached by a few filmmakers but that nothing materialized. I could tell that Chris was disappointed by this. So, for now, he just wanted to write other stuff. I let it go— for the time being.

During Covid times, Chris got back on his feet and had his own apartment again. He was yearning to get on stage but everything was shut down. Then, he got a call from Dave Chappelle. You see, he and Chappelle came up together in the early 90’s. As things started opening back up, Chappelle invited Chris to open for him in Austin, Texas.  They were able to hang out after a show and Chappelle told Chris that if he ever wanted help telling his story, he’d be there. 

When Chris got back from Austin, he was brimming with motivation and told me, “You win. Let’s do it.” And with those words, I was off researching, writing and fundraising. I needed help and turned to my buddy Dave Franco who I made the horror film with. Dave saw the merit of Chris’ story and came aboard with fresh ideas and a dogged curiosity. He asked me who we’d be interviewing first and when I told him that we’d be sitting down with Dave Chappelle, he laughed. When I told him that I was serious, he said, “Let’s get to work.” And that’s what we’ve been doing for two and a half years. 

We are so close to sharing our work with audiences but have a few hurdles remaining, primarily post-production expenses and licensing and legal fees. We will also shoot a mini-tour where Chris Fonseca will be celebrating his fortieth anniversary of performing stand-up. Our goal is to raise $20,000. We hope to exceed this goal and will use any surplus funds for film festival submissions.

My passion to tell this story goes all the way back to that late night when I witnessed the home-state kid do good. Following Chris Fonseca during his career resurgence has been the adventure of a lifetime and we hope you’ll consider going on this crazy ride with us!

— Kris

THE STORY

Chris Fonseca rises above the challenges of Cerebral Palsy to build a career in stand-up comedy and television but, with success, came the trappings of fame. After overcoming a severe bout with alcoholism, Fonseca experiences a resurgence on the stand-up scene and tells his sometimes tragic, often hilarious, and ultimately, inspirational story.

TOPIC SUMMARY: CHRIS FONSECA

After cutting his teeth on the Colorado comedy scene throughout the 1980’s, Chris Fonseca made his late-night debut on The Arsenio Hall Show and received the first standing ovation in the show’s history. Fonseca went on to do Arsenio three more times, was the first comedian with a physical disability to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman, and even had a guest role on Baywatch. One of his proudest moments was in 1998 when he performed on the ABC special, Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope. 

In addition to his HBO and Showtime specials, he was a featured comedian at the Montreal Comedy Festival, a star performer at the San Antonio Latino Laugh Festival and the headliner of the Los Angeles Latino Comedy Festival and a featured performer at the 2022 MAX Ha Comedy Special. He was inducted into the Colorado Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2018. 

At the height of his career, Fonseca was performing over 200 nights a year, often taking his five children on tour with him. He was involved in a serious car crash that slowed his stardom but he persevered and toured with Latino comedy royalty: Gabriel Iglesias, George Lopez and Carlos Mencia. After confronting a severe bout with alcoholism, he got sober and has been so for twelve years. Fonseca has most recently been performing with Dave Chappelle to sold out arenas around the country and celebrated his fourth decade of performing stand-up during the comedy special, Crazy Legs: 40 Years of Funny. Fonseca is the subject of the upcoming documentary, Crazy Legs. He will executive produce and has entrusted creative control in writer & producer, Kris Simms (High Roller Heist). 

Fonseca is the proud dad of five kids: Andrew, Jason, Coral (Brian), Amy and Jessica. Starting the next generation of the family is his spunky protege granddaughter, Sophia. 

If you are interested in booking Chris "Crazy Legs" Fonseca, please contact: 

Glenn Schwartz
Cyberlaff Inc.
glenn.schwartz@icloud.com

FROM THE DIRECTOR

I am a Gen X Latino filmmaker who has been a part of many worlds. I have felt the transition from an analog world to a digital one. I have seen the evolution of discourse evolve in this country, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Both of my grandparents fought for this country even though one was not native born. It did not stop the segregation that my mom experienced when she was in grade school. These experiences have shaped my life and I have explored issues of race and identity in my work from the earliest days of my foray into the realm of film. 

Chris’ story is one that needs to be told because it is the story of taking control of one's identity. I feel his story in my soul and know that it will resonate with those who have had those experiences where others try and define you. Chris leads through example on how to create art and how to connect with people, bridging chasms of life experience, ethnicity, able-bodiedness, and perception. This paradigm shift has been a cornerstone of this production and the way we are approaching the story from a visual perspective.

My measure of success will be to create a piece of art worthy of Chris’ life, and share the ethos of his experience with others. His story reminds us that we are the architects, for better or for worse, of our own identity.It belongs to us and us alone.

Filmmaking is a collaborative endeavor. While the digital era has made it more accessible, it has also raised the bar and presents its own challenges. Our core group is motivated and technically proficient in many, but not all aspects of the process. We are utilizing the gamut of our hard and soft skills and resources, but still need assistance to bring this film to screen with the quality that the story deserves. But Chris himself illustrates that these obstacles are just bumps in the road for us to roll over.

– Director, David Franco

THE TEAM

WRITER & PRODUCER: Kris Simms is a Denver based screenwriter, producer and the host of the High Roller Heist podcast. He wrote and produced his first feature film Alien Valley in 2015 and wrote the horror novella, Red Moon Night, in 2019. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona where he was a Knowledge River Scholar— a Library Science cohort that advances information issues impacting Latino and Native American communities. He later attended CU Denver where he studied film & television with an emphasis on screenwriting.

DIRECTOR & EDITOR: Dave Franco directed the found-footage horror film Alien Valley (2015) and the documentary film Sons of Salt (2016). He has shot, produced, and edited over 100 news packages for E.W. Scripps. He has covered school shootings, the 2018 democratic primaries, wildfires, and COVID-19. He has a diverse portfolio of film/video projects that includes commercials, digital news, and narrative and documentary filmmaking. The Crazy Legs documentary will play to his strengths as a journalist while challenging him in the concert/performing arena.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Brian Prutch, GM & Director of Marketing for the Maverik Center SLC, has worked with Kris Simms and Dave Franco for over fifteen years. Brian is passionate about documentary film making and has partnered with The Sundance Film Festival and Utah Film Studios on projects and sponsorships for over ten years.

PROJECT INFO

FEATURED INTERVIEWS: In addition to interviews with Chris Fonseca, his fans, colleagues, friends and family, we have sat down with Paul Rodriguez, Carlos Mencia, Nina G., Pat Green, Josh Blue and have a feature story told by DAVE CHAPPELLE! 

ARTISTIC APPROACH : In the same vein of Gleeson, Val, and episode 1 of This American Life season two: Escape. Crazy Legs is a realistic glimpse into the life, struggles, and triumphs of comedian, Chris Fonseca. Fonseca shows us that we can define our own identity. He has overcome many obstacles, including some that were self-inflicted, to attain success as a working comedian with Cerebral Palsy. He gets labeled from the moment he enters the room:  the Hispanic guy from small town Colorado or the disabled comic. But his magnetic personality, approach to life, and unique voice illustrate how one can pave their own road and achieve greatness in the face of adversity. 

Fonseca is a born storyteller and through these conversations the project has begun to take shape. As visual artists, we have spent countless hours distilling his life experiences and coming up with a visual language that can convey his experience. Nothing is simple for Fonseca and he faces struggles every day. We will try to give the audience a glimpse of what it’s like to live with CP, how he engages with people on a stage and the support group that enables all of this to happen. 

We have access to multiple sources of archival footage of Fonseca’s performances and we will also be sourcing licensed footage of his television and comedy specials. We have documented his day-to-day life from the mundane tasks he undertakes to the on-stage performance, as well as attaching cameras to his wheelchair to get his first-person perspective.This has been done in a direct-cinema style. To get the full picture, we have interviewed Fonseca in multiple spaces, talked with the individuals in his direct orbit, and engaged with the peers and fans he has influenced. 

AUDIENCE : As filmmakers, we want to reach the widest audience possible. Fonseca's story of overcoming the tremendous hurdles that come with having CP to attaining a successful career in Hollywood is a compelling one. Yet, we understand that our subject matter may be of more interest to some audiences. 

For one, this film is for stand-up comedy lovers and we are featuring some real big hitters. We also recognize that Fonseca's fan base is primarily Latino and located in the American Southwest. They have been waiting for this film for decades. Finally, Fonseca has opened doors for many disabled performers and this audience is dedicated to making this film a success. As his old buddy, Norm McDonald, used to joke, “So, are you the handicapped Chris Fonseca or the Mexican one?” illustrating how Chris speaks to many audiences. 

Regardless of how our film is marketed, we want film festivals to be our launch vehicle and we’re sure Fonseca will earn more fans along the way.     

ACCESSIBILITY : The accessibility of our film to deaf, disabled and neurodiverse audience members is of the upmost importance to our production.In fact, it might be our main mission. Chris’ inspirational story is one of overcoming Cerebral Palsy to storm the gates of Hollywood. It would be antithetical to our message to create something that is not accessible to everyone, especially the disabled.

As indicated in our budget, we are using the Adobe Premiere Pro speech-to-text feature and native M1 support to aid in the subtitling process. We were also recently contacted by the Voiceitt App development team who is on the cutting edge of aiding those with speech impediments. Voiceitt has agreed to consult us on enhancing the cinematic experience for our deaf, disabled and neurodiverse audiences.