Eric Andre Says He ‘Asked’ Audience Members to ‘Sleep at Their House’ When He Was Homeless Early in His Career (Exclusive)

The actor opens up to PEOPLE about the struggles he faced on the way to his big career break

Eric Andre will never forget the difficulties he faced on the path to success.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, the comic, 41, recalled one summer in New York City when he was so low on cash that he was homeless.

“I would go up onstage and ask people if I could sleep at their house,” he says. “I slept in the park a few nights. I would just have enough money for either whiskey or dinner. And sometimes I would just drink a thing of whiskey.”

“I would sleep in Union Square or St. Vartan Park in Murray Hill,” Andre continues. “I would try to find safe parks to sleep in. Then I'd wake up at 5:00 in the morning terrified. … It was a nightmare. I had toothbrushes all over town.”

Related: Eric André Has a Mid-Flight Emergency in Drumstick's Super Bowl Commercial (Exclusive)

To help make ends meet, Andre worked a number of odd jobs, including a three-day stint as a waiter.

“I was the worst waiter in the history of restaurants,” he admits. “I lied on my résumé, and said I was waiting tables for seven years. I quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing.”

The comedian also worked for a dog daycare business, which he says proved to be a downright “nightmare.”

“I made seven bucks an hour, driving dogs around in a van, kind of like the guy from Dumb and Dumber,” explains Andre, adding: “I've got to get a key from the doorman and go into this person's house, and try to convince the dog that you're not a robber ... Then the dog, when he finally stopped trying to kill you, you'd have to leave the dog in the van, among 10 other dogs that are sh------, vomiting, attacking each other in the back of the van and trying to jump out into traffic."

"I was constantly getting sick," he continues. "Every time you're dealing with that many dogs, you would rub your nose, you'd kind of forget, you'd get an allergy attack, rub your nose, and then all the viruses [would get you].”

Related: Eric André Went to the Hospital for a Concussion After John Cena Threw Him ‘Through a Shelf’ (Exclusive)

Andre has come a long way since those challenging early days. The Eric Andre Show  has earned him two Emmy nominations this year, one for outstanding performer in a short form comedy or drama series and another for outstanding short form comedy, drama or variety series. When he received the news from a Comedy Central employee, Andre says he was "over the moon."

“We've been doing the show for over 10 years, so to even just get the acknowledgement of the nomination [is amazing],” he tells PEOPLE. “But I get a little superstitious about this stuff. I’ll celebrate if I get one of those trophies in my hand.”

The Adult Swim comedy, which deconstructs the decades-long tried-and-true talk show format, has hosted dozens of celebrity guests, including Jack Black, Jon Hamm, Jimmy Kimmel, Natasha Lyonne, Jesse Williams and Tinashe. Andre’s jokes sometimes veer into NC-17 territory, but the comic insists that even now, his guests “have no idea what they’re getting into.”

“Even if they did thorough research, they watch every episode, they're superfans, once you sit in that chair, and explosives are being detonated, and flying African hissing cockroaches are coming out of my coffee mug? It doesn't matter how prepared you are,” he says.

Related: Eric Andre Says He Was Racially Profiled, Searched by Police at Atlanta Airport: 'This Is Racism'

Andre recently had an unexpected brush with authority. On Aug. 20, he shared an Instagram post with a video discussing a stopover at Melbourne Airport in Australia, where he said he was racially profiled. In addition to requesting a security escort through the airport, Andre asked his social media followers for help finding discrimination lawyers.

“I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so that I’m treated like a first-class citizen,” Andre said in the video. “I shouldn’t be made to feel that I am unaccepted by entering a country.”

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Seasons 1 through 6 of The Eric Andre Show are available to stream on Hulu. The 2024 Emmys air on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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