By Keegan Prosser

You may know comic Chris D’Elia from his starring role as Alex on NBC’s “Whitney,” or his hilarious turn as Topher on Comedy Central’s “Workaholics,” but D’Elia’s first love has always been stand-up.

With accolades including spots on Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy and Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and Comedy Central Presents – funny man D’Elia is bringing his act to the Parlor Live Comedy Club in Bellevue for a three-night showcase June 21-23.

Here, D’Elia talks music, British accents – and how his stand-up act differs from the characters he plays on primetime.

SCENE: Describe your comedy act in one word:

CD: High-energy. I guess that’s two words. Just put a [hyphen] in there.

SCENE: What inspires your jokes?

CD: Just hanging out with my friends and making fun of each other.

SCENE: Recently, you’ve been playing the character Alex on the NBC show, ‘Whitney.” What’s the difference between filming a television show and doing a stand-up act?

CD: The sole difference is that [on television] if the jokes don’t work, it’s not your fault. Television is more of a team effort. In stand-up, if something doesn’t work, the only person to blame is yourself.

SCENE: In one of your bits you criticize how soft rap music has become; is this how you honestly feel about music today?

CD: Yeah, I feel like it got softer – especially in the mainstream – but I still like it. And I say that in the bit. Usually if I make fun of it, I like it.

SCENE: What are you listening to currently?

CD: I listen to a lot of Tech 9. He’s the best. He’s my favorite. I have the Drake CD in my car. And recently I’ve been listening to dub step; I listen to a lot of Skrillex and Dylan Francis.

SCENE: Are you pretty active on Twitter?

CD: Yeah, I’m pretty active. I tweet like two or three times a day. I try to respond to people and interact when I can.

SCENE: Have you ever been to this area before?

CD: No, I’ve never been. I’ve been to Seattle like twice – once when I was a kid, and once for a wedding. It’s a nice place, I’m excited to go back there – to Bellevue, right?

SCENE: What can people going to your shows at the Parlor expect?

CD: A high-energy good time. I like the audience to be part of the show – not like yelling stuff out – but like, we’re all there, and in it together. Less show, more party. Like you’re with your friends hanging out.

SCENE: One of your popular segments is a bit from the Ten Minute Podcast (with comedians Bryan Callen and Will Sasso) called “So British.” How did that persona develop?

CD: I don’t even know. I have a lot of British friends. So it just started from making fun of them, and doing an accent, and telling them ‘You’re not as British as I am.’ And then it became part of my act and stuff; I actually have some things in the works with that character.

SCENE: Like what Sacha Baron Cohen did with ‘Borat’ and ‘Brüno’?

CD: Maybe. I have some stuff; I can’t really talk about it yet.

Chris D’Elia will perform at the Parlor Live Comedy Club on June 21-23. For tickets, go to www.parlorlive.com.