He wrote, directed, and starred in the hit comedy "Hysterical Blindness," which poked playful fun at his growing up in the South. The play first ran off-Broadway for many years during the early 1990s and won critical acclaim. This production brought him to the attention of television producers, and led to a rash of TV sitcoms in which he continued to play the confused, humorous Southern boy. It is now being revived and updated in New York.