The sound of his signature inflections may elicit memories of iconic characters like Dr. Huxtable and Fat Albert, but Bill Cosby is shedding his small screen personas and returning to the stage as a stand-up comedian.

At age 75, long after some of his comedic companions have quit, Cosby continues to tour the nation with new, non-conforming comedy material. His latest stop will be at the Baton Rouge River Center today at 2 p.m.

The Daily Reveille spoke with the iconic comedian, actor and activist Friday, who eagerly discussed a variety of topics – from the decline of television to his distaste for “Cosby” sweaters.

On what patrons can expect for the show: “I’m going to come out and sit down at the table on stage and I am going to talk to them about whatever comes to my mind … It depends on how I feel after feeling them.”

On his comedic process: “I have to figure out how to get to talking to the audience so that they understand and that there is a connection. What I’m after in storytelling is having people connect with me, to smile and laugh.”

On keeping his material clean: “Obviously, I’m from a time where I write without the aid of profanity or loose sexual talk.”

On his favorite impersonations of him: “Eddie Murphy had a good one. Some of them sound funny to me. Some of them sound like an old lady who’s had too much to drink.”

On what makes him laugh: “[When] you take on a role, without the kid knowing, that you don’t understand what they understand. I had this little black girl. I’ll tell you she made you laugh so hard because she just turned into a person who was very mature but had no patience for me.”

On the state of television today: “I think these shows where these men and women are using all this profanity and calling it reality. But it really isn’t because everybody knows there’s somebody behind the camera saying ‘now I think you need to get mad or you need to curse.’ It’s not there, but people are entertained by it.”

On the current need for and possible revival of “The Cosby Show”: Given the opportunity— not to act in it but to produce, write and direct — we could really have another show. It wouldn’t be the “Huxtables”. It wouldn’t be “A Different World.” But it would have the same responsibility to human beings.”

On defining moments in his career: “The teacher was the three years working beside Robert Culp in “I Spy” because of the support I had from him. He never said do this or do that. It was just the fact that when we worked together, it was very, very comfortable.”

On what he wants to be left as his legacy: “Alone. Those things, they never really seem important to me because I think that if you look at Martin Luther King and what people keep running every year. What do school children get from February or that January day? … I would prefer that people understand the pain that people before me endured so that laws would have to be set up to protect victims.”

On “Cosby” sweaters: “I don’t like them. I mean, it may have been fine for back then … but I don’t have one upstairs in my closet.”

On the University: “They stole my fraternity colors!”(Omega Psi Phi)

His last words: “When I sit down to talk to them, the intention that I have is laughter, and I don’t mean some kind of little lighthearted laughter. I’m talking about laughter — mess up your makeup and hurt your sides. Tell the people I’m coming after them.”