Bobcat Goldthwait, appearing this weekend at Acme Comedy Co., was huge in the '80s. Now he's actual size, and loving it.

A veteran of three HBO comedy specials, a double handful of "Police Academy" films and countless stand-up gigs, he was half comedian, half Tasmanian devil, howling in a voice like "Sesame Street's" Grover after a Drano gargle. Now he's dropped that persona. He has a second career creating edgy indie comedies. "World's Greatest Dad" with Robin Williams and "Sleeping Dogs Lie," which he describes as "a romantic comedy with a tasteful amount of bestiality," premiered at the highly selective Sundance Film Festival.

He's back in the stand-up spotlight to try out new material, connect with audiences and, he says, "so I can keep making these small independent films."

Goldthwait proved his chops directing about 300 episodes of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Show." The network never promoted that fact, since he had been fired from "The Hollywood Squares" and booted from "The Tonight Show" after setting fire to the guest chair.

"They didn't want to say, 'You know that guy who's banned from other talk shows? That's our director,'" he explained. Studios have been equally leery about working with such an outlandish character, and that's fine with him.

"I just want to make my movies free from interference. That would really make me crazy. I can do things on my terms if I keep them small. If that means my wife and I will be renters until we die, so be it."

In a phone call from his apartment in Studio City, Calif., Goldthwait said his new act is more structured than his old rants, echoing the uncomfortable hilarity of his films.

"Robin and I were in a restaurant having a conversation about our neuroses. He wanted to make everybody in the room laugh and love him. I want them all to get mad and think about me.

"I hated doing stand-up because morning-radio guys are douchebags and club owners are thieves, and the featured middle acts are always bitter. But then I realized I don't hate stand-up. I hate this character I've been doing all these years. It was like, 'Why bother writing, it's a different Funnybone in each city.' So I just jettisoned it. For most people that might not be scary but for me it was a huge crutch, because a lot of people only come to see me because of 'Police Academy.' Some of them were disappointed, but I started enjoying it for the first time in 15 years."

Bobcat 2.0 is Goldthwait being himself, talking about things that amuse him.

"Last night we were kicking around how people who play sports are truly looked upon as though they are more important in America. Even back to high school. If a kid died, they'd say, 'He was a good kid, he was a good athlete.' They'd never say, 'He was a good kid, he was really good at drama.'"

Colin Covert • 612-673-7186