Seeing Jeffrey Ross on the street one might think he is a radio personality, has personally waged a war against hair brushes or was an extra from Lord of the Rings – good thing he is a comedian.

The man who has earned the moniker “Roastmaster General” as a part of the “Comedy Central Roasts” and the “New York Friars’ Club,” will return to the Seattle area to make fun of anyone who gets in his way – with love, of course. He plays Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland April 8-9.

“The audiences up there have a good sense of humor,” said Ross, who speed roasts the audience at the end of every show. “The last time I was in Seattle a war veteran threw his fake leg on stage.”

Ross’ career has been full of surprises, from his book “I Only Roast the Ones I Love,” to roles on “CSI” and Showtime’s “Weeds.”

“I take any chance to get out of my comfort zone,” said Ross. “I think comedians make good actors because we wear our heart on our sleeve.”

Ross also had a fantastic showing on “Dancing with the Stars,” where he got a scratched cornea from being poked in the eye.

“It was a good experience,” said Ross of learning to dance on national TV. “I think I got voted off during the first commercial break.”

But his work as Roastmaster General and producer on the “Comedy Central Roasts” has garnered some high praise from critics, as he has been compared to the likes of comedians Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett.

“It feels ridiculous to be compared to them. They are my idols,” said Ross, who grew up in New Jersey. “Just to be mentioned in the same sentence is amazing. They are some of the greatest ever.”

Ross is one of the few comedians in the industry with a college degree and actually uses it. He earned a Bachelors in Communications from Boston University.

“It has helped me as a storyteller … and it got me out of New Jersey,” joked Ross, who has also produced the documentary “Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie.” It received the Best Feature Film Award at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

The Roastmaster General said that his standup work is a little different from what most people know of him.

“My standup is more story and heart,” said Ross. “I usually end it with love poems.”

But Ross’ place in the longstanding tradition of roasting has been cemented in producing and performing in the majority of the “Comedy Central Roasts.” He has roasted such entertainment icons as William Shatner, David Hasselhoff, Rob Reiner, Jerry Stiller, Drew Carey, Emmitt Smith, Carson Daly, Gene Simmons and Hugh Hefner.

Hefner’s roast was one of the most difficult to produce.

“We were really nervous about the show because it was just a few weeks after 9/11,” said Ross of the comedians set to roast Hefner.

The show had one of the most shocking moments in standup comedy history as a Gilbert Godfrey joke about the twin towers completely bombed. In desperation, Godfrey turned to “The Aristocrats,” a comedy-insiders’ joke. Ross buried his head in his hands when Godfrey began, but the joke had most gasping for air from laughing so hard. The joke is designed to be one of the most vulgar jokes ever told and the program was being recorded for TV.

“It was a tension lifter,” said Ross. “It was complete hysterics.”

Another difficult “Comedy Central Roast” to produce was that of Donald Trump. The roast followed the death of Ross’ friend and fellow roaster extraordinaire Greg Giraldo.

“It was devastating and sad,” said Ross. “But the roast must go on … We booked one less act to save a place for him.”

But the actual show was made more difficult by the “Jersey Shore’s” cast member “The Situation.” Ross said that “The Situation” was the worst roaster he has ever seen: “Gaddafi almost surrendered.”

It is the only time Ross has had to help a roaster get through the set.

“Snoop helped me ‘relax’ during the break,” said Ross.

Ross works for weeks on his material for the roasts and even through all the breaks during the tapings. He said that he views roasting as a sign of respect and added: “I hope they roast me some day.”

More information

Ross will roast Kirkland on April 8-9 at Laughs Comedy Spot. Visit www.laughscomedy.com for tickets.