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FAIRBANKS — Diets, magicians, ventriloquists and tiny t-shirts — like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get from comedian Jamie Lissow.

In fact, Lissow warned in a recent phone interview, nothing is off-limits.

The brawny, blue-eyed comedian has been making people laugh since the days of Paulie Shore and Jimmy “J.J.” Walker. He has appeared on “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” NBC’s “Late Friday,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.” He also is a proud “Star Search” loser.

His lean beginnings were spent hustling his comedy back and forth from New York to Los Angeles in a tiny Ford Escort with a miniature fridge in the trunk. But these days, Lissow can be heard mornings on “The Wease Show,” a New York morning radio program on FM 95.7.

“I get to be the obnoxious sidekick, and I really feel like it’s what I was born to do,” Lissow explained. “I wake up at 4:30 a.m., do a live show for five hours and it’s the fastest part of my day.”

Lissow wasn’t always a professional comedian. He gave law school a shot in the early 1990s, just as his comedy career began to pick up.

“My friend and I used to drink beer, but then he quit because he was trying to get into law school, so we couldn’t really hang out anymore,” Lissow said. “So instead of partying, I prepped with him and took the exam because I had nothing else planned.”

He passed the LSAT with flying colors and lasted two weeks in law school.

“I remember looking at this sheet of paper that said I’d owe 100 grand if I graduated,” he recalled. “So I thought, ‘If I stop now, I’m 100 grand ahead of the game, and if I go to law school, I’ll have to be a lawyer.’”

Surprisingly, Lissow said, his dad couldn’t have been more supportive of his effort to drop law school and pursue comedy.

“It’s really the opposite of what you always hear about parents,” he said. Since kicking law school, Lissow has worked alongside comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield and Chris Rock. He’s had a recurring appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Red Eye” and taped his first half-hour special “Comedy Central Presents,” which aired earlier this year.

“I own a house now just for telling jokes. It’s amazing,” he said. During the interview, Lissow’s new 1-year old son was squawking in the background while Lissow’s wife, Jessica Lissow, a Fairbanks local, changed his diaper. Lissow called him “a constant reality check.”

The days of traveling the country in his Ford Escort with all his possessions in his trunk are long gone, but Lissow said his attitude toward comedy hasn’t changed since becoming a father.

“I’ve always kept the attitude that you have to make sure you’re having fun,” he said. “Now, I certainly have much more going on, but I’ve learned it’s amazing what you really have time for.” Lissow makes time to venture north as often as he can. He has made several local appearances, even headlining the Golden Days Beard and Leg Hair contest.

“I love performing here — honestly — people in Fairbanks are out to have a good time,” he said. Back in the Big Apple, Lissow said, he loves performing but often competes with headliners like Dave Chappelle, John Stewart and David Letterman.

“In Fairbanks, it’s basically me or a trip to Fred Meyer.”