Not many people have the opportunity to work with Kanye West – much less stand up to him and his ego.

Zach Galifianakis appeared in the 2007 music video for West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothin’.” West approached Galifianakis after he saw the actor and comedian do stand-up in a Los Angeles comedy club, but Galifianakis was not without a request of his own.

“I told him I would [do it] as long as he did not tell me what to do,” Galifianakis wrote in an e-mail interview with The Diamondback.

He might be best known for his facial hair, but there’s more to the 39-year-old than his notorious beard. In addition to his collaborations with musicians, Galifianakis has toured the country with fellow comedians and has a starring role in one of the most anticipated comedies of the summer, director Todd Phillips’ (School for Scoundrels) The Hangover. He also makes appearances at various college campuses and will perform at Stamp Student Union tonight.

A native of North Carolina, Galifianakis moved to New York after dropping out of N.C. State (he failed his last college course by one point).

In addition to performing stand-up comedy, Galifianakis has been acting in TV shows and movies for more than a decade. Fans of Eliza Dushku might recognize him as Davis from FOX’s Tru Calling.

In The Hangover, Galifianakis stars alongside Ed Helms (The Office) and Bradley Cooper (He’s Just Not That Into You). The movie has been getting a lot of buzz, but Galifianakis doesn’t think it will benefit him that much.

“Ed and Bradley are very gifted actors,” he said. “It will be their breakout. For me, it will probably mean getting a better table at Long John Silver’s.”

Galifianakis’ comedy act often includes deadpan jokes delivered while improvising soft, melancholy piano melodies that are more appropriate for a soap opera than a comedy club.

“I only know how to play sad music,” he said. “For some reason my fingers are never happy.”

As it turns out, Galifianakis didn’t originally plan on including music in his act.

“There was a piano in a club one night and I just sat down and started playing and talking over the music, and it seemed to fit,” he said. “I do not know how to read music so I kind of make it up as I go along.”

Galifianakis has attracted audiences with his unique style of “saying something stupid in a smart way or saying something smart in a stupid way.”

His most recent comedic collaborations include headlining the Comedians of Comedy tour with Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford. They toured indie rock venues instead of conventional comedy clubs and were the first show to be a part of the Coachella Music Festival in 2007. The tour was also the subject of a Comedy Central special, The Comedians of Comedy Tour: Live at The Troubadour.

Galifianakis frequently joins forces with Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, the creators and stars of the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. Galifianakis included them in an ad campaign he developed for Absolut Vodka, where the three men donned wigs, sipped martinis and pranced around a beach house.

His humor has also captured the attention of several musicians, including singer Fiona Apple and Jim James of My Morning Jacket, in addition to West.

Apple’s 2006 video, “Not About Love,” features Galifianakis and Apple lying in bed and walking around their neighborhood while he dramatically lip synchs to her song.

Galifianakis appeared on stage at last year’s Bonnaroo festival in a Santa Claus outfit and performed Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” with My Morning Jacket. The idea came out of an e-mail relationship between Galifianakis and the band’s lead singer.

“He asked me to come to their tour bus to discuss doing something with them on stage,” Galifianakis said. “And that is what they came up with – much like how Paul McCartney and Wings got started.”

Student Entertainment Events presents Zach Galifianakis at the Grand Ballroom in the Stamp Student Union at 8 p.m. tonight. Admission is free.

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