Russell Brand: I Enjoy Hanging Out With the Homeless

One thing’s for sure when it comes to Russell Brand: He’s an eccentric guy. From his wild outfits to his public discussion of his sexual conquests to that time he threw a paparazzo’s iPhone through a window, the 37-year-old certainly marches to the beat of his own drum.

And on Monday’s "The Howard Stern Show" on SiriusXM Satellite radio, the “Get Him to the Greek” star proved again he’s not your average Joe, sharing the fact that he doesn’t just give money to homeless people he sees on the street, he enjoys taking them out for a meal, too.

“I do like to hang out with the old homeless. They’ve got a lot of interesting things to say, some of them,” said Brand, who made the appearance to promote the return his FX talk show, “BrandX.” “Some of them do seem to be living outside of convention and they’ve got access to interesting information.”

Brand said that while many the people he’s taken out have been mentally ill, and he’s still quite interested in what they have to say.

After the shock jock said he’d heard that the British actor shells out $2,400 a month on the homeless, Brand insisted he doesn’t keep track of how much he spends, but, in addition to a meal or a cup of coffee or tea, he also gives each person a bit of cash. And, yes, he realizes that many of them may spend the stipend on drugs and alcohol.

“If you’ve got nowhere to sleep, some drink and drugs would really, really cheer you up,” commented Brand, a recovering addict himself.

But before you decide that the former Mr. Katy Perry is a true saint, take note that much of what he shared in the interview sounded pretty tongue-in-cheek and he wasn’t above making fun of some of the folks he’s encountered.

“I’ve had a riot laugh with them. They say crazy things,” he shared with Stern. “One bloke, I took him and he only spoke in prophecy: ‘The fabric of time is gonna open. We’re gonna see Jesus!’”

As for whether or not Brand feels safe during his outings: “You don’t know. That’s part of the gamble,” he explained. “You never know when it’s going to turn into a mad knife attack.”

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