Tom Green all grown up on TV, not on stage

Do you remember the time you prank-painted “Slut Mobile” in purple letters on your Canadian dad’s car, then filmed your dad’s disappointed reaction and broadcast it to the world on MTV? No?

Oh right, that was Tom Green’s prank, and it helped launch him to stardom 15 years ago.

In the intervening time since that prank, Green married and divorced Drew Barrymore, beat testicular cancer, survived one of the worst-reviewed movies of its time (“Freddy Got Fingered”), and guest-hosted David Letterman’s show.

Now, Green is in Las Vegas. He has a new residency gig at the Hard Rock Hotel. He performs there tonight through Monday.

What’s on tap? Jokes, naturally, and Green plans to present an interactive, spontaneous trip down memory lane, featuring “outrageous and ridiculous videos and music.”

“When I painted my parents car with pornography and pained ‘slut mobile’ on it,” he says, “that has literally been with me for the last, over 15 years.

“People ask me at least a few times a week: Did I really paint my parents’ car? It’s really had a bit of an impact on my life. So I want to look at it, have a laugh at it and tell stories people haven’t heard about it before.”

I know of three Tom Green speeds. Onstage, Green is high energy. On the phone with me, he was mild-mannered and sighed a few times. And he is reservedly Tom Snyder-esque on his talk show, “Tom Green Live” on AXS TV.

Oh yeah. Tom Green (who studied broadcasting in college) is back on TV doing good, serious interviews with stars from Dan Rather to Carrot Top and Cheech and Chong.

Unlike Green’s prior TV interview shows, he is no longer playing the fool. These are pretty much straightforward, hourlong chats. He’s not even editing out the most salacious parts to email to TMZ.

“I want my show to be a real safe place for my guests. I want people to come on and be able to talk and speak their mind,” Green says.

“It is interesting that negative stuff is what gets traction in today’s fragmented media universe. But we don’t sit there in the morning and say, ‘Can you believe this person said that? Let’s cut that out and send it to ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ ”

Aww, look, Tom Green is all grown up — but only on TV. In Vegas, he’s still a silly 42-year-old man.

DOGS ON THE CATWALK

The Animal Foundation’s 11th annual Best in Show (featuring dozens of doggies who prance for the crowd, then get adopted) returns to the Orleans Arena on April 27. Tickets cost $5 for kids 12 or younger, $12 for adults, for my favorite event of the year. No word yet on which local entertainers and TV broadcasters will help this year.

SIGHTING

Tia Carrere, the “Wayne’s World” star, popped into the Blue Man Group show at Monte Carlo on Thursday with a lady friend.

HOME TWEET VEGAS

@PasqualeRotella: “#EDCLV is now sold out! Thank you for making this possible! Can’t wait to take you on the adventure of a lifetime :)”

Doug Elfman’s column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.