Jeff Foxworthy reveals how 'redneck' insult inspired decades of comedy

Jeff Foxworthy turned an insult into a compliment when someone criticized where he came from.

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 67-year-old actor and comedian discussed his new stand-up special, " The Joke's on Me ," and recalled the time someone called him a "redneck" and how he turned what was meant to be an insult into a compliment.

He explained that "one of the nicest compliments" someone once gave him was commending his ability to turn what "was supposed to be an insult ... into a badge of honor." DAVE CHAPPELLE SAYS HE’S CONSIDERING REVISITING ‘CHAPPELLE’S SHOW’ DECADES AFTER WALKING AWAY "I said, 'Well, that's cool, because when people get offended, they act like if you gave rednecks a billion dollars, they wouldn't be rednecks,'" he said.

"I said they would still be rednecks.

They would just have bigger boats, bigger trucks.

I mean, more things to shoot at.

They're happy with who they are.

And I've always got asked, ‘How do you come up with that?’ And I'm like.

There's no research going on.

It's my family and my friend group that trust me." Foxworthy first began telling jokes about rednecks in the late '80s, and found them to be successful, so he continued telling them, even closing his 1990 special with one.

He explained that "they were easy to remember" and said they would always "get a laugh." After telling the jokes on stage for a while, he "thought, well people are tired of this" and stopped telling them.

"The last time I did them onstage was during the Blue Collar Comedy Tour" in 2003, he said.

WATCH: Foxworthy explained how he turned an insult into a joke for his stand-up.

After more than 20 years of staying away from the jokes, Foxworthy felt like it was time to bring them back.