If there's one thing that "Weird Al" Yankovic knows for sure after four decades in the entertainment business, it's that weird is the way to go.
"We're trying to reclaim the word," Yankovic tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "Historically it's been sort of a derogatory thing like, 'Don't be weird,' 'Oh, that person's weird,' like it's bad to be different. No. That's what you aspire to. You want to be different. You want to stand out from the crowd. What's the point of doing the same thing everybody else is doing? Come on, be weird!"
The beloved accordion-playing musician and comedian, who first rose to fame in the '80s with hits like "Eat It" (a parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It") and "Like a Surgeon" (inspired by Madonna's "Like a Virgin"), has won five Grammys and sold more than 12 million albums.
With no plans to retire, Yankovic, who just celebrated his 63rd birthday, says that although there are "people who still don't get what I'm trying to do or they think I'm a hack," he is grateful to his devoted fan base for their unwavering support over the years and what he calls a "comfortable" level of fame.
"I feel extremely accepted. I've got great fans that've followed me for decades, and they're extremely supportive," he says. "I don't have crowds following me on the street or people going through my garbage when I'm sleeping, but every now and then somebody will recognize me and go, 'Hey, how you doing? What have you done since "Eat It" '?"
He's now poised to welcome a new generation of fans into his offbeat world with the movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The film, now streaming on the Roku Channel, is a comedic spin on the traditional biopic, which Yankovic co-wrote with director Eric Appel, starring Daniel Radcliffe in the starring role.
"It goes so far off the rails," he says proudly. "The experience of making the film I'd have to describe as surrealistic. It was sort of an out-of-body experience because I was watching Daniel Radcliffe playing me and recreating some of these moments from my life. Granted, some were quite exaggerated or fabricated in a few instances, but still, it was just odd to watch that unfolding before my eyes. And I'm thrilled that critics actually like it because my last movie [UHF, released] 33 years ago, did not get a very favorable critical reaction."
Radcliffe says he had a blast making the film and spending time with Yankovic.
"It was very intimidating to be on set with him while we were making this movie about him, but thankfully he's an incredibly generous, sweet guy," says The Lost City star, 33. "It felt like a safety net having him there. He tried to valiantly to teach me the accordion and was generally very available."
Speaking of Yankovic's signature instrument, the way in which he came to learn and master the accordion is thanks to an actual door-to-door salesman who appeared on his family's doorstep when Yankovic was a kid.
"The salesman offered my parents a choice of either guitar lessons or accordion lessons, and they made the life-altering decision that I should take accordion lessons," he recalls. "Because of course. Who wouldn't want to play the accordion at your social gathering?"
Yankovic admits the accordion sometimes gets a bad rap because it's "associated with corny music" but encourages everyone to listen more carefully and give it a try.
"It's a very sensual instrument. You have a lot of dynamics to play with," he says. "Everybody needs to at least try an accordion."
Four decades into his career, Yankovic has no plans for slowing down and appreciates the fact that people still want to hear him perform (he just wrapped up a U.S. tour and released a new album tied to Weird) and listen to his original songs and parodies.
"I've always loved music, that's never waned in the slightest, and it has gotten me through some tough moments in my life," he says. "I like to think I'm a nice person. I think part of that stems from the fact that when I do parodies, they're not mean-spirited. I think you can be funny without tearing somebody down."
He also says he "always" asks the artists for permission to parody their music, even though he technically doesn't have to.
"Legally, it's a gray area. I don't necessarily need to ask, but I always go above and beyond what's required legally because I respect songwriters and I value their feelings," he says. "I don't want to do anything that they would be uncomfortable with, so I always make sure I have their blessing before I do a parody. If somebody does not want me to do a parody, I'll walk away. I've always done that in the past, and I will, I'm sure, continue to do that in the future."
With his tour wrapped, and Weird now streaming, Yankovic is looking forward to some downtime.
"I don't know what's next," he admits. "I've been very fortunate to do a lot of things that I never dreamed I would have the chance to do. Maybe something will drop into my lap. Maybe I'll just spend several months at home with my wife, which would also be fun." He might also do something totally unexpected — and yes, weird.
"I haven't done any Viking music or whaling songs. Those are ripe for the picking," he jokes. "I'm still having a good time, and I hope other people are as well."
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is now streaming for free on the Roku Channel.
