Comedians launch their careers for many varied reasons.
Applause Break hopes no one ever needs the reasons cited in the first two stories of today’s Stand-Up Spotlight ever again.
Leading off, Irish comedian Paddy McDonnell turned to stand-up comedy after an assault cost him to lose part of his finger.
A heart transplant prompted Dan Ward to give comedy a shot.
Suddenly being an outcast in middle school doesn’t seem all that bad.
Today’s Spotlight includes a feature about a comedian who doubles as an insurance salesman – a fate not all that much worse than the first two comedians highlighted today.
The Spotlight ends on an upbeat note, with a somewhat limited listing of the Top 5 clean comedians currently selling out shows.
Get through the day, then get to the funny.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – September 8, 2023
Comedian Paddy McDonnell opens up on how serious assault lead to stand-up career
Irish comedian Paddy McDonnell will be coming to the Laughter Lounge on September 17.
The West Belfast working class actor is well known for his hilarious stories and viral clips from various podcast appearances. We chatted to him ahead of his Dublin gig to get an idea of what to expect.
Paddy said he became a comedian “by fluke”. He was a joiner-carpenter and as a doorman on the weekend. But one day, more than a decade ago, everything changed. “I had a serious sort of assault where I lost part of my finger working as a doorman.”
Man who was on deathbed now living dream as stand-up comic thanks to heart transplant from ‘lad taken in prime of life’
A university lecturer has been inspired to “seize life” and become a stand-up comedian after being given a “second chance” thanks to a heart transplant, saying “I also owe it to that lad who was taken in the prime of his life”.
Dan Ward, 42, felt he was in the “last chance saloon” when his heart went into failure in 2019, but after having the transplant in 2021, Dan says he is not only living his new life for himself but also for the unknown young man whose heart saved his life.
Pull no punchlines: Charlotte insurance guy doubles as a stand-up comedian
At any given coffee shop, you never know who might be on the clock, working remotely.
Jordan Centry is a claims specialist for an insurance company because he enjoys a paycheck like most of us.
“Listen, I’m just in it for the money, ha-ha! I went to get my MBA because I wanted a high-paying job,” he said.
5 Clean Comedians That Sell Out Places Other Than Utah Faster Than You Can Say Brian Regan
“I like being a clean comedian,” Brian Regan told the Burlington County Times. “You don’t have to ever change your material for an audience.” Not that audiences would want him to. Regan has been on the road for nearly 40 years, selling out small clubs and massive auditoriums, all on the strength of curse-less comedy. Despite comedians’ reputation for being foul-mouthed fools, comics like Regan, Jim Gaffigan and Jerry Seinfeld prove that clean comedy is big business.
