Samuel J. Comroe was a struggling comedian based in Los Angeles when he won a comedy competition organized by British comic Ricky Gervais in 2012. The prize was a standup slot on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show, Conan. Six years later, he stepped into the bright lights of the America’s Got Talent stage. His thoughtful, observational and hilarious jokes landed him the fourth spot place in that popular TV contest.
Audiences were charmed by his self-deprecating humour that often referenced his experiences living with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by tics and other repetitive facial or body movements that are difficult to control. Samuel also won the San Francisco comedy competition, shared the screen with comedy stars such as Kevin Hart, and plays sold-out standup shows across the continent.
He recently spoke with CKUA’s Lisa Wilton about his life in comedy. She asked whether comedy was a way to make sense of the world.
“A lot of people have misconceptions about Tourette’s,” says Comroe. “They think it’s cussing or swearing. I was diagnosed when I was four. I think I learned at an early age that if you don’t laugh at it, it can take over and make you feel depressed, alone, and isolated.”
Comroe said that he didn’t know until he was about 17 that he was interested in doing standup. “My dad always wanted to do comedy. He loves standup. He wrote down jokes in a notebook, forever. I decided one day, in my lunch auditorium at school. I thought it was going to be in front of three people. Hundreds of people piled into the auditorium. The night before the show I had no clue what I was doing. I went up to my dad and said, ‘Hey, I need 20 minutes of material by tomorrow.’ He wrote the jokes. I went on stage, fell in love with comedy, until one of my friends came up to me after the show and said, ‘Hey man, we recognize some of those jokes.’”
Comroe went home, typed the jokes into Google, and realized that his dad had given him material that was originally from Rodney Dangerfield. “That was the beginning of the journey,” he laughs.
Now Comroe has expanded his standup to include a variety of topics. “I do material about Tourette’s Syndrome, of course, because if I don’t, people think I am having a seizure on stage. I also do material about my family. I have two kids now, and that brings in a lot of material. I do crowd work, and a Q&A and improv during the show, too. So it’s a whole experience.”
Comroe says, “Part of the process of being a comedian is to keep grinding, keep doing shows, and take the opportunities when they are given.”
He says, “This is definitely what I love to do,” but he’s quick to add that he wants to be more than a spokesperson for Tourette’s. “I know a lot of comedians have agendas, and want you to think. I just want you to have a good time, and laugh, and not heckle me.”
Samuel J. Comroe performs at The Laugh Shop in Calgary, November 14 to November 16, 2024.