Tacoma comedian Jo Koy destined for Handler’s Netflix show

Q: What does your stand-up set entail?

A: It’ll be mostly new material I’m working on for my third one-hour Comedy Central special, filming early next year. I always joke around about every city that I go into. It keeps me on my toes and makes each show more fun.

Q: What is Chelsea like in person?

A: She is exactly how she was on the show. Nothing fake. Never holds her tongue for anything but is very generous and giving. I owe her big time.

Q: Do you subscribe to the oft-quoted expression that “Dying is easy, comedy is hard?”

A: I’m making people laugh, living my dream. Who gets to live their dream? Me. Can you hear the happiness in my voice? No really. That’s the best. The worst part of my job is sometimes going to airports from city to city can make me tired, plus being away from my son is tough. But thank God I’m not selling shoes anymore.

Q: What was your lucky break and how did you get it?

A: The first standup gig for me was “Catch A Rising Star” at the MGM Grand Casino. I did 12 shows for $700. The booker from MGM saw me play at a Vegas coffeehouse at open mic night in 1994. He walked up to me and offered me my first paid gig on the spot.

Q: What is one thing you wish you knew about showbiz when you first started out?

A: Timing is everything. It takes a long time to get somewhere. There are no quick journeys. Being patient is very important in this game.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your act?

A: Things that are close to me, family, my son, that kind of stuff. That’s where I find all my materials. I also make fun of myself a lot. The comedians I find most funny are probably Eddie Murphy, David Chappelle and Brian Regan.

Q: What has been the high point in your career?

A: Working with Jon Lovitz, a guy that I pretty much impersonated in high school. Now he is a good friend of mine and he talks about me in his act. That is the most surreal moment of my career.

Q: What advice would you give to a person with similar aspirations?

A: Remember that it’s a long road, but you’ll enjoy every step of the journey. Stay focused and stay funny. And love making people laugh.

Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.