As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Alex Clark. The Los Angeles, CA native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how he always owns the laughs.
Name: Alex Clark
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @itsalexclark
Years in Comedy: 2 years in stand-up; before that, I had a comedy variety act for about 20 years.
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: 4 million subscribers on YouTube with my self-titled animated YouTube channel. My YouTube videos have about half a billion views.
Comedic Influences: Charlie Barnett, Charles Fleischer, Robin Williams, Bob Marley, Sean Emery, & Kenny Ahern
Favorite Comedy Album: Robin Williams “A Night At The Met”
Favorite Comedy Special: Recently, I loved watching Vir Das’ latest special, LANDING, particularly it’s ending.
Favorite Comedy Movie: The first thing that comes to mind is the classic Wet Hot American Summer.
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Marvelous Ms. Maisel and I recently got into Frasier (I had no idea it had won so many awards!)
Favorite Comedic Character: A few years back I went to see Pee Wee Herman live and it blew me away. Such solid character work.
Favorite City to Perform In: Whichever one has the most people in the most comfortable seats.
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Being an alpha male child and the crazy stories my dad tells.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: I have a background in street performing (I’ll often do stand-up on street corners, it’s fun). With that experience, I can say I’m happy to perform for anyone anywhere at any time.
Favorite Comedy Club: I like the clean ones.
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
When I was 12 my friend’s mom took us to the mall and said we could each buy a cd. My friends were all buying punk rock albums. I ended up getting Robin Williams Night At The Met. I laughed at every single joke, I don’t know why because all the sex and drugs jokes went straight over my head for several years.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I performed stand-up at a talent show in my middle school. I came out with a colander on my head and said I was under such a strain. The audience laughed hard, and I was hooked on comedy. I also remember that I auditioned with a routine about drunk driving… the teacher advisor laughed the entire time but told me after that I couldn’t do a routine about drunk driving at a middle school talent show. I regret not having a recording of that performance, I would love to have seen it.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Energetic, irreverent, goofy and quick.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I’m more of a performer than a writer so writing is the most challenging part for me. I spend hours staring at a blank text document with the topic written at the top. I learn so much from filming my sets and watching the videos back. I feel like comedians often hear the advice “you need to find your voice”. Instead I prefer to think of comedy as learning a new language. Jokes have very clear structures which illicit laughter and if you learn those you can make anything funny. Jerry Corley has a great book on joke writing structure which I highly recommend.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
In Los Angeles, I’ve met tons of incredibly friendly and talented comics. I always heard comedians were ruthless and cold, but in my experience, it is the complete opposite. It’s an incredible and supportive community that’s always cheering folks on to succeed.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
If you’re having fun on stage and the audience is having fun with you, you’ve made it.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
There are tons of fantastic comedians in the LA scene right now, too many to list, I feel very lucky to be friends with such talented people.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I’ll share a hell gig and a career highlight:
Hell gig story: At least 10 years ago, I was booked to perform at a multi-million dollar brand new performing arts center at a college. I had flown in and then driven like 5 hours… then waited in a park all day. I did not have a hotel room because immediately after the show I had to drive several hours to another gig. I got to the theater and it was gorgeous, the most beautiful theater I had ever stepped foot in. It was huge, it must of been at least 2000 seats. The show starts at 8 pm. 8 pm comes and the theater is completely empty. The booker comes up to me and says I’ll be right back I’m going to go find an audience. I’m left sitting on the stage alone. 30 minutes later she returns with 5 people, sits them in the back row, and tells me I can start. It turned out to be an awesome show, once I got them to move to the front row.
Success story: A few years ago, due to the success of my YouTube channel I went on a 23 city tour across the USA. I got to perform in theaters and clubs in the biggest cities in America for sold out audiences. It was such an honor getting to share laughs with folks from all across the country. I can’t wait to do it again.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
Find ways to enjoy the failures because they happen more often than the successes.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
They are generally shocked because I am very quiet and keep to myself when I’m not performing. I once did a showcase and I was hanging out in my agent’s suite before the show. A few potential bookers came in. I sat quietly in the corner and waved. After the showcase, which went well, the same bookers returned to the room because they were arguing over whether it was the same guy that was on stage. They couldn’t believe it when they realized the shy guy in the corner was the mouthy funny man prancing around on stage.
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
It’s all about doing a good job and genuinely enjoying the people you work with. Make friends, not enemies, and you will go very far. The friendships you make are more important than anything.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
I would get rid of bad lighting and bad sound systems. I’ve done too many shows where the lights and sound ruin what could have otherwise been a solid show.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Alpha Male Child”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I was standing outside the groundlings improv theater and this guy kept looking at me. I was thinking I swear I know this guy from high school so finally I said hey. He said hey back and then walked away. Turns out it was Josh Duhamel and he was standing there with his wife at the time, Fergie. I had no idea, and he clearly must of thought I was fan boying over him… but really I was thinking… why does this dude keep starring at me? Once I learned it was him I wish I had said more than HI because I do love his movies.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
When I did my tour we wanted to support local theater companies instead of going the comedy club route. We met so many great folks this way but it also meant we never knew what we were walking into. When we arrived at one of the venues for sound check we see a cat walk across the stage. The venue owner told us not to worry, the theater was next-door to a cat sanctuary and we should expect to be seeing cats all night. During the show, we must have seen 30-50 cats roaming through the audience and on the stage. It was incredibly comical and probably the best show I did all tour.
An Alex Clark Fun Fact:
When I was in college I spent one semester living in a castle. It had a moat and a drawbridge. At one point my roommate got mad at me over something trivial and he through my bottle of mustard out the window (This was a big deal because at the time it was hard to find good American mustard in Europe). I think it may still be at the bottom of the moat to this day.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I’m going to be touring large theaters and then thinking it’s not enough. Future Alex, if you are reading this, the large theater tours is awesome and you should be grateful for every minute of it. It’s an amazing accomplishment.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
When you’re doing your bits be free and have fun. If you feel trapped or bored in any way scrap the bit, let the audience know, and move on. Live in the moment and enjoy it.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
As long as the AI robots don’t take over – we’re good.
If you could write ONE episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be, and give a brief detailed sentence on the episode:
I’d write an episode of TV for Frasier. Frasier would get canceled for constantly making jokes at the expense of Roz’s sexual escapades. Both Frasier and Roz would be aware that these jokes are intended in good humor, but they would grow increasingly frustrated and confused by the strong reactions and criticism from others.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
The Main Room At The Comedy Store with Charlie Barnett, Robin Williams, and Josh Duhamel. I know Josh is not a comedian, but I’d like to have him there to personally apologize for not recognizing him in the earlier question.
What’s next for you:
I’m extremely excited to be working on a new hour which Ill be releasing online.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
You shouldn’t ….because then your spouse will get mad that you turn everything into a joke.
Follow Alex Clark’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Alex Clark
Youtube: Alex Clark
Personal Website: Alex Clark
