Cliff Cash titled his first stand-up comedy special The Long Road because it reflects his 13-year comedy journey, filled with twists and turns. He started in Wilmington, NC, at Nutt Street Comedy, attending open mics religiously for two years.
Within 18 months, he began touring regionally and won titles like Port City’s Top Comic, Comedy Zone’s Almost Famous, and Comedy Central’s UpNext regionals. He also performed in Standup NBC. Each achievement felt like it would be his breakthrough, but the years brought both hope and disappointment. Industry insiders urged him to move to NY or LA, but Cliff stayed true to his roots, choosing to forge his own path.
For years, he lived out of a modified station wagon, touring extensively, camping, hiking, and exploring between shows—often sleeping in his car.
He visited 45 national parks and earned a reputation nationwide as “more than just funny.” His journey has been marked by near misses, lean times, breakdowns, loss of a parent, home, marriage, dog, and the discovery of new love, stepchildren, and spiritual growth. Now, it’s all captured in this one-hour special that tackles everything from racism and homophobia to redemption and love.
Cliff reflects, “Comedy is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands tenacity. It’s hard, no matter how funny you are. There have been times when my logical mind said, ‘walk away,’ but that little kid, the adventurer, the class clown, just can’t. I love it too much to quit.” “The Long Road” is, in essence, a love story—a road comic who has fallen deeply in love with life’s journey: the challenges, the next adventure, the sound of laughter, the pull to say something meaningful, to do something that matters.
Produced by Lighthouse Films with music by Onward Soldiers & Sean Thomas Gerard.
