Comedian Gary Owen joins N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN for a wide-ranging conversation about nearly three decades in stand-up, his friendship with Kevin Hart, personal setbacks, cancel culture and more.
Comedian and actor Gary Owen pulls up to Drink Champs for an unfiltered conversation with hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, looking back at the highs, lows and unforgettable stories that have defined his life and nearly three-decade career in comedy.
Having started stand-up in 1997, Owen offers his perspective on just how dramatically the comedy business has changed. From the grind of building a name through comedy clubs to today’s social media-driven landscape, Owen reflects on what it took to establish himself before viral clips, massive online followings and digital platforms became major parts of a comedian’s career.
The conversation also turns to Owen’s longtime friendship with Kevin Hart. He shares stories from their early years in comedy, including memories of navigating Los Angeles and watching their careers evolve as both performers found their respective lanes in entertainment.
Never one to shy away from uncomfortable subjects, Owen gets candid about cancel culture and surviving controversy in the public eye. He also opens up about navigating his highly publicized divorce and what it was like having deeply personal matters become entertainment and conversation for people outside of his family.
Owen also recounts one of the crazier experiences of his life—getting robbed in Houston—adding another unbelievable chapter to a career already filled with stories from years of touring across the country.
One of the episode’s most unexpected moments arrives when comedian Scruncho calls into the show. With past tension between the two comedians hanging over the conversation, Owen and Scruncho use the moment to address their old beef, clear the air and put their differences into perspective live on Drink Champs.
Throughout the episode, Owen brings the storytelling style and willingness to laugh at his own experiences that have helped make him one of stand-up comedy’s most recognizable veterans. The conversation offers fans a look beyond the stage as he reflects on friendship, family, controversy, longevity and the realities of staying relevant in an entertainment industry that looks very different from the one he entered in 1997.
Gary Owen’s full appearance on Drink Champs with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN is streaming now on YouTube.
