We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andy Beningo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andy below.
Andy , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
To be honest, I sort of became a comedian and found my purpose by accident. I was always amazed at funny people like Robin Williams and Steve Martin, and loved watching funny movies and TV shows. When I was a kid, I was painfully shy and likely suffered from social anxiety. I didn’t really play any sports and really wasn’t involved in any groups, so didn’t really have a “thing” like the rest of my friends and siblings did. In high school, we had to take a speech class and the thought of having to go up and speak in front of the class absolutely terrified me. I quickly noticed, though, that anytime I had to do a speech, I could make the classroom laugh. I really liked being able do that, and over time, strangely enough, found it easier to speak in front of larger groups of people than one on one. I was always interested in comedy, but never thought that I could become a comedian. I didn’t know that being a comedian could be my “thing,” or my purpose. I really liked the idea of being able to spread joy and laughter, and when I got to college, I did an open mic and was instantly hooked on stand up. I became obsessed with it, and started traveling all over the country doing shows. It might’ve taken me longer than other people, but it’s nice to know what my purpose is.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
(Your readers should know) I have been a professional stand up comedian for the last 20 years, and have performed in all 50 states, in Canada and in Europe. I am primarily known as a “clean” comedian- as most of my material centers around my wife and kids, short lived career as a middle school teacher, and my aging parents dealing with technology. I have performed on AXS Gotham Comedy Live, CMT’s Next Big Comic, and my 45 minute Drybar Comedy special has over 7 million views on social media. I’m a frequent guest on the Bob and Tom radio show, and over the pandemic, was a special guest on Larry the Cable Guy’s “Weekly Round Up” on XM Sirius Radio. I have been very fortunate to have worked all over the country doing something that I love to do, and over the last few years, have been a headlining act on several different cruise lines. It’s been very fun to get to entertain and meet some many people, and to travel around the world and see new places.
I just recorded my third comedy album, which will be released in 2024.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My biggest advice for someone getting into comedy is just to have patience. I think with social media, everyone wants to get a viral clip and become famous- but I think it’s more important to take your time and work on material and build your act. Keep exploring who you are- what bothers you, what frustrates you, what irritates you, what do you like to do, who are your friends, etc. because all of these things will eventually turn into material, and will help the audience identify you as a performer. I think the most important part of the journey is to just have fun. Don’t worry about where other people are with their careers and what they are doing- just enjoy your time on stage in front of the audience and let your act speak for itself.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Over the years, there have been a lot of people that have helped me become a comedian. The first obvious choice are my parents. Both of them are extremely funny in their own ways, and were very encouraging when I mentioned I wanted to try to become a comedian. They’ve listen to me when I’ve had hard times on the road, were there in both my successes and failures, and have loved me unconditionally. They really instilled the importance of having a sense of humor, and the ability to bring joy to strangers. When I was first starting off, I took a comedy writing workshop with the late great Bert “Chili” Challis- who was a former writer for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I took his writing class a few times, and he really helped me figure out what to talk about on stage, how to get comfortable in front of audiences, and how to hone my material. He was one of the funniest comedians I ever got to share the stage with, and he took me on a lot of my first shows on the road. I always appreciated his advice and words of wisdom- and he helped many other comedians get their start (Steve Smargon and many others).
Lots of comedian friends like Bill Boronkay and Tony Vinh have been a big influence as well. They are always around to take a phone call after a bad show, or are quick to help punch up material or help “find the funny” in ideas that I have.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andybeningo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bingocomedy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bingocomedy
- Youtube: @AndyBeningo
