Welcome to Behind the Influence, a production of I Heart Radio and t DC Media. And I kept working, working, working, got an opportunity to be at the Laugh Factory, hosted my own show. Then that became two shows, and now I am responsible for two of the most popular nights in Los Angeles. This isn't me being arrogant saying, oh, look at me, appease me. No, appease yourself. This is a job. This is a career show up. I will be honest with anyone that asked me a question, but
sometimes they will not appreciate or expect my honesty. So many people are so willing to change the world, so few people are just simply willing to change themselves. Yeah, that was That was interesting. That was real. That was real. That's the nitty gritty part of Hollywood that people don't know where the talent spit up their gum in the hand of the assistant, and that assistant had to take with jewel. There wasn't that wasn't just gum. That wasn't
hard gum. That was wet, chewed up gum. And then it was and it was thrown in the trash. It was small, but it was big. It was a small thing, but a big I felt really doing that. I could have just grabbed the trash can and brought it over, but likes, you know, you put in, you put in effort. You didn't even you were like, no, this is immediate, I will take it in my hand. And because you took spit gum instant promotion in your hand and put it out in the trash can, alright, you know that's Victoria.
She just took my gum straight out of my mouth for this interview that I'm so excited. It's the first one that we're doing on the first interview of twenties, which would sound great if it wasn't such a horrible year, right because started out like all this promise and then Day one Australia is on fire Day two, World War three, Day three, rent was due like just craziness. Four Tatiana has lost all use of hand. It's the weirdest thing.
We were talking about this before we started recording, but I just want to fill you guys in, not that it matters, but maybe during this episode some weird feeling will come back. Both of my hands have lost all feeling. I cannot spread my fingers apart use them, and just I want everyone to just think real quick, how often you use your hands and your fingers and what you use them for, and imagine no longer having use of those things. Okay, so the comedian and me automatically went
to the worst, most dirty things. You like. Everything you said just sounded like married to a good man, great man who has surgical gloves on hand. Great guy. Yeah. So al right, guys, we are sitting here with Tehran. He is by far one of my favorite humans on planning. Thank you. You are also one of mine. I've been trending this year and you didn't. I've been trending Tehran not for the best things. You know, I'm named after the capital of Iran. So awkward, awkward, But you know what,
it's not about that. It's about you. You know, we're here with you. I've interviewed Toron a few times before and in different contexts. You know, are as a comedian, all the success that he's had so far. This show focuses obviously on influence, and Tehran is no exception to the word influence because he's essentially a gatekeeper tastemaker within the comedy world. Um, and we'll get into his background a little bit so you can understand why and how.
But basically Tehran he books shows, he hosts shows, So like, if you're funny and he thinks you're funny, he'll feature you on his show. I definitely will. I give a space for people who I think are talented or up and coming talent, especially in the Los Angeles area. So the major hubs of comedy in the United States are going to be in New York, l A. And there of course Chicago and places like that, but New York and l A or where it's at. And New York is where you get good, but l A is definitely
where you come to get famous. So the people who control comedy in l A control if you're gonna make it big or not, if you're going to be famous. This is where it happens exactly. And when I say that Tehron hosts shows, he's not hosting, I'm like random and no shade to this, but not some no name, random back room bar whatever. So and obviously that's iconic. A laugh Factory has broken every single major comedian in this world was broken there well, comedy store in the
lave Factory. And I would say the Seller are the three top comedy clubs in the world, not just in the United States but literally in the entire world. And being at the Laugh Factory, I have my own two shows, and I obviously have a lot of influence on the lineup overall, and at the Comedy Store and at the Improv, so I do shows there as well. And being in that position, not only do I see everyone I know who's going to be tomorrow. And there's a lot of
talent coming through as we speak. Jack Knight, Renee Vodka, Sam j Sam Jay is brilliant, She's hilarious. Renee is this up and coming Latino comedian who is just very funny and charismatic. Jack Knight is the next Dave Chappelle. You're watching this happen. Where does Jack Knight find you? How does that connection happen? Circle of influence, So the best way to get connected, it's not just what you know, it's definitely who you know, and who you know will
depend on how good you are. People will talk about you. There's a comedian right now, Chapelle Lacy. I heard about him for months before I actually even interacted with him, simply because people were like, this kid is on the up and up. He's up and coming. He's hilarious, and so I heard about him and now I'm trying to place him. We just had him on Fresh Faces at the laugh Factory. So that's how it works. Is who
you know is very important, a lot of connections. Comedy is full of politics, the way politics is right now full of comedy. But what if you don't know anyone there? You just you know when you're screwed. If you don't
know anyone, then you better start making friends quick. It's not a coolincidence that Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider are best friends, and Judd Apatow and Seth Brogan and that crew are all closely connected, and that Judd Aptal and Adam Sandler are buddy buddies and Judd is directed all the move That's not a coincidence. These are people who associate,
they connect, and they definitely your social inventory is everything. Okay, So talk to me about somebody in Alabama whose social inventory is not going to be as robust as Tron living in you know, the hottest city in the world. Well, here's here's the good and the bad news. If you're in Alabama, by the way gas in Alabama is at like two dollars and fifteen cents, that's amazing. So if here in l A it's at like four dollars and fifties cents, which means that for two dollars and thirty
five cents more, you can be successful. And I guess you need to take You need to move, You need to leave Alabama and get there. And Dean Delray makes a point of that when he says like things like that, like the concept is if you're in Alabama, that's not the place. Now, that doesn't mean I'm a person in Alabama. I will never make it. Thankful, Lea, the Internet has made entertainment into a democracy. You can find anywhere, anytime,
any place in the world. But at the end of the day, you can be in Alabama streaming your content or like whatever. But at the end of the day, you've got to be you have You're going to eventually have to move. And there are people that are like, well I don't want to move. Well that's fine, you don't have to do this. None of us have to do this. We get to do this. This is a decision that we made. L A in Hollywood did not call a single person and say, oh my god, we
need you, we need it. So you're gonna have to sacrifice and know that the ends justify the means. Get up, get out, and get something. Okay. So initially when we open this, you were talking about like New York is where you get good and then la is where you in my opinion, because New York you can hit as mini mics. In New York you can definitely hit three to six mics a night, which is virtually it is
a lot. Even something like forget the politics. Geographically, it's difficult to get to six mikes in l A. Geographically people will be like, oh, I'm only staying two miles away from you, is like you might as well have just stayed in Alabama exactly Exactly. In l A, you're going to be like going to Long Beach to one of them. That doesn't make it. It's your whole day you planned. Like if anytime I have to go to Santa Monica, I just know that's Monday and Tuesday. That's
my whole Monday and Tuesday. That's the end of that. So the concept is in New York you can hit three to six mics. Just an average person can hit three to six mics every single night, and practice makes perfect. There is no secret get off on mics, practice, practice practice. So one question something that I might have like it might be a stereotype that I'm falling into, but not all blacks are like that. How many times do I
have to tell you what's wrong? Question? So New York and l A have this like constant rivalry rivalry, right, would someone argue that the crop of talent coming out of New York who are doing stand up like their real goal is stand up versus l A. You've got this like entire crop of actors and like influencers and want to be famous for whatever, and no shade is the pool a little more flooded here. That's not to be very honest, that's not a very nice thing to say,
but it would be so true. That's the case. In New York. You have people who are specifically there for stand up. If you ask one of them what their ultimate goal in life would be if they could be the most decorated actor, the most decorated stand up comedian of all time, they would most likely choose decorated stand up comedian. I do not feel the same about a lot of the talent pool that's in Los Angeles. Now, does that mean that there is not talent in Los Angeles? No,
there is clearly talent in Los Angeles. This is where every prom queen and football star in the country comes here to become a hostess at Catsuya. That's how it works, right,
So there's a lot of talent here. However, it does become oversaturated and since there are only certain spots that make it once again the store, laugh Factory of course, and improv, and there's some outskirt places, flappers and hop but no one's really going to those places to be big, right, There's limited space, limited place, and an oversaturation of people
trying and flooding trying to do this. And every actor feels like the easiest way to break through because it makes you feel like you're doing something as opposed to just sitting around and waiting for auditions. Try stand up and it makes sense. I mean, there's so many benefits to stand up. Your building confidence, you're getting reps in your practicing. I feel like you find your voice. In many ways, actors like to have their own niche personality
or whatever. So I could definitely see the benefits of it. But on the same token, I could see how someone who's main goal to be comedian and they they're flooded with all this, all these other people, I could see how that could maybe offend. Maybe not offend, isn't it? No, it is offend is the correct word. When you see someone that's doing something that you take seriously and this is your passion, and they do it once a month
and they call themselves the same thing, it's offensive. You're looking at it and you're saying you don't have the right to use this term in reference to you when you literally put in the least amount of effort and here I am busting my ass to do the do the thing that I say I do so as a gatekeeper, do you take that into conederation when you are booking. In fact, recently had a conversation with a comedian who
was telling me how, oh, I just like doing comedy. Well, then no, I'm not going to give you the opportunity on the most famous stage in the world to perform when there are other people who this isn't their hobby, this is their life passion, this is their goal. That's who I'm going to give an opportunity to especially personally, I like giving opportunities to a diverse field of voices because that's what comedy ultimately is. It's a platform to be heard. And while I am all for there are
people like, oh no more white men. I think white men have a space in comedy, and they have a huge one. But I do feel that transgender and and l g B t Q and black and brown and yellow and purple and everyone else has a space as well, And so I will look for that. Not that I'm going out of my way for diversity, it's that I feel like inclusion. I will always go out of my way for I can't stand that, by the way, when people are like no white girls or no, and I'm like,
what that's that's that's just here. Of course, that's as that's as oppressive. However, at the same token, it shouldn't be just white girls or just white males. But let's be honest, there's nothing funnier than a corny white dude, right, A dad, A corny d love that ship. Okay, So yeah, I don't know. I think my friend in the background, because he is a white dad, white dad. What do you call a fish with no eyes hilarious, Right, you got it, that's yours. Okay. So, so Toronto, we have
talked about him being a gatekeeper. I'm sure you guys are wondering how does one get in this power position. So, Toron, if you could just give us like a high level of how you got to the place. Obviously you're wildly talented and in the owners of these comedy stores are trusting you, but you didn't get there overnight. Talent is a word we often used to attribute to people to deny ourselves where we are like, well, they're talented, so
that means I don't have to do it. No, what it was is I got very lucky because I worked very hard. I worked very hard and got very lucky. And when those two meet, all of a sudden, it seems like opportunity. Right, that's those two collide. And what happened was I was What happened was I. And this is why I actually feel inclusion and representation is so important. I was literally in law school trying to figure out
my next move in life. I knew I didn't want to practice law, that was never the plan, but I need to figure out what I did ultimately want to do. I turn on the television and this is me in my twenties. This isn't me as a thirteen year old or as an eight year old. This is me in my twenties. I saw a comedian, Mikey Winfield, who had a show on Fuse network where no one watches Fuse, and I was watching Fuse and he would perform comedy
and present videos and things like that. And he's a light skinned black guy with a froe and I literally saw him do it, and I was like, if he can do it, I can do it. That's literally how that happened. That's began the path. Then comedians like Master Bonnie and Maximini gave me an opportunity to perform, and then Mas actually pulled me aside and gave me the speech, gave me the if you really want to do this,
then you have to do this. This isn't just something you do once every three months and because you're funny with your friends. This is an art form. And it's interesting because we we always think that when comedians go on stage and if they say the same thing, we're like, why didn't you say something new? We just make it look so easy that everyone thinks they can do it. You would never expect a singer to go on stage and sing a brand new hit every time they get
on stage. We are writing as well. We are just writing beats and merits and jokes into jokes, and they're doing it into rhythm and song. It's a very similar process. So I got I practiced getting up on the mic. I practiced finding a voice that was unique to myself when I'm on stage, and I practiced being on stage in front of people. That's people's biggest fears, and everyone that, oh, well, I can be funny. No, it's not the same. And I kept working, working, working, got an opportunity to be
at the Laugh Factory, hosted my own show. Then that became two shows, and now I am responsible for two of the most popular nights in Los Angeles and I've been to both of them. Hilarious. You are a great audience member, and I feel like you're really funny. Yes you are. I don't know if you guys have had conversations with Tati and her and her personal views on things. Her take on things and the way she states them is that comedian mentality, which is a starting point you
should have some here's my rebuttal. Here's my rebuttal of that I will interject my comedy into these things that are my passion. I will not pursue stand up for the exact same reason that we discussed in the beginning, because I have too much respect for the people who went to improv classes groundlings auditioned. That is their thing, and I'm just like And also it's not my passion.
So if somebody were to say to me, you will become a billionaire doing a doing stand up, I wouldn't do it because it's not it wasn't my end goal, my end goal. If someone told me I would be a billionaire giving out handies on Hollywood Boulevard, I would just stand on Hollywood boulevards like I like, once you say billionaires are off, fine, I shouldn't have gone to the billionaire once you hit Billy, alright, alright, all right,
I shouldn't have gone to the b club. Let's talk millions. Okay, okay, We're we're so reasonable. The point, the point being, for me, my passion would not be that right. Like, maybe I'd have a thrill and be really excited to get off stage and be like, oh my god, I just did that. That was awesome. But to your point, why would I want to take a spot potentially from someone who that is really their passion when my passion is here. I want to talk to people, I want to interview people.
I'll just be funny on my interviews. And that's and that's why I applaud the fact that you and I've seen your progression in your path and you have it. Obviously, people love you and they love talking to you about She's got it and she gets you to tell secrets that you would not normally tell. That's that's a little
thing she does because she loves comfortable Yeah, yeah, fun secrets. Yeah, So like I would have to I would have to murder Tatiana if I ever, like if I was on a TMZ story, I'd have to get rid of her because she would know that you're like she's gotten things out like she man, she can't move right, Yeah, I'm like a paraplegic. That just means it's easier to murder, like this isn't yeah, this isn't feel bad. This is like,
am I gonna make it? And then she can bring me down secrets like you know, like she knows you're always so complimentary of me. I just feel like I need to have you every day. No, no, no compliments. It's so interesting how compliments and the truth sounds so uh similar. When you're being sincere, You're I definitely think you're being sincere because there's those people who are like, I love you, and you're like, yeah, I'm not that person at all. I'm quick to actually seen you really
shade people. Yeah, I'm very upfront. You know where you stand. There's yeah, Terronto is a pretty straightforward, and I think that you need to be that type of person to be in the role that you are. So I want to ask you, like, you've got to have millions of people who are saying, hey, can I get a coffee with you? Can I have advice? Like pick your brain? I know for a fact for experience, any time I've asked you to meet with someone, you have because you're
a very helpful person. However, do you draw the line with these pick your brain? You're in a power position. You know, people are not just wanting to have coffee with you because they want to have a lot date with you. They want something. How do you determine who you give time to invest time into well. I will be honest with anyone that asked me a question, but sometimes they will not appreciate or expect my honesty. I think it's every every person's responsibility to try to help
the next person up the ladder. In fact, that the thought process behind oh, I want to be the only star. This is not a zero sum game. This is not a situation where I only when if you lose. The concept is even at night, if you look up in the sky and there's only one or two stars, you don't look up again. It's when the night sky is filled with stars that you stay staring up at the sky and awe. That's how I feel when it comes to entertainment. When it comes to comedy, there room for
all of us. However, how do I differentiate between those who belong in the night sky and those who are simply falling stars? And that has to do with the person's ambition, It has to do with their personal motivation, and it has to do with their talent level as well. Is it does it ever have to do with you? Just somebody rubs you the wrong way, you don't like them. I don't take most things personally. In fact, some of the people that I respect the most in this game
are people I do not like. I don't find funny. I also do not hang out with them outside because you would think, like if you're in a power position, you know people are catty. Of course, you would think somebody would personally block someone. A lot of that happens a lot, by the way, in comedy and comedy it's one of those things where you don't know who someone's going to become. You don't know who someone is, and you don't know how if you're rubbing someone the wrong way.
I actually have a great story about Tiffany Hannish, a big name comedian, when Tiffany Addish was on the come up. Because her story, by the way, which is known now and everyone knows her and loves her, that's real. What she talks about is her truth of truth. She is a very much an open book. And I I've known Tiffany and she's been like a sister to me and amazing.
I remember specifically when she was uh she was in the lobby and a big name comedian who everyone would know if I said his name, specifically told Tiffany she's not funny. She will never be funny. She will never make it. Tiffany was very upset in the lobby. Jamie Massot of the owner of the Laugh Factory, comes over and says, Tiffany, I believe in you. He is an
accent and then lo and behold. Three years later, Tiffany is the most famous female comedian in the world, and she I'll never forget she she was on the cover of Vanity Fair. It said the funniest comedian live, not funniest woman, funniest comedian alive. And she simply tagged that person on Twitter and tagged them so we can verify who this I mean you and you, like everyone would know who that person is. You know everyone? What does
What is the benefit of saying something like that? First of all, do you genuinely think that this comedian felt that or do you believe that the comedian felt threatened? What's the benefit of always being a good person even if you have If if you felt that way, there was no need to say it or express it in this way. There was a little bit of a conflict simply because of Tiffany being on stage when it was the other person's time and coming off. And it wasn't
even that much. It was simply the person decided to go off. And and honestly, here's the thing you have to remember. You should treat the janitor the same way you would treat the general because you never know when roles will will be reversed. And more importantly, just and just be a good person. Just generally be a good person. Does that mean that I never say anything that would
come off mean, that's not true. I say mean things all the time, but it's because as I believe them and I will not I don't say it in a in a way that's negative. There's a difference between critique and criticism, and critique is when you're actually trying to help the person out. You want them to be better. And there's a comedian, actually Shang who as a comedian who's been doing it a long time. I'll never forget
Gerard Carmichael, who had the car Michael Show. And I mean Gerard is so famous now Jay Z and Beyonce came to the laugh Factory just to watch him perform. It was crazy to see that progression as well. Gerard car Michael, who I've always liked. I remember he used to come in and this is before he was famous, and comedians will be like, uh, there's Gerard. Gerard's not that I don't understand. And I used to think Gerard's
hilarious just watching it and I could tell. And Jamie actually calls me the comedian whisper because I like pick these people and they do make it. Gerard used to come in and people would shade him. Shang, however, after watching special, specifically set it to Gerard's face and was not in a mean way. He said it and this is my opinion. I do not specifically think you're that funny. And it wasn't in a mean way. It wasn't in a negative way. It was in a this is my
opinion way. That's different. And what I respect Shang is Shang didn't flip flop like everyone else who said the same thing behind his back, but then it was so nice to his face. What Shang did was he set it up front and was respectful about it and said, this is how I feel. I posted this and I feel this, and I don't mean to hurt your feelings. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, that's the thing. Everyone is entitled to an opinion a matter of taste, and my
personal point of view. If you look at someone who's a great if you say things like I don't like Drake, I understand that you don't have to like Drake. But if you say something like Drake sucks, you're a hater because clearly Drake doesn't suck. You know, Kobe doesn't sound when people like Kobe sucks. I've seen you play basketball. What are you talking about? Kobe is amazing. Just say I don't personally like something. That's a matter of opinion.
That's understandable. So tell me about the booking process, specifically on your end, what that looks like. Well, let me explain booking for people, because a lot of people always ask me, can I mean on your show? Where? Or they think of friends? When you watch a movie with Leonard DiCaprio, his friends are not in that movie. It's
not like it's Leonardo and his best friend. And that's got to be awkward because I'm I'm guaranteeing you have friends who want to be doing what you're doing very much. So people are my friends and we're in this business and they would love a shot. In fact, I have Cold Opens by Matine Stewart and Manachem Silverstein, who are people who are not only my friends, but I also see a lot of potential in both of them, and that's why they have that spot. How do you manage that?
When it comes down to is I'm very upfront and honest. It's not. There's no secret, there's no personal bias. It comes down to this. When I book a show at the Laugh Factory, Unlike the Comedy Store, which has three rooms and runs a rotating show, meaning that comedians go up each room probably has twenty comedians a night, sixty comedians in in a single night go up in the In the Laugh Factory, we do four comedians a show. So basically sixty comedians what the Comedy Store does in
one night, the Laugh Factory does in a week. So you're asking to be one of sixty. When I choose my shows, this is how I pick. The first comic that I put on my show is a person who is industry favor meaning C A, W, M, ME, A manager three yards something contacts me, wants their client to get up, and because industry is coming to see them, it's the hopes that they see all of us, and so we stay involved. So that's one person. The second person is of course, a headliner. It's gonna be a Crystalia,
it's gonna be a Tony Rock. It's gonna be someone who deserves that space because they've worked so hard and now they're headliner, and they are a draw. Ken Jong, who's one of the nicest human beings on the planet, Ali Wong, someone of that nature is getting She's amazing, right. Then the third person is going to be someone that has the political connections. They are a laugh factory or
a comedy store and improp favorite. There's someone who's been in the family and while they may or may not be deserving of that, but now there was a time that they were, and so they continue to be on the lineups. And the last person I bring is someone who is good good enough to be on that stage. It's not like I'm doing them a favor. They're good enough to be on stage, but they also have a draw. Ultimately, as a comedy club, you want to put butts in
that seat every single show. We in comedy, they're the thing things called a bringer show, and that's when a comic gets the chance to be on the stage by being able to bring ten or twenty paying customers. Uh and those shows are looked down upon, and it's because that's for rookies and new people. It's like open micers who want a bigger shot. However, once you at a certain level, every show is a bringer show. The difference is I bring fifty and Kevin Hart brings fifty. And
that's why Kevin Hart is Kevin Hart. It's butts and seats. You don't just sell out Madison Square Garden. It doesn't sell out itself. Somebody wants to be on one of your shows and they don't have a family connection, they're not a headliner, they don't have a draw. Do they not have a chance? Do they have a chance? Yes, anything within the possible realms of possibilities is possible. Is it very likely? It's very difficult. They're gonna have to come,
but here's how they reach. There are people like me who are very open minded to these things. There was a time a comedian Chris Red good friend of mine. I saw him and I saw a potential and he was working very hard, and he was from Chicago, came to l A and I used to put them on my shows all the time. People like, why do you put him on the shows all time? Like that's not fair to us. Chris Red is now on Saturday Night Live,
and he's like one of their premier people. You know it's because I saw that or Rammy Yusef, who's who, by the way, just won a Golden Globe and that's like our boy. These are people who you can tell this is where it's going, and so you pick them. But other than that, if someone wants to contact me, they find me on Instagram. Don't just say hey, hey, can I do your show? That means nothing to me. Everyone wants to do my show. Of course you want to do my show. Industry is at my show. Average
actor might audition what once or twice a week. Comedians get to audition every single time we hit a stage because there will be someone undoubtedly at the major clubs who are there from the industry that can that can change and make our lives. So everyone wants to be on my show. Don't just say hey, can I be on your show? No, give me some give me something, send me a tape, talk to me, tell me why you feel like you deserve to be on the show. This isn't me being arrogant saying oh look at me,
appease me. This is me saying no, appease yourself. This is a job, this is a career. Show up, be there, do do the little things. It's you're sending in a resume. You're applying for a job which a stage time. Do the same things. Give me, give me that cover letter. Are you actively looking for people? Do you go to Do you go to those tiny backbar shows to see who's up and coming or do you just kind of wait for people to come to you. I definitely keep my ear to the ground. I look for talent. I
go to shows. More importantly, this is where it comes to the who you know if you are doing it. It's like if you build it, they will come. Exactly if you're doing it, we will hear about you because and sometimes, of course it works the other way. Nepotism is very real, right, So sometimes it's someone's best friend,
someone girlfriend, boyfriend. Of course they get those roles. With me, it's not that's not uh my criteria at all, but it happens that way as well, where people get hype but they aren't they don't live up to the hype. But with me, if I hear about you or if I see you in a position even Renee Vodka, who we went to Lebanon together to do a show, who wasn't basically an open micro at that point, and people were like, why are you taking Renee? I saw him kill.
Renee came to Lebanon, Beirut, of all places, killed in Beyrout, and then people were like, well, why do you And now he just won the NBC Diversity Showcase, which is one of the top showcases for comedy in the entire country. So you see that promise, and it also helps that Renee's a great guy. No one wants to be around a douche bag like no one I don't. I don't want I don't want to be around it f boy anymore than Victoria wants a date one like I just
don't want to be around those people. So if you're also a person you want on your team, you want, you want this person around, it is okay. I feel comfortable with you. You are a nice person. I see you're a good person. You don't talk trash about other people. Those are things I look forward to because if you talk trash about other people, then you're gonna talk trash about me. So I don't need that. I want people who are positive. You're in the space, you're gonna go perform.
I need to be in a positive energy space, don't f with my g I need everyone to be on the same page when it comes to that, and you're more likely to get on. Yeah. I mean, I've definitely heard of all the industries that the comedy space is probably the most brutal and throat. As far as like key that you're talking about, I can't imagine how many ugly stories you've probably experienced of backstabbing and stepping on people.
How do you how do you stay? How does your skin stay thick through such a I think from what I've heard a shady industry. It's not just what you've heard, it's what I've experienced, as what every comedian's experienced. I stay in my lane. I keep my head down and I keep doing my thing, and I do my best to avoid obstacles and know that nothing and no one gets in my path. So someone else's success does not undermine mind, someone else's failures do not add on to mind.
And if you stay out of the gossip, it doesn't follow you. You don't have to involve yourself and that stuff. Just keep it's one of those be good regardless. So many people are so willing to change the world. So few people are just simply willing to change themselves, Like you can just simply keep being yourself. It doesn't matter. I don't even know what quote we're going to use for the quote card. I'm like, every time he says something, I'm like, oh no, I mean I just because it's
it's this, isn't I live this? Like this is how I really am. I wear a bathrobe. I mean, I'm just simple. I wish you guys could see him right now. Literally, every time I interview him, and not just interview him, he will be at everywhere. I'll be at high in the bathroom, I perform, and I'm comfortable. I just want to be definitely have a look. I love that I appreciate. So speaking of look, I kind of want to get
into like a factor, right. I feel like in the comedy space, you definitely have to do something to stand out. There's so many comedians out there any space. Branding is important, right right, So you know, and I'm going to actually link you guys to a past interview I did with toront where he does talk about branding and why he has his name on his hat and it's actually very smart, Like why a Gucci when you can wear your own Like that's the whole thing. People will be like, why
do you wear your name on your own stuff? It's like you're wearing right, that's someone At that point, you're wearing almost his full name, Ralph Lauren. You are literally wearing his government name. The government name is Ralph Lauren. Right. So we we had a really good conversation about that. So if you guys want to hear more about that and branding and all that stuff, I'm gonna link you guys to that interview. But so there's gotta be some things that you look for. Can you list those out
of us? Just because I feel like someone's gonna be listening today who really really wants to be either in your shoes one day or just be on your show? What are you looking for? In general? When it comes to comedy, this is the thing. How do you and before people, especially when entertainment, people will be like, oh my god, that's a bad angle. That's a bad angle. You think Danny DeVito has a good angle? Danny DeVito works, you know, like he's not just works, he's a star.
So whenever you question the way you look, just remember Danny de Vito is. That's all you have to remember, is that Danny, Danny DeVito, baby, Danny de Vito is at not just he doesn't just work. He's a star. Okay. So here's the thing. First, when it comes to a look, be yourself, look yourself, there is a certain genesic quality that people have, that factor where you can just it's an intangible quality that certain people have where it's very endearing.
With comedy, that's the first thing. If you're yourself on stage, yourself, your truest self, you will you will ultimately do very well. Dave Chappelle is amazing at that. At this point, he's in the zone where he's literally just himself all the time, unapologetically he's himself, his special He went hard in the first two minutes. Yeah, I mean he goes hard in general, Like even when you hang out with Dave, Dave goes hard. Every time I hang out with Dave, he just like
goes hard. He does. You say that, but it's like Dave goes hard like he's he's he's an interest sting, charismatic, introverted listener and he listens, and then when he says something, everyone gets quiet, and it's a bar one of the best times I've ever had in comedy. One time, Um, I get a text Dave Chappelle's like, I'm at the store. So one time he says, I'm at the store, right, So I go. I go to the store. And up
to this point, it wasn't the best show. Right up to this point, it was like a lot of newer people. So it wasn't the best show. It was like a bringer show. On top of that, then Kevin Hart goes on stage okay, and like I remember this one lady like was about like basically have a heart attack. She was just like, oh, I don't know. And then and then after Kevin hartt Chris Rock goes on stage. Okay, these they had no idea this was happening. Chris Rock goes on stage and some people had left. I felt
I bet they felt horrible. And then after Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, who hadn't been seen for a while, goes on stage, and then Cat Williams, Okay, look at who's done on stage all in this one show. And then Chappelle goes on stage okay, and does like an hour and a half like it's nothing. Yeah for anyone, Yes, for people who stage these people they saw and Chappelle, was he hilarious for an hour and a half or two hours that he did comedy? No, No, he wasn't.
At some points he was just talking. Some point he was just sitting there smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer on stage. But for ten minutes he was more. He was funnier than all of us put together. That's how brilliant he is. And and once again, you're in the room minutes that it makes you brilliant. And he's just unapologetically himself. But as far as a look, you should have a look. You should have a look where it's this is your look, this is who you are.
And that's why we like we like Chubby Seth Brogan, but not so much Skinniers. I mean, yeah, Jonah Hillymore. Not only are you not funny, keep to these sea roles. Next role, you better have cancer because I just don't believe you, you know. So it's a look, there's a feel, and with your material, if you're saying something that someone else can say, then I'll just have someone else say it. If you sound like Kevin Hart. I will just go find Kevin Hart. That just comes down to who you
are as a person. So at the end of the day, and you're saying you have to be yourself, that material has to genuinely be your life, come from your heart. It's not even not even necessarily your your life. It could be your opinion, but it's your opinion, it's your point of view, it's your writing, it's your way that you view the world. That's why when when we look at directors and we're like, oh, this director is great
as opposed to this director's average. Everyone can hold a camera, it's the way you frame it where you are showing us the audience exactly what you see as the creator. That's what. That's what makes a Harry Potter book so great, whether you like Harry Potter or not. J. K. Rowling created a world in which all of us vividly saw this world exactly the way she saw it in her mind.
Because we can all go up there and tell a trump joke, right of course, but it's about the delivery, and you are the perspective and the perspective and have I heard this take before? So how does one finesse that because I think we all have some level of raw talent, but you have to really work that. What would be your piece of advice for somebody. Philosophically speaking, discovering comedy is truly discovering yourself. The way you do that,
and now we go bookend it. Practice practice, practice, especially on stage, literally, practice being on stage, practice speaking your mind on stage. It is one of the most terrifying things to do. Especially unlike movies or music, where you find out feedback later, comedy is instant. Yes, you say something, either they laugh or they don't. And the worst thing
isn't when you get booed. The worst thing is when you hear crickets where people are just silent, So at least you've evoked some emotion exactly you get booed, at least you've you've you've created something. But when it's just silence and it's crickets and you can hear that pin drop, that's when people sweat. That's when it's like, oh, oh,
I'm here all week. You know, it's just like one of those things where that that five minutes, which sounds short, isn't an eternity at that point, so you've given us so many nuggets of information, and I think that people can really learn from this interview. Is there anyone that you think we should be paying attention to right now? Since you have such a good eye that you would like to give a little bit of I will go down a list of comedians just so we can give
our audience some people to check out. In a room of people whose names are being definitely kicked around. Chris red romy Yusef are definitely these names that Eliza Schlezinger, you know, but people know them. But if you're looking for like new talent up and coming, uh and Andrew Schultz by the way, because he's made it like that guy did it on his own. I respect that You're gonna look for Renee Vaca. You're gonna look for Jack Knight.
You're going to look for Fox, who's a transgender comedian, very funny, Mateine Stewart, Manacolm Silverstein, Sam j very good, Audrey Stewart working very hard. These are people that you're going to be looking for. Vanessa Johnston, Lea Lamar. I like everyone to have a voice. It's very interesting. It's great to watch Tehran breaking stars and actually a star himself. I'm so lucky in the making, like because people like Tehran, Oh I have and I aren't you one the terrorist
watch list? Like no, I'm gonna yeah no. But you're definitely mean, You're someone of influence, and you definitely are a taste maker in the comedy space. And I think that sky's a limit with you, obviously, And I'm so I love that we have this together, that I get to call you and we get to I get to pick your brains. You're one of my favorite people. But you know that, and you and you also have this like Armenian thing. Anyway, it doesn't matter, it's a thing.
I hope you guys enjoyed this. If you guys want to check out tron, tell them we're all Your socials are where they can find you, literally at I am I A M Tehran t e h r a n I am Tehran all across the social atmosphere. So find me anywhere that you find people. Follow me, be my you, be my Joe Goldberg, stalk me, stock him. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Tolu Behind Influences a production of I Heart Radio and t DC Media