Christopher Paul Anthony Distefano (born August 26, 1984) is an American comedian. Primarily a stand-up comedian, Distefano began his career in entertainment on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global.
The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to sh ...
's shows ''
Guy Code
''Guy Code'' is an American reality comedy television series on MTV2. The series debuted on November 15, 2011, and features various pop culture entertainers, top comics, athletes, and specialized experts who tell the story of the special code of ...
'' and ''
Girl Code
''Girl Code'' is an American comedy television series on MTV that debuted on April 23, 2013 that currently airs through Snapchat Discover. It is a spin-off series to ''Guy Code''. The series features actresses, musicians, stand-up comics—plu ...
''. Distefano's first hour-long standup special, ''Chris Distefano: Size 38 Waist'', was released in 2019 by
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
. His second special, ''Speshy Weshy'', premiered on Netflix in May 2022. Distefano co-hosts ''Hey Babe!'' podcast with
Impractical Jokers
''Impractical Jokers'' is an American hidden camera Reality television#Hidden cameras, reality show with improvisational elements. Produced by NorthSouth Productions, ''Impractical Jokers'' premiered on truTV on December 15, 2011 starring the m ...
's
Sal Vulcano
Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano (born November 6, 1976) is an American improvisational and stand-up comedian, actor, and producer from the New York City borough of Staten Island. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe consisting o ...
and hosts his own podcast, ''Chrissy Chaos''.
Early life
Distefano, who is of mostly German descent (and also has some Italian and Irish ancestry),
grew up in the
Ridgewood Ridgewood may refer to:
Geography Australia
*Ridgewood, Western Australia
Canada
* Ridgewood, Ontario
*Ridgewood, Edmonton, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Ridgewood, East Sussex
United States
*Ridgewood Heights, California
* Ridgewood, Illinois
*Ridge ...
neighborhood of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
and attended
Archbishop Molloy High School
Archbishop Molloy High School (also called Molloy, Archbishop Molloy, or AMHS) is a co-educational, college preparatory, Catholic school for grades 9-12, located on on 83-53 Manton Street, Briarwood, Queens, New York. It is part of the Roman Cath ...
. He then attended
St. Joseph's College where he played basketball and studied psychology; he graduated in 2006. Distefano was recruited to play for St. Joseph's College Brooklyn's
D-III basketball team in 2002. Distefano was the team's lead scorer, and was inducted into the college's Hall of Fame in 2018
Distefano earned a doctorate in physical therapy from
New York Institute of Technology
The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a private research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long Island, and one in Manhattan. Additionally, it has a cybersecu ...
in 2010. He went on to practice pediatric physical therapy until 2013 when he began pursuing his career in comedy full-time.
Career
Distefano began performing standup in August of 2009.
He hosted the 2010 ''Fencing Masters'' on the SNY network & Elite 8 of the 2011 and 2012 March Madness Comedy Competition at the comedy club
Carolines on Broadway
Carolines on Broadway is a venue for stand-up comedy situated at 750 Seventh Avenue, on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.
History
Caroline Hirsch opened Carolines as a cabaret in ...
. He was selected to headline ''Carolines Breakout Artist Series'' and was selected as a finalist in the 2011 NY Comedy Festival. Besides Carolines, he also performed standup at venues including New York Comedy Club,
Comedy Cellar
The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan where many top New York comedians perform. It is widely considered to be the best comedy club in the United States. It was founded in 1982 by then stand-up comedian, and current television writer/p ...
,
Gotham Comedy Club
Gotham Comedy Club is a venue for stand-up comedy in New York City. The comedy club is located on 208 West 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues in Chelsea.
Several movies and television shows have been filmed at the club. Numerous ma ...
, Broadway Comedy Club, and the Laugh Lounge.
In 2012, Distefano joined the cast MTV's ''
Guy Code
''Guy Code'' is an American reality comedy television series on MTV2. The series debuted on November 15, 2011, and features various pop culture entertainers, top comics, athletes, and specialized experts who tell the story of the special code of ...
'', which was in its second season. The following year he also joined the cast of ''
Girl Code
''Girl Code'' is an American comedy television series on MTV that debuted on April 23, 2013 that currently airs through Snapchat Discover. It is a spin-off series to ''Guy Code''. The series features actresses, musicians, stand-up comics—plu ...
''.
He would also go on to appear in episodes of other MTV shows like ''
Guy Court
''Guy Court'' is an American comedy court show television series and the third spin-off to ''Guy Code''. The series premiered on November 6, 2013, and airs on MTV2. ''Guy Court'' handles a variety of cases where the "guy code" was violated. Donn ...
'', ''Guy Code'' vs. ''Girl Code'', ''Off the Bat'', and ''
The Challenge''.
Distefano was a frequent guest on the ''
Opie with Jim Norton
''Opie with Jim Norton'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Jim Norton that aired from July 2014 to September 2016. The show was broadcast from New York City and aired weekdays from 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m ...
'' show during this time. Chris went on to appear on
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...
in June of 2013. In 2014, Distefano's first half-hour special was released as part of Comedy Central's ''
The Half Hour
''Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents'', formerly known as ''The Half Hour'', is an American stand-up comedy television series that airs on Comedy Central in the United States. The program features various stand-up comedians in each episode. It repl ...
''.
Following an appearance on
Late Night with Seth Meyers
''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...
, Distefano began his first national U.S. tour in September of 2015 with ''Monster Energy Outbreak Presents''. He co-starred in the 2015
IFC series ''
Benders'' with
Andrew Schulz
Andrew Cameron Schulz (born October 30, 1983) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and podcaster. In addition to his stand-up, he is known for his work on MTV2's ''Guy Code'' (and its two spinoffs), . He was one of two American announcers on Season 2 of Netflix's ''
Ultimate Beastmaster
''Ultimate Beastmaster'' is an American sports entertainment reality show competition that premiered on Netflix on February 24, 2017. The show differentiates itself from other obstacle course competition shows by showcasing not only international ...
'', which was released on the streaming service on December 15, 2017. During this period, Distefano took part in seven television
pilots
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
which did not get picked up, including a
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
-produced show based on his own life called ''Distefano''.
Distefano also co-starred in the web series ''Bay Ridge Boys'' alongside fellow comic
Yannis Pappas
Yannis Pappas is an American comedian from Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York.
Early life
Pappas was born in Brooklyn, New York to Chris Pappas, an Army officer, and Anna Pappas née Mamalakis, a Greek lawyer originally from Rethymno, Crete. He w ...
, with whom he also co-hosted the weekly history podcast ''History Hyenas'', which was launched in February 2018.
Distefano regularly performs and tours globally. In January of 2019, his first hour standup special ''Chris Distefano: Size 38 Waist'' premiered on Comedy Central, which included a personal welcome on stage by
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952)
Chazzpalminteri.net. Retrieved on November 19, 2013. is an American ...
. The special was part of an overall deal he made with Comedy Central in December 2018, which included the series ''Stupid Questions with Chris Distefano'', and at least two series in development. This also includes his weekly podcast ''Stand-Up with Chris Distefano'', launched in April 2019.
In February of 2022, Distefano sold out his first performance at New York City's
Beacon Theatre. He would later go on to sell out his first two shows at the
Gramercy Theatre
The Gramercy Theatre is a music venue in New York City. It is located in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan, on 127 East 23rd Street. Built in 1937 as the Gramercy Park Theatre, it is owned and operated by Live Nation as one of their two co ...
that March, during which he recorded his second special, ''Speshy Weshy''.
Distefano, an avid sports fan, has hosted episodes of shows including MLB's ''Off The Bat'' and MSG's ''The Brackets''. He was invited by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
to throw the first game pitch in 2021 and set off the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expan ...
' pre-game siren alongside friend and fellow comedian
Andrew Santino
Andrew W. Santino (born October 16, 1983) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster known for television series and films such as ''Sin City Saints'', ''The Disaster Artist'', ''Mixology'', ''I'm Dying Up Here'' and ''Dave''.
Educati ...
in March of 2022. Distefano was also featured on ''The Pat McAfee Show'' podcast, hosted by the athlete and sports commentator
Pat McAfee in early April.
Personal life
Distefano dated comedian
Carly Aquilino
Carly Aquilino (born November 18, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, television host and television personality. Aquilino was a regular cast member of the '' Girl Code'' comedy series on MTV and was a host of '' Girl Code Live''.
...
from 2010 to 2014. Distefano has two children.
Filmography
Discography
Comedy specials
* ''Size 38 Waist'' (2019)
* ''Speshy Weshy'' (2022)
Podcasts
* ''History Hyenas'' with
Yannis Pappas
Yannis Pappas is an American comedian from Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York.
Early life
Pappas was born in Brooklyn, New York to Chris Pappas, an Army officer, and Anna Pappas née Mamalakis, a Greek lawyer originally from Rethymno, Crete. He w ...
(2018–2021)
* ''Stand-Up with Chris Distefano'' (2019)
* ''Hey Babe''! with
Sal Vulcano
Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano (born November 6, 1976) is an American improvisational and stand-up comedian, actor, and producer from the New York City borough of Staten Island. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe consisting o ...
(2020–present)
* ''Chrissy Chaos'' (2021–present)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Distefano, Chris
American male comedians
American stand-up comedians
Television personalities from New York City
American people of German descent
American people of Italian descent
American people of Irish descent
Living people
People from Brooklyn
New York Institute of Technology alumni
Comedians from New York (state)
21st-century American comedians
Archbishop Molloy High School alumni
1984 births