Nick Di Paolo

Nick Di Paolo
Born (1962-01-31) January 31, 1962
Danvers, Massachusetts, US
Medium Stand-up, television, radio
Nationality American
Years active 1987–present
Spouse Andrea Di Paolo (2003–present)
Notable works and roles Born This Way, Road Rage,Funny How?, Raw Nerve, Another Senseless Killing, Inflammatory
Website NickDip.com

Nicholas Rocco "Nick" Di Paolo (born January 31, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor, radio personality and podcast host. In July 2018, he launched his new audio and video podcast, The Nick Di Paolo Show. Was also an emcee on truTV Presents: World’s Dumbest.

Early life

Di Paolo was born in Danvers, Massachusetts to parents Nick and Joan Di Paolo.[1] In 1980, after graduating from high school, he attended the University of Maine where he became the running back of the university's American football team, and graduated with a major in marketing in 1984.[2][3] He said, "I cheated my way through with a 2.3" grade point average, but said his time there were "the best years of my life". He joined the fraternity Sigma Nu.[4] His brother also attended the university and did play-by-play commentary for the Maine Black Bears hockey team with Gary Thorne.[4]

After graduating Di Paolo landed several jobs, including work in "suit and tie" office jobs in marketing and, around 1987, a door-to-door food salesman, "selling meat and seafood" in the New England area.[3][4] Though he looked back on the job as "fun and I was pretty good at it", but he felt burnt out after around two years. During this time, the stand-up comedy scene in the Boston area was picking up and his university friend encouraged him to go on stage as he made his friends and colleagues laugh.[3][4] Di Paolo was a fan of comedy in his youth and was influenced by comedians on television such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, David Letterman on The Mike Douglas Show and Jay Leno on The Merv Griffin Show.[3] Di Paolo had wanted to try stand-up for several years but said he "didn't have the guts".[5] His now lack of enjoyment from his sales job "led me to the stage". His first set took place in 1987 at Stitches in Boston that held an open mic night, travelling from a family barbecue with "about 22 beers in me".[5] He recalled the five-minute set going "pretty well" and wished to pursue it full time,[2] but obligations with his salesman job led to a temporary relocation to Rhode Island before returning Boston and going on stage again.[5]

Career

From 1987 to 1992, Di Paolo developed his stand-up act around comedy clubs in the New England area followed by New York City two years in, where he landed a regular spot at Catch a Rising Star.[2] He developed his own style during his early Boston gigs, describing his act as "a rapid fire approach, four or five punches attached to every joke". Upon moving to New York, Di Paolo became more political after reading the local newspapers and comparing their views.[3] In his first year as a stand-up comic, he secured Barry Katz as his manager and performed on over 300 nights.[3] Di Paolo moved to New York City with comedian Louis C.K., the two becoming room mates.[3][2]

In 1992, Di Paolo reloated to Los Angeles, California to further his career as "that's where the business is".[2][5] While there he developed his stand-up act in local comedy clubs and took on several television and film roles, including a regular role as Tony, a bartender on the sitcom Grace Under Fire.[2] He went on to make an early appearance on national television on The Arsenio Hall Show and featured on HBO's special focused on up and coming comics.[2] He returned to the University of Maine to perform stand-up at Damn Yankee, located above the student's union, around five years into his new career.[4] While in Los Angeles, Di Paolo befriended comedian and actor Artie Lange during an audition for a pilot that had Lange play the lead.[3]

In 2001, Di Paolo had returned to New York City, living in Queens.[6] In June 2001, he made his first appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, and later that year he filmed promos for the Comedy Central roast of Hugh Hefner.[6] From December 2006 to December 2007, Di Paolo hosted an afternoon radio show on WFNY in New York City.[7] He assembled a demo tape and approached other radio stations in the city to host a morning show, but it was too difficult. He then took any fill in spots on the air when he could, including Jerry Doyle, Dennis Miller, and Dan Patrick.[3]

Di Paolo has written and performed three stand up specials for Comedy Central Presents, appeared in the HBO Young Comedians Special and three hour-long comedy specials Raw Nerve, which he wrote, performed and produced. It premiered on Showtime on April 30, 2011, Another Senseless Killing, which was self-released in 2014, and Inflammatory in 2017.

He was a regular on the Comedy Central show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. He has appeared on several roasts for the network including The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson, The Comedy Central Roast of Denis Leary, The Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy and The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy.

Di Paolo voiced the Baby Nick character alongside comedian Patrice O'Neal, who was Baby Patrice in the animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. He has done several Comics Come Home specials for the network.

He has been cast as a police officer in Artie Lange's feature film Artie Lange's Beer League, in The Sopranos, and in numerous sketches on The Chris Rock Show, where he worked as a writer for two seasons. In 2001, he and the team of writers were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program. It is Di Paolo's second Emmy Award nomination.[6] He also wrote for the 77th Academy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards.

Other television appearances include The Colin Quinn Show on NBC, NewsRadio, Suddenly Susan and The Smoking Gun Presents.

He has been a guest on radio shows, including The Howard Stern Show, Opie and Anthony, and The Dennis Miller Show. He has filled in for Dennis Miller, Dan Patrick, Tony Bruno, among others.

He was cast as the building superintendent on Louis C.K.'s HBO show Lucky Louie, and appeared with a recurring role in Louis C.K.'s FX series Louie.[8]

Di Paolo has done USO tours in Cuba and Japan. In 2008, he performed stand-up for US soldiers in Afghanistan as a part of Operation Mirth, which Lange named and headlined. He was joined by Gary Dell'Abate and Dave Attell.[9]

In October 2011, Di Paolo launched a syndicated sports entertainment radio show with Lange named The Nick & Artie Show. Di Paolo left in January 2013 as he wanted to "pursue some great opportunities". Lange continued to host the show with former professional American football player Jon Ritchie that was renamed The Artie Lange Show.[10]

In October 2013, Di Paolo launched his weekly podcast, The Nick Di Paolo Podcast, on the Riotcast network. It has since run for over 220 episodes.[11]

In 2014, Di Paolo released a new comedy special, Another Senseless Killing.

From May 15, 2017 to April 2018, Di Paolo hosted a talk radio show on the Faction Talk channel on Sirius XM Radio.[4] The show was cancelled after Di Paolo had posted comments on his Twitter account that management deemed offensive, and was subsequently fired. Di Paolo maintained that his "poorly worded tweet" should have resulted in a suspension.[12]

On July 9, 2018, Di Paolo launched his new audio and video podcast, The Nick Di Paolo Show. The show airs four days a week from his home studio.[13]

Political views

Di Paolo says he opposes political correctness, which he believes "ruined this country".[14] Di Paolo was mentioned as part of a shock radio "brethren" in a New York Times article about CBS Radio's decision to fire Don Imus for referring to an African American college basketball player as a "nappy headed ho". The article described one of Di Paolo's bits in which he mocked an employee training manual entitled "Words Hurt and Harm", stating, "Right away, we’re starting with a false premise, because words don't hurt".[15]

During a 2015 interview on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast, Di Paolo described his political outlook as "center-right" (noting that he doesn't oppose abortion or gay rights) and mentioned that his friend Colin Quinn had once quipped, "you're not a political comedian, but you could tell a joke about McDonald's and everyone would know how you voted".

Discography

  • Born This Way (1999; CD, download)
  • Road Rage (2004; CD, download)
  • Funny, How? (2008 CD, download)
  • Raw Nerve (2011; DVD, download)
  • Another Senseless Killing (2014; CD, DVD, download)
  • Inflammatory (2017; DVD, download)

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994–1997Grace Under FireStevie Ray / Tony8 episodes
1998NewsRadioJackEpisode: "Who's the Boss: Part 2"
1998Fame L.A.JoeyEpisode: "The Key to Success"
1998–1999The Chris Rock ShowOfficer Nardizi / Officer Bertini / Officer Reno13 episodes; also writer
2002Tough Crowd with Colin QuinnVariouson the panel for multiple episodes; also writer
2002The SopranosJoey the CopEpisode: "Christopher"
2004Rescue MeBoston Fireman #2Episode: "Orphans"
2004Shorties Watchin' ShortiesBaby Nick9 episodes
200577th Academy AwardsN/ASpecial material writer
2006Lucky LouieNick2 episodes
2010–2015LouieNick12 episodes
2015Inside Amy SchumerJuror #3Episode: "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer"
2016Horace and PeteNickWeb series; 3 episodes

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990Caesar's SaladUnknownShort film
1998Tomorrow NightNick Vagina
2006Artie Lange's Beer LeagueCousin Mickey
2017The ComedianHimself

References

  1. ↑ Fearer, Myrna (7 March 2014). "Circling the Square: Posters proposed for picking up after your pooch". Wicked Local – Danvers. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Richards, Tom (6 February 1997). "Angry edge". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 24 April 2018 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lynch, Neal (9 January 2012). "Nick DiPaolo Dishes On Working With Artie Lange, Louis CK & More". Coed. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Nick Di Paolo talks comedy and his love of UMaine". The Main Edge. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 McLellan, Dennis (1 April 1993). "A cynic and his laugh clinic". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Klister, Eric (1 November 2001). "Even after attacks, Nick DiPaolo stays on the offensive". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. p. 7. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Nick DiPaolo To 92.3 Free FM/NY". All Access. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Comedian Louis C.K.: Finding Laughs Post-Divorce", transcript, Louis C.K. interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, July 7, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  9. ↑ "Circling the Square, Aug. 7". Wicked Local – Danvers. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Artie Lange". Twitter. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Nick Di Paolo Podcast". Riotcast. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Nick DiPaolo Exits SiriusXM Faction Talk". All Access. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "A fan punched Nick DiPaolo in the face after a comedy show". The Interrobang. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Nick DiPaolo". Twitter. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  15. ↑ "Shock Radio Shrugs at Imus's Fall and Roughs Up the Usual Victims", by Jacques Steinberg with reporting contributed by Terry Aguayo, Rebecca Cathcart, Bob Driehaus, Theo Emery, Ann Farmer, Malcolm Gay, Jon Hurdle, Carolyn Marshall, Lori Moore, Regan Morris, Colin Moynihan and Andrea Zarate; The New York Times, May 6, 2007. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
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