Joey Diaz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joey Diaz
Diaz in 2015
Born	José Antonio Díaz (1963-02-19) February 19, 1963 (age 62) Havana, Cuba
Citizenship	United States
Occupation	Stand-up comedian actor podcaster
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Terrie Clark ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2

José Antonio Díaz (born February 19, 1963), known professionally as Joey Diaz, is a Cuban-American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. He is known for his energetic comedy and for appearing in many popular movies and TV shows.

Diaz started doing stand-up comedy full-time in 1991. He later moved to Los Angeles in 1995 to grow his career. He landed roles in films like BASEketball, Analyze That, and Taxi. He also appeared on TV shows such as ER and Maron.

Starting in 2010, Diaz became well-known for his appearances on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He hosted his own popular podcast, The Church of What's Happening Now, from 2012 to 2020. He now hosts the podcast Uncle Joey's Joint.

Early Life and Inspirations

José Antonio Díaz was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1963. When he was three, he and his mother moved to the United States. He grew up first in Manhattan, New York City, and later moved to North Bergen, New Jersey, at age ten.

As a child, Diaz was raised Catholic. He enjoyed hearing stories about historical figures like Francis of Assisi and Saint Michael. He attended several schools in New York and New Jersey. At North Bergen High School, he won awards for performing arts and graduated in 1982.

His mother passed away when he was sixteen. During his teenage years, several families in his community helped take care of him. He has said that about twenty different people helped him during this time. The humor of his friends and the comedy albums of Richard Pryor later inspired him to become a comedian.

After high school, Diaz moved to Colorado. He briefly studied economics at the University of Colorado Boulder but decided it was not for him. He then worked different jobs, but he knew he wanted to find a career that made him happy.

Career in Entertainment

Becoming a Stand-Up Comedian

After seeing the movie Punchline, Diaz decided to try comedy. He signed up for a stand-up comedy class in Denver. He performed for the first time on June 18, 1991, at a club called the Comedy Works.

Early in his career, he entered and won the Beck's Amateur Comedy Competition. He also competed in other contests, which helped him improve his act. In 1995, Diaz moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue his dream of becoming a successful comedian.

On November 4, 2007, Diaz performed in his hometown of North Bergen. The show helped raise money for the North Bergen High School basketball team's uniforms.

In 2012, he released a popular stand-up special that reached number one on the Billboard comedy charts in the UK and Canada. In 2016, he released his first one-hour comedy special, Sociably Unacceptable.

Acting in Movies and Television

In 1998, a talent scout from CBS saw Diaz perform comedy and offered him a role in a TV show pilot. The show was not picked up for a full series, but it opened the door for more acting jobs. He soon appeared in the movie BASEketball (1998) and the TV series NYPD Blue.

His career grew with roles in major films like Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Taxi (2004). In 2005, he played a funny character in the football movie The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Diaz made a funny audition tape for the role, which helped him get the part and have more lines added to the script.

From 2007, he had a recurring role on the TV show My Name is Earl as Joey the Candy Bar Criminal. He also appeared in the family movie The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2009). He said he was proud of this role because it allowed kids in his hometown to see him act.

Over the years, Diaz has appeared in many other shows and movies. These include The Mentalist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Grudge Match, where he played Robert De Niro's coach.

Podcasting Success

In 2010, Diaz started co-hosting a comedy podcast called Beauty and Da Beast. The show was a success and helped more people discover his comedy.

On September 2, 2012, Diaz launched his own podcast, The Church of What's Happening Now. He co-hosted the show with his producer, Lee Syatt. The podcast became very popular, with video versions on YouTube gaining over half a million subscribers.

After moving back to New Jersey, Diaz started a new podcast on October 5, 2020, called Uncle Joey's Joint.

Personal Life

Joey Diaz has been married twice. He married his current wife, Terrie Clark, on November 25, 2009. They have one daughter together. He also has a daughter from his first marriage.

Selected Film and TV Work

Movies

Television

See also

In Spanish: Joey Diaz para niños