Mick Diflo

Today I am interviewing Mick Diflo, a comedian from Philadelphia, PA who has been doing comedy for over five years. To find out more about Mick, please visit his website.

Why did you start doing stand-up comedy?

I've always been able to get laughs and got what's called a 'natural high' when I did. I was pretty heavy into drugs growing up, which slowed down whatever progress I would've made in the real world and I didn't even start performing - acting, first - til I was 37. I never really thought I could do stand-up because I was usually getting laughs from the guys I hung out with and most of it was pretty sick stuff - not necessarily dirty, but dark, shocking stuff; nothing that would play to what I thought was a nice stand-up crowd. I figured I'd get into acting, then try to do comedy plays, shows, etc. I took acting classes, and a couple years later a comedy group formed from one of the classes and I was asked to be in it. We performed in Philadelphia (where I'm from) for a couple years, but I wanted to do more than just do a show every couple months and moved to NYC to perhaps join another group or audition for roles up here.

Our Philly group - 'Hazmat' - were doing occasional spots in NYC, and one night we were scheduled to perform 2 skits at Stand-up NY. The guys in Philly called and said they couldn't make it (car trouble, I think) and the booker said, "Why don't you take the 6 minutes?" I first said no, then thought, "Wait a minute - maybe I should do it. I can come up with 6 minutes, I think." I did, and it went well, I got a lot of laughs, and figured I'd keep it up - took some stand-up classes,went to open mics, and kept doing shows.

I still love the basics of it - going to an open mic, wherever, and just trying out jokes. I'd do it for free. Wait a minute - I AM doing it for free. Actually I am getting paid now occasionally - $100. here; $50. and dinner there. No, I can't lend you any money.

Do you have any stories from all the time you have spent performing comedy?

The strangest one happened about a month ago - I'd written a piece for a humor magazine, Jest, and it was called 'Letter to the Kid I Sponsored in Somalia.' It starts out telling the kid that he hasn't heard from me for a while because I've moved to NYC to pursue a career in the entertainment field, how tough it is, and how expensive the cost of living is...I say stuff like, "Health care's high, too - I'm paying 500 dollars a month with a $250 deductible - which reminds me - sorry to hear you lost your other foot." The letter ends with me asking the kid if he's saved any of the money I've been sending, and if so could he send me some....anyway, I was doing it in my act occasionally and eventually posted it on Youtube. I started getting angry letters from Africa in broken English ("You son of bich you arnt funy! just a pees of shit!"..."I hope yu die, ass-hol!") and none were nice. I pictured people sitting in huts and trees with laptops typing furiously.

Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you started doing stand-up?

Not sure - I guess if I'd known you were gonna contact me, I'd have changed my email address.....I don't know - since I got into it so gradually I never really expected much. It takes years to make a living (if you ever do) and for me it's taken 5 years to get a good 1/2 hour together - maybe 45 minutes. In summation, I guess I'd have to say I owe it all to Slava Yaryshkin.