Chris Distefano

Christopher Paul Anthony Distefano was born on August 26, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in Ridgewood, Queens, he attended Archbishop Molloy High School and later St. Joseph’s College, where he played basketball and studied psychology, graduating in 2006. He was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2018 for his basketball achievements. Distefano further pursued a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the New York Institute of Technology, completing it in 2010. He worked as a pediatric physical therapist until 2013, when he fully committed to his burgeoning career in comedy.

Distefano began his stand-up career in August 2009, quickly gaining recognition in the New York comedy scene, performing at venues such as Carolines on Broadway, New York Comedy Club, and Comedy Cellar. His television debut came in 2012, joining MTV’s “Guy Code” and subsequently “Girl Code” in 2013. That same year, he performed on “Late Show with David Letterman.” His first half-hour stand-up special was released by Comedy Central in 2014 as part of “The Half Hour.” He continued to expand his presence with a national U.S. tour in 2015 and co-starred in the IFC series “Benders” with Andrew Schulz.

His career saw significant progression with an overall deal with Comedy Central in December 2018, leading to his first hour-long stand-up special, “Chris Distefano: Size 38 Waist,” premiering in January 2019. He also launched the series “Stupid Questions with Chris Distefano” and the podcast “Stand-Up with Chris Distefano.” In 2022, he achieved a milestone by selling out his first performance at Beacon Theatre in New York City and later recorded his second special, “Speshy Weshy,” which premiered on Netflix. Distefano co-hosts popular podcasts such as “Hey Babe!” with Sal Vulcano, “Chrissy Chaos,” and “History Hyenas” with Yannis Pappas. An avid sports fan, he has hosted shows for MLB and MSG and threw the first game pitch for the New York Mets in 2021.