Ali Sultan is the kind of guy who doesn’t typically sit down with pen and paper to create his comedy. Instead, he lets life flow in his direction and when he sees or hears something funny, he has a file in his phone where he jots that down. Not long after, there’s a good chance you’ll hear about it on stage. Here’s more of what Ali told us for this week’s Take 5.
What is the funniest thing you’ve seen, or heard, lately?
The funniest thing I’ve heard, I was with my fiancée on the train, and there was a homeless lady. I think she thought my fiancée was looking at her. She said, “What are you looking at, Little House on the Prairie-looking bitch?” I was offended for her, but I also thought, “That’s funny.”
You’re Yemeni-Ethiopian; did you grow up in that part of the world? What was that like?
I was born in Yemen and lived in Ethiopia. I can summarize it as beautiful chaos. Generally good people, but there aren’t really rules being followed. Communities would self-police. Crazy things happen.
How did you get into comedy?
I watched Conan O’Brien when I came to this country, and I saw Jim Gaffigan, and then I got into watching Chapelle and George Carlin. I found an open mic at Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis. I didn’t want to do it, but my buddy was like, “If you’re not going to do it, I’m not going to drive you home.”
You’ve been on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. What was that experience like, and what was Colbert like?
He’s as great as you think he is … a very thoughtful, cool guy. Historically doing a late-night spot is like a rite of passage in standup. I was super excited and nervous. Every second counts and you have to be very precise while looking natural. It’s probably the highest pressure gig I’ve ever done.
What advice would you give to young comics looking for their big break?
Obviously, you should have ambitions and aspirations and big dreams. But if you can’t control it, you’ll turn bitter or give up. Work on what you can control. And let the universe sort it out.
Want to see Ali in action? Hit up Comedy Plex Friday and Saturday, February 7-8. You can also check out his Instagram for more hilarity, or his fabulous YouTube channel.
ALI SULTAN