Born and raised in the Milwaukee suburbs, Marcus has come aa long way from starting his professional performing career at 14. He’s got a unique stage presence and high-octane brand of humor that came out in Comedy Plex’s Take 5 interview with him earlier this week. Enjoy!
The New York Times calls you “one of the most entertaining performers to watch in New York City.” High praise, but what’s been the key to your success so far?
I started doing movies and TV and theater and juggling, then I got into standup comedy. I think I’ve been performing so much I’m comfortable on stage. My impulsivity gets the best of me, which is good for audience but bad for me personally.
You’ve been on The Late Show, HBO, MTV, ABC and maintain a breakneck pace on the New York City nightly comedic circuit. How do you keep all the balls in the air?
So hard. It really is. I have to juggle so many things, from social media to bookings to writing new jokes every day. It’s definitely a full-time job. Staying focused keeps you organized. You tackle the big issues and ignore the smaller stuff. Prioritizing your life is the way to do it.
You’ve got nearly a million followers on TIkTok and have a great presence on all the other
socials that matter. How did you build that?
During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time building socials. I needed to create something for people to see. I needed that validation. I was just chasing that high during the pandemic, different types of videos and the ones that hit I kept repeating. It took years and tons of time to find what works.
How crucial is social media to the careers of today’s comedians, no matter the age?
It means everything, I think. If you’re a movie star and on TV, you don’t need it. But if you’re a guy like me, I think social is so important; you post a video and you explode overnight. It’s the new talk show. If you have a viral video, it’s better than having a late-night set on a talk show. It’s a sign of the times. It’s what people need to do.
For a comedian looking to break into the industry, what’s the single most important piece of advice you can offer?
I think it would be to be the comedian you would want to see. If you want to see a guy who tells fun stories, then tell fun stories.
Before you head out to Comedy Plex this weekend to check out Marcus and his frenetic brand of humor, be sure to have a look at his TikTok, which as of this week has 920,000 followers. Especially take a good look at his antics on the New York City subways and the reaction he gets from riders. You can get to his other socials by heading to his website.
Take 5: MARCUS MONROE