Some build their comedy careers on years of regaling the dinner table to one-liners every Thanksgiving or practicing stand-up on a cassette recorder in the shower. However, “Last Comic Standing” winner Dat Phan started comedy on a whim.
It was after taking a speech class that Phan first realized he may have the potential to make people laugh. From there, he took matters into his own hands and decided to sign up for an open-mic night at the La Jolla location of The Comedy Store.
“It was terrible. It’s like picking up your guitar for the first time,” Phan said. “Something inside of me decided that I should keep going, though.”
Now Phan is a stand-up regular and will be bringing his routine to Ackerman Grand Ballroom Thursday night.
Best know for winning the first season of the reality show “Last Comic Standing,” has also starred in his own “Comedy Central Presents” and has done voiceover work for “Family Guy.”
While Phan works on films and other acting projects, such as the upcoming Kristen Bell-starring comedy, “When in Rome,” his primary focus is on stand-up.
Ethan Lee, a friend of Phan’s, refers to Phan’s style as mostly physical comedy. However, Lee is quick to point out that Phan’s humor also examines life and Dat Phan’s past.
“Dat integrates his unique perspective on critiquing the Asian immigrant and refugee experience with observational humor,” Lee said.
Phan and Lee met at a comedy club in 2004.
“The first time I saw Dat in 2004, my buddy and I could not stop laughing,” he said. “We laughed not only because the jokes and stories were funny, but because we could personally relate to the stories about being stereotyped by people and asked if we know kung fu, or classmates being surprised that we weren’t good at math.”
Phan does not only address heavy material such as stereotyping in his comedy, though. He’s also been known to crack jokes about his parents approving of his relationships.
Not only does Phan work on his old material to keep it fresh, he also strives to continue reinventing himself in different ways. Phan, who idolizes Tenacious D and Flight of the Conchords, plans on adding a musical portion to his act. “I’m learning how to play the guitar,” Phan said.
Even though he is constantly attempting to revise his style and add new things to his act, Phan has at least found his niche in connecting with his audience. Frequently armed with a not-so-endearing impersonation of his parents, watching Phan on stage is an easily relatable task, as so many have gone through the same ordeals with friends, lovers, the occasionally embarrassing family and all of their relationships with each other.
“The parental conflict bit regarding who we’re dating, what we’re doing with our life … are all experiences people can relate to and laugh about,” said Lee.
Phan plays on this note heavily, candidly relating his experiences growing up.
A lot of Phan’s comedy comes from his ability to change his style based on who is watching.
“Dat can change his comedy set based on the demographic of the audience. He reads the audience really well and does some great crowd work. He understands race, class, gender and current events and finds humor in everyday life,” Lee said.
Phan has performed at UCLA before, once for a comedy show called Ambassadors of Comedy at the Cooperage, and another time in Royce Hall for the Asian Excellence Awards, which makes perfect sense since the comedian’s favorite audience is college students.
“They are very open, they’re not cynical yet,” Phan said. “We can talk about issues that I am involved with.”