Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Nick Callas

Nick Callas has quickly emerged as one of the industry’s most exciting quadruple threats. He’s a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director who has captivated audiences on the stage and screen. He’s performed at iconic comedy clubs across the U.S. including Comedy Cellar and Caroline’s on Broadway.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Nick about his multifaceted career, his headlining show at the New York Comedy Fest, and more!

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and comedy?
Nick: Good question. I’ve always loved media—especially animated books and comics—from a really young age. But I felt that watching and reading these things wasn’t quite enough, so I was always drawing and writing my own little stories. I had this healthy intake and export of creativity. When I got into high school, I realized that you could actually pursue this, whether it be drawing, writing, or filmmaking. Since then, I was always drawn to it.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Nick: As far as content, the only people who really have a direct influence are my brothers. I’ll take their notes on what they think works and what doesn’t. But as far as the themes and the genres that I play with, the biggest influences are comedians like Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, and Louis C.K., and filmmakers like Miyazaki. There is so much that I do that’s influenced by animation filmmakers and comic books.

PC: You did an interview with Neko White a couple of years back. You asked a really great question that I wanted to ask you. What’s been the roughest part of this journey for you that most people don’t know?
Nick: Neko and I talk a lot. He put this in a beautiful way, and it’s something I try to take with me. When you’re an actor or comedian, you’re constantly putting all of yourself out there and your work is being evaluated. But whether you get a job sometimes comes down to very arbitrary decisions that have nothing to do with what you put forward. The advice he gave me was, “Don’t let them put your light out.” Just because you put it all out there and they don’t give it all back to you, you can’t take it personally. You have to move from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

I’ve auditioned for Saturday Night Live a couple of times. That was a job that I really wanted. Picking yourself back up and knowing that there’s always more for you to do and more for you to create and doing so with as much excitement as when you did the last thing is definitely what this job is about.

PC: On the flip side of that, you’ve also had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Nick: There are a couple of highlights that come to mind. One is every time I’ve tried something new for an audience that didn’t see that part of me. Another is whenever I’ve done a new special standup show and incorporated something that I hadn’t in the past. Those are times that I look back on and feel like I’d proved to myself that I could do something that I wasn’t sure I could do. I’ve done a couple of fight sequences in some sketches in the past. I look back on those and I’m really proud of them.

PC: There are so many different facets to your craft. Is there one that comes more naturally to you? Is there one that’s more challenging?
Nick: Definitely. Getting a laugh is pretty instinctive for me. My body knows how to do that. But filmmaking is something that I’ve really had to learn about. It’s such a technical art form. You really have to study it. You have to learn things that aren’t really intuitive.

PC: We’re living in the digital age, and there are new platforms that are rising every day. How has social media changed the industry, and how have you had to adapt your craft for that?
Nick: Gosh, so much. We’re basically in a time now where every single person is their own broadcast network. If you like somebody’s show (which can really mean that you like their life, you like the food they eat, you think they’re pretty, you think they’re funny), you can subscribe to their television show, so to speak. Because the market is so saturated with entertainment, you really have to cut through everything and be so specific and consistent. Above all else, it’s consistency.

It’s not just me competing with another comedian who’s on the same show. Now it’s me competing with Instagram profiles of every person alive. There are unlimited artists, unlimited people, but very limited attention spans. I’ve had to innovate in terms of finding ways to take what’s special about what I do on stage and put it on TikTok and Instagram to cut through to the people who will connect with it.

PC: You’re an artist-comedian that is constantly on the road. How much do you use the stage to test out new material? Do you have a favorite moment on stage, and is there anything that surprised you about a live audience?
Nick: You know what surprises me about live audiences is how much they do get it. You hear a lot of talk about “College campuses these days are not laughing at the things that they used to.” There’s truth in that but I believe that any room full of people will laugh at almost anything as long as you’re representing your truth. There have been times very recently where I’ve been talking about the state of our culture and the tension between different people with different backgrounds/experiences, and when I look at the crowd every night, everybody is laughing at all these things. It’s a misconception that the audience is there to be offended and that you have to watch your back. If you’re truthful, they’re there for the right reason: to laugh.

PC: You’ve got a show coming up at the New York Comedy Fest. What can audiences expect when they go to one of your shows?
Nick: What the audience can expect, specifically at the New York Comedy Festival, is something that’s very new for me. It’s multimedia. It’s going to feel like going to the movie theater. It’s going to feel like an improv show. It’s going to feel like going to a standup show. It’s going to feel like going to a party. There’s going to be so much in this show. Things are said and things are shown. It’s going to not only be hysterical but very unexpected. I’m super excited about that.

On a thematic level, what audiences can expect is to leave their worries at the door and for an hour and a half just see the world through my fantastical lens.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Nick: It’s not quite a TV show, but I’m absolutely obsessed with watching people attempt food challenges. There’s a guy named Beard Meats Food on YouTube. He’ll eat a 50-egg omelet and a mountain of French toast. He’s made hundreds of videos, and I’ve probably watched every single one. I can’t get enough of it.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Nick: The Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers is unbelievably good. It’s amazing. It looks incredible. He’s hysterical.

PC: Favorite book?
Nick: I’m reading a Walt Disney biography right now. That comes to mind. All-time favorite book—this is embarrassing—I just read Death Note. It’s a manga.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Nick: The Altruists, Fat Pig, or Death of a Salesman.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Nick: Ashlee Simpson.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Nick: City Hall.

PC: Pre-show ritual?
Nick: It’s definitely drinking copious coffee. And I try to make somebody in the venue laugh, whether it’s a waitress or a friend who came before the show. If I can get somebody laughing, then I can convince myself that the show has already started and I’m already good.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Nick: Everywhere I go, I bring a jar of crunchy peanut butter.

To keep up with Nick, follow him on Instagram. See Nick’s upcoming tour dates here.