Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Mark Ricci

Mark Ricci is making history as the youngest comedian ever to have a special on Amazon Prime. It’s the first of many milestones we expect from this gifted storyteller who’s able to take topics and themes we’ve all experienced in life and put his unique spin on them. Pop Culturalist recently caught up with Mark to learn more about him and Mark Ricci: The Teenage Special.

PC: How did you discover your passion for comedy?
Mark: I believe people that get into comedy really just start because they like the sound of laughter. Getting a positive visceral reaction from people is a rewarding feeling. Once I realized that I was able to bring that out of people is when I think I fell in love with it. That happened at a very young age for me. Sometimes I was just trying to entertain myself. If you came to my family’s house, you would see me dress up in my favorite costumes and jumping around like an over-hyper monkey. If I came to your house, I would look around for objects lying around and use them as props. Blankets became capes, and shoehorns became walking sticks.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Mark: I guess I’m influenced by Peter Pan, because lately, I’ve been chasing my own shadow. I try to treat myself like I’m my own competition. I find it’s important to top yourself, and so I’m always doing something that will help get me to that next larger and shinier checkpoint. That might be the best way to look at it.

PC: Your new comedy special, Mark Ricci: The Teenage Special, is now available on Amazon Prime. Tell us about it and what fans can expect.
Mark: It encapsulates the teenage experience. I think it’s safe to say most people look back on their teenage years as an irregular time in their life where you were sort of finding yourself and trying new things. So as a comedian, it’s a stage of life. That’s just a gold mine for material. One cool thing about making it the focus of a special is that a lot of comics we see on streaming services talk about their stories of adulthood, so I’m hoping this feels fresh to audiences.

PC: In the special, you talk about the formative years and finding yourself. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself as a comedian and as a man during your own journey?
Mark: Well, I think going through puberty and growing up are the largest challenges everyone faces at that point in their life, besides teething when they were a baby, or learning how to aim their pee in the big white bowl. There’s a lot of pressure when you’re a teenager, and you have to really have your head screwed on straight to not fall into temptation and to stay true to yourself. Fortunately, mistakes are a part of life, and making them are okay. Some teenagers can only learn from mistakes when they make them themselves, and learning will make you become a better adult. As a teenager, it’s important to try new things and have a blast. If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space. That’s the underlying message of the special.

PC: You’re making history as the youngest comedian to have a full-length special on the platform. What has that milestone meant to you?
Mark: It feels great because I went into this being well aware that if I pulled it off, I’d be the first teenager with a full stand-up special and the youngest comedian as well. The idea of being the first to do anything within the entertainment industry is extremely intriguing to me, and I hope that I get to keep finding new ways of doing that moving forward. I’m a big film fan, and even though the film industry has been around for over a hundred years, new ground can still be broken. That idea is just so enticing.

PC: What advice would you share to an up-and-coming comedian?
Mark: I almost feel too young in my own career to give valuable advice. But what I would say, from what I’ve learned so far, is that you have to just keep playing the game. No one’s ever won the game by forfeiting. You might still lose the game in the end, but you’ll never know until the game is over. So keep playing.

PC: Now that your special is out, what’s next for you?
Mark: I play Peter Parker on the YouTube channel Six Side Studios, and we’ll be going back into production on our fifth installment. We’re eagerly awaiting it almost as much as our fans are. I’m also producing a comedic web series for that channel called Juice Boyz. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to seeing what projects come my way now. I’m looking to do acting on a large scale, no matter the genre!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Mark: Glee

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Mark: High School Musical 3

PC: Favorite book?
Mark: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Mark: Les Misérables

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mark: The Eagles

To keep up with Mark, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Mark Ricci: The Teenage Special on Amazon Prime today.