Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television and radio host and actor. He is the host of American late-night comedy/commentary television program The Daily Show, succeeding Jon Stewart...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth20 February 1984
CityJohannesburg, South Africa
cancel doctor either finally gave injured perhaps speak voice york
During my New York run, I injured my voice badly. I was getting increasingly hoarse, and it finally gave up. The doctor said I had two choices. Either cancel things, or try my luck and perhaps never speak again. That's not much of a choice.
adding difficult harsh hatred help paths subjects tackle
You have two choices, two paths to take as a comedian. You can tackle the difficult subjects and be harsh about it, be brash, be abrasive. But adding hatred to racism is not going to help everybody. So I like to have fun around it.
comedic global happening honest needs politics race relations talked talking whether
When you are honest in your comedy, you have to acknowledge the world that you're in. Through a comedic voice, you're talking about what needs to be talked about, whether it's race relations or politics or anything that's happening on a global or an American scale.
contact dad father lost six
I lost contact with my father for many years because of apartheid. For, like, six years, I didn't see my dad. And, now, this was the six years of being a teenager.
best competition maybe thriving trying utopian
Maybe it's because I come from a very utopian world of being a comedian, but I'm used to many live comedy performances going on in any city I'm in, and each of us is trying to be the best at what we do. I don't think of it as a competition so much as a thriving comedy economy.
gone ideal onto setting social straight
My ideal setting is I walk from the streets, backstage, and straight onto the stage. Two minutes, and I am on the stage. That way, in my head I have gone from my world and then into a social setting with my friends.
bit burden comedians eddie heard hung people store
I was doing a show at the Comedy Store which Eddie Izzard saw, and we chatted for a bit afterwards. I didn't really know he was; we just hung out as comedians together, and when he heard my story, he said, 'Why don't you tell that on stage?' I didn't really want to burden people with all that, but he said that I could have fun with it.
audience forced knows nobody people prove tough until
As a comedian, I'm forced to have a tough skin. Until people laugh, they are detractors. You walk into a new audience where nobody knows you, they go: 'Make us laugh. Show us what you're made of. Prove why we should be listening to you.'
Nobody owns comedy. Nobody owns a premise. Nobody owns an idea.
funny stage
Most of my show is true; like, 90% of everything I say on stage is true. I just have to find the way to make it funny - that's the difficult thing.
score spot
I'm a quarterback. I don't need to score the touchdown. I just need to spot the pass.
family kicked
I was the first in my family to board an airplane. I was the first in my family to get kicked off an airplane.
best
I want my audience to be my friends - that is when they will get the best comedy. If they see me as a performer, they won't get the best show.
believe funny
I always believe that funny is serious and serious is funny. You don't really need a distinction between them.