Al Madrigal is part of a growing pool of talent that has come out of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" and used the show as a launching pad for bigger and better things.
He's now a co-star on NBC's "About a Boy," which was recently renewed for a second season. This is the first time in seven tries (including dead pilots) where a show he was part of made it past freshman year.
Madrigal, a San Francisco-based Hispanic American, still does "news reports" for "The Daily Show" as the so-called Latino correspondent.
And he recently helped launch an All Things Comedy network, owned by the comedians themselves like a co-op. It's a home for comics to host short-form videos and podcasts and build their followings. He said it already gets 3.5 million page views a month and includes Bill Burr, Maz Jobrani and Greg Behrendt.
Plus, he continues to do stand-up comedy. He returns to the Punchline this weekend, Thursday through Saturday. Buy tickets here.
"I have allegiance to the group of clubs that gave me opportunities," said Madrigal today in a phone interview. "The Punchline was the first one to give me a headlining gig after I did the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. They were dumb enough to give me the job before I was probably ready."
Plus, "every comedian I respect has done that place."
That break came around 2006, five years before he started his regular gig on "The Daily Show."
Jamie Bendall, a co-owner of the Punchline, said Madrigal tells well-written anecdotes "that don't pander to the lowest common denominator. He's a very funny, very relatable comedian. He has a way of combining smart and fresh takes on things that happen to a majority of our audiences. He's also an energetic presence on stage."
And while Madrigal's comedy show isn't political the way many of his "Daily Show" bits are, his approachable, bemused story-telling style remains the same. Madrigal said while he admires the Steven Wright joke-joke-joke approach, his inspirations are the rather diverse trio of story-based comics Bill Cosby, Patton Oswalt and Dave Chappelle. He said much of what he says on stage is based on real-life happenings revolving around his marriage and two kids.
He said he has learned a great deal working with the writers at "The Daily Show," where he gets wide latitude putting together his pieces. "We correspondents have a tremendous amount of input," he said. "And it's a great job. You get to be a comedian, an actor and a journalist at the same time. It's a unique job, a tremendous launching pad for comedians." (Among others who have been "Daily Show' correspondents include Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Josh Gad, Nate Corddry, Rob Riggle. John Oliver, Olivia Munn and former Atlantan Ed Helms.)
As for "About a Boy," he says he's had plenty of 'pinch me' moments working with the gorgeous Minnie Driver. And e said the kid who plays Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) is a lot like his character: "He's more mature than we are!"
He also like the fact he's Latino but the subject never comes up at all on the show. He's just there representin'. "People don't need to have it hit over their heads. A lot of Latinos are like me, third generation, English speaking."
Madrigal is hoping to executive produce TV shows himself and include more Asians and Latinos. "They are vastly under-represented," he said, though he was thrilled to see ABC picks several shows with diverse casts including "Cristela" (with a Latino-American family) and 'Fresh Off the Boat (featuring an Asian-American family.)
Here's a sample of Madrigal's work:
If you go
Al Madrigal
The Punchline Comedy Club
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