Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eric Oligny . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eric, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

When I was at my lowest point in comedy walking home from the Comedy Store feeling defeated & having a lot of my peers being extremely cruel to me I happened to walk by Ari Shafir. When I was walking towards him he already knew what I was going through & stopped to make sure I was ok. That little gesture kept me in comedy & I’m grateful for it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born & raised in Tampa, Fl in 1980. I grew up a pretty bad kid & was always trying to be the class clown. Looking back I was kind of a jerk, but did get a couple of good zingers in there. After High School I was lost doing drugs & wasting my life so at age 22 I joined the Army as an Artillery Man. I celebrated my 23rd birthday in basic training at Ft Sill Oklahoma where I met the person that changed my life. I met PFC Matthew Bean & he became my Battle Buddy. He was probably the most genuine person I had ever met. A much better person than I would ever be & I poved him for that. I ended up getting kicked out of the Army for smoking weed. A few montha after I was kicked out Matthew was shot by a sniper in Iraq & passed away in Baltimore a few days later. It was the most devastating event of my life. I cried for hours & thought to myself I need to do something better with my life. Somehow I thought stand up comedy was what that was and I got up a year or so after he died & I haven’t stopped since spending 10 years in Los Angeles learning at the Comedy Store working with great comics & then spent almost 5 years working the NYC scene. I ended up back in Tampa after 15 years away & trying to work my way into the clubs across the country.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I would love to travel the world & get on as many stages as I can. The ultimate goal is to be just famous enough to tour, but not famous enough to go shopping or walk down Sunset Blvd.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think it is true for most artists that have created something special they had to bomb a lot & take a lot of kicks in the balls. The resilience of comedians that actually last more than 10 years is probably a mental illness. Yes we are resilient, but I also think maybe a little brain damaged.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @EricOligny
• Facebook: @EricOligny
• Twitter: @EricOligny
• Youtube: @EricOligny

Image Credits
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