We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paul Farahvar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Paul, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents taught me about the value of work. My dad was a workaholic and I feel like I got them from him. I may not be the best comedian in the room but I will be the hardest working. I also have an unhealthy amount of ambitious. I am never satiated which I think was more because I wanted to gain their approval. LOL
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a former lawyer and musician turned full time stand up comedian. I started comedy in Chicago at my home club Laugh Factory, and then toured with some national comedians and then later became a headliner on my own.
I was runner up in the Chicago Reader for Best Stand up Comedian in 2021 and was voted “Top 40 Up and Coming Comedians” in 2017. When I was a lawyer, I was awarded the “Top 40 under 40″ honor in Illinois. My podcast SINGLES ONLY! was accepted into to the prestigious SWSW in 2020 and was voted Best Podcast in Chicago (2022).
I have multiple specials including my Dry Bar special “Always a Groomsman” and “Middlewestern, Middle Eastern” with Helium Comedy Studios.
I was a regular guest host on WGN Radio for years and played “Karam Haddad” on NBC’s “Chicago Med.”
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew more about improv and comedy when I was younger. I would have loved to explore that as an option in high school or even younger. I love seeing comedy classes for kids because, even if they don’t pursue comedy as a career, bringing laughs to life can bring them joy as well as those around them.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I don’t think “regulars” understand the life of a stand up comedian. They think we are only working for an hour a night, at the show but thats like 20% of our jobs. Most of our work is promoting, booking, creating social media, interviews, podcasts, if you don’t have an agent or manager, scheduling travel and finding opportunities to grow your fanbase.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paulfcomedy.com
- Instagram: @paulfarahvar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulfcomedy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/paulfarahvar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/paulfcomedy
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/paulfcomedy
Image Credits
Sarah Larson on the headshots and black and white