Tom Ryan - Comedian
Watch Tom Ryan's
Quicktime Promotional Video
People often ask comedians if they got started
as the Class Clown. Usually the answer is "no." However in the case of Tom
Ryan it turns out to be true. When he was in eighth grade, his classmates
actually voted him the class clown. "I would have preferred the term 'class
comedian'."
At 26, he left an insurance job in his hometown
of Philadelphia to move to Florida where he got a job at a local golf course.
The job lasted only 3 weeks. Ryan says, "Losing that job was the best thing
that ever happened to me because it forced me to confront exactly what I
wanted to do with my life." He took a job as a doorman at the newly opened
Comedy Corner in West Palm Beach. It was the lowest paying but most valuable
job he ever had. It provided him with a complete comedy education watching
acts such as Jerry Seinfeld, Paula Poundstone, Kevin Meaney, and Bill Hicks.
It was not long before Tom made his stage debut.
Within two years he was working full time as a comedian. Since then Tom Ryan
has worked steadily at comedy clubs, concert venues, corporate functions and
colleges across the U.S.. He has also made national television appearances on
Showtime, A&E and Comedy Central. He has performed as the opening act in
concert for B.B. King, Tim Allen, Steven Wright, Natalie Cole and Dennis
Miller just to name a few.
His original style makes it easy for him to
write for special events. He has contributed monologue jokes to the award
winning "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" and regularly headlines
corporate events for companies ranging from Coca-Cola to Church and Dwight.
Tom believes that the best comedy comes from the most unlikely sources.
Here is an example from his act: "I was driving around the other day and my
oil light came on. But that little symbol looks nothing like an oil can. When
it first came on I thought well, apparently my car is low on gravy."
