By Alex Dolansky
Iranian-Canadian comedian Neema Naz came by the Algonquin Commons Theatre on July 19 as the latest stop on his My Estupid Life Comedy Tour around the world. Before an audience of hundreds, Naz shared jokes about what it was like to be raised in Scarborough and Markham by two immigrant parents, gave impersonations of his friend group, and revealed how “the talk” went for him as a teenager.
I spoke with Naz over the phone before his show about how he got started in comedy, where he finds inspiration, and why he chose the name he did for his second (and largest to date) international tour.
Neema Naz at the Algonquin Commons Theatre. Photo: Omid Nazeri.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Apt613: On your website, there’s an option that says “Text Neema”—does that link to your real phone number?
Yeah, it is my real number. It’s fun to interact with people and surprise them, because many people think it’s not me, and then I set up a video with their name and other details. They’re always over the moon about it. I’ve gotten a couple of inappropriate [texts from fans] … but for the most part, everyone’s been pretty chill and so excited to interact with me. People appreciate it, too, when you respond to them, even if it’s just one message.
You were at the University of Toronto, and then transferred to Humber College’s comedy program. Walk me through your thought process.
I was in kinesiology. I didn’t know where I was going, to be honest. It was kind of—not impromptu, but it happened out of nowhere, where I discovered that there was a comedy program. And it coincidentally happened in the summer after my first year, where I was already kind of miserable, and I didn’t care to go back to my second year. It clicked for me right away. And that’s when I decided to drop out and pursue it.
How did you decide to make content involving family members?
I thought it was funny from the start, to be honest, including family members, because I saw other creators doing pranks on their parents and siblings. I was like, “Oh, that’s hilarious. I want to do that because my family’s funny too, and especially my mom, she’s very charismatic and very goofy in that way, just like I am.”
How did your family feel when you said that you were going to switch tracks into comedy?
They’re immigrants from Iran, so they’re not used to this kind of career path. They were a little disappointed and sad at first and confused, because that’s not something that’s an option for them back home, or at least for them growing up.
But they realized how convinced I was of this career path that they almost had no choice but to support me, even though they didn’t get it at first. Obviously, now they’re fully supportive. I brought my mom onstage a few times on this tour.
How do you decide what goes into your routine?
Every comedian draws from their life experiences. You get inspiration just by living your life, and taking interactions from your childhood and growing up in an immigrant household (for me, specifically). You have to talk about what’s relatable to you first, and that’s what will be relatable to others, and that’s where “the funny” comes from.
What was the coolest gig you’ve done so far?
One that sticks out was when I opened for Russel Peters. Just being able to open for my comedic idol—all these years later, after I started comedy, being able to meet him and work with him in front of my hometown, in front of 16,000 people—that was pretty surreal.
But also, honestly, just being able to tour on my own and have my fans come to my show, selling out shows, and seeing how much people love it and how excited they are. Nothing beats that feeling.
How’d you come up with the name for your current show?
So “estupid” is something I’ve always been called as a kid growing up. My mom has an accent because she’s an immigrant from Iran. Persian accents are typically funny, and my mom specifically never could pronounce the word “stupid” without putting an E in front of it.
And when I was with my friends one day, my mom was taking us to the movie theatre or whatever, and I was taking my time getting out of the car, and she just goes, “Neema, estupid, get out of the car!” And since then my friends called me “Estupid Neema.”
Then I made it into content online, and when I first gained a following, a lot of people started to call me “Estupid Neema.”
And now, even on the streets, when people recognize me, they’re like, “Yo, estupid! Estupid Neema!” And so we were like, “All right, what would be a fun name for this tour?” It’s about my family. It’s observations about my mom, my dad, and growing up, and that kind of is a part of the set. So I was like, “This is exactly the epitome of this set, I think, the theme. Let me just call it ‘My Estupid Life’.”
What’s something fans might not know about you?
I’m a drummer, and I was in a couple of bands growing up. I’ve been performing my whole life. I was in jazz bands and the orchestra in my school band. I was also in an amateur punk rock band with a couple of my friends. I still jam on drums whenever I can. I want to start playing in a band again one day.
It would never be its own thing, because comedy will always be my main thing. In my stand-ups, there’s some singing elements, there’s a couple of dance elements, things like that, to showcase not only my funny side, but my musical talents.
Neema Naz continues his tour in Newmarket on July 26. For more events at the Algonquin Commons Theatre, visit their website.
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