Sebastian Maniscalco

Photo courtesy of Todd Rosenberg

The Art (and Work) of Storytelling

What Sebastian Maniscalco Learned from Comedy, Family, and Sigma Pi

by The Emerald Staff

With multiple enterprises under his belt, including standup comedy specials, films, and sold-out stadium shows, Sebastian Maniscalco (Northern Illinois ’95) is arguably the hardest working comedian today. He maintains a packed schedule and attributes his powerful work ethic to his family—and to Sigma Pi. Sebastian initially didn’t think a fraternity would be his style, but after struggling academically and socially in his first semester at NIU, he accepted an invitation from a couple of friends at Beta-Sigma Chapter. “As soon as I rushed, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is the place for me,’” he recalls. Sebastian found lifelong friendships, improved his grades, and eventually became house manager followed by chapter president. “That definitely helped me throughout my life by teaching me responsibility and how to handle different people and personalities.”

TELLING A STORY

“I come from a family who are a bunch of storytellers, and we love to laugh,” Sebastian said of his Italian American upbringing in Arlington Heights, Illinois. His immediate family didn’t have cable TV, but Sebastian would watch at his cousin’s house, where he grew fascinated with comedians like George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld (who now calls Sebastian his favorite comic), Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor. He also spent time in high school attending a comedy club in the Chicago area to watch the local talent work on their craft. In his senior year of college, Sebastian won a campus comedy contest, and as his prize, he opened for a headlining comedian in DeKalb. Even though it wasn’t his best performance, he was determined to improve and make a living in comedy; he moved to Los Angeles after college to pursue exactly that. Growing up, Sebastian especially enjoyed comedians who felt relatable. This inspires his observational comedy style—pointing out the quirks and oddities of daily life, such as dinner parties or trips to Chipotle (where staff bends over backwards to remind him the guac costs extra). “Now I have a family and two kids, and a lot of my jokes are about being a parent,” he added. “I don’t sit in a room and write the comedy— it’s inspired by my experiences … more about storytelling than punch lines.”

STAYING HUNGRY

Even during the early pandemic months, Sebastian stayed busy. That included two nights guest-hosting for Jimmy Kimmel, continuing his podcast (The Pete & Sebastian Show, alongside fellow comedian Pete Correale), and performing for charity events on Zoom. A handful of these Zoom events, which he cohosted with Italian American chef Dom DiBartolomeo, led to the Discovery+ show Well Done with Sebastian Maniscalco, in which he explores the culinary arts and etiquette with guests.

Photo courtesy of Peggy Sirota

Sebastian has since continued touring as conditions allow. This resulted in record-breaking business last year, as he was one of the first acts in the U.S. to return to large-scale venues, posting some of the highest grosses. He currently has over 40 shows scheduled through 2022. “Being on the sidelines for 16 months gave me a new appreciation for comedy, being back on the road, and not taking anything for granted.”

WORKING WITH THE GREATS

Sebastian has also worked in film in recent years, appearing in critically acclaimed films such as 2018’s Oscar-winning Green Book and 2019’s Oscar-nominated The Irishman. “It was pretty surreal,” he said of working with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci—all names he grew up with. “If you told me that I’d be in a movie with these guys, I would have told you [that] you were crazy.” While standup and acting are both a type of performance, Sebastian notes that acting for movies works a different muscle than comedy. “Obviously, nobody’s laughing on set because you’re filming, so it’s a little harder to gauge whether your performance is being well received.” Nonetheless, he has enjoyed acting so far and hopes to continue in the future.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Though he took a different career path than many Fraternity brothers, Sebastian is thankful for the friendships and connections he built in Sigma Pi. “I think Fraternity life gives you a good glimpse of how the world works as far as relationships are concerned.” He encourages younger brothers and recent graduates to find their passion and give 110% toward it, to utilize their connections (as many of his Sigma Pi friends have done in their careers), and to remember that the fun of Fraternity life comes with big responsibilities as well. “I just can’t stress how important it was for me to be part of Sigma Pi.” Sebastian’s Nobody Does This Tour continues through 2022. Stay Hungry is his best-selling memoir and also his latest comedy special, available on Netflix. His upcoming movie, About My Father (starring himself and Robert De Niro), is loosely based on his own life experiences. To learn more about Sebastian and/or connect, visit sebastianlive.com.