An unexpected perk of Nate Bargatze’s leap from journeyman comic to stand-up star is his irrevocable connection to George Washington, the founding father he played in two appearances on “Saturday Night Live.”
It’s an unlikely link for the Nashville-born Bargatze, but one that he’s starting to enjoy playing up. “I talk to everybody that comes on the road with me like I am George Washington,” he said in a video interview, affecting the stately tones of a bygone statesman. “‘Got a big show out there today, boys.’”
Bargatze’s straightforward style and deliberately quotidian subject matter have helped him unite huge audiences in a comedic era of polarization and provocation. He has four hit stand-up specials on Comedy Central, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and was the top grossing comic last year, according to Pollstar. (He spun a video camera around to show off other tangible gains, like the indoor golf simulator in his otherwise barren home office.)
Bargatze is set for a high-wattage end to 2024: On Dec. 19, CBS will show “Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas,” a variety special taped last month at the Grand Ole Opry with celebrity pals like Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood and Noah Kahan. And on Dec. 24, Netflix will release his latest stand-up hour, “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze,” the first in a two-special deal.
Both exemplify the inclusive entertainment Bargatze, 45, fosters. “I don’t want your family fighting,” he said. “There’s plenty of times you’re going to be fighting, so I can be your one hour you don’t fight.”
How did Bargatze suddenly find himself in this position after a yearslong climb to the top? Here, he shares a few of the golden rules that have governed his blossoming comedy career.
Don’t share everything.
My dad is a stage magician and he would always be very funny with his magic. Sometimes he would do shows at our church and I would have a little part in it. Once when I was 5, he came to my kindergarten and did a show for the whole school and I sat onstage behind him. He was doing an old trick, one that you could do for kids, and I could see how it worked. There was a dog going back and forth between these two doors — but really, there’s two dogs. I’m behind my dad, and I just yell out, “There’s two dogs!” Everyone at kindergarten, they walked out, they asked for their money back. I learned: Don’t share everything. But I got to feel the rush of being onstage and seeing him make a lot of people laugh. There was a thrill in doing a show and entertaining people.
Clean comics play to the widest possible audiences.
I remember watching Sinbad and he talked about ordering food at McDonald’s and having to be home before the streetlights came on. I was a kid, and it was just very relatable material. Well, dude, I’ve been to McDonald’s. I have to be home before it gets dark. It was very welcoming.
I remember when my dad bought Brian Regan’s CD “Brian Regan Live” at a truck stop. He said he had to pull over because he was laughing so hard. My dad’s just driving in the middle of the night on the interstate and he’s like, I can’t even drive because I’ve got to get this out of my system. Then I listened to it and it was that funny. To this day, in my head, I want someone to laugh so hard that they have that experience.
You don’t have to go big to dream big.
When I was younger someone said, “you always reminded me of Bob Newhart.” They meant, not a lot of energy, not a big presence. But I was a fan of Bob Newhart, I loved his albums and sitcoms, so I liked that. I was going to be more that person. I was way more deadpan at the beginning, and I didn’t move around a lot. I never moved. Being from the South and having this accent and talking slower, I always sounded pretty different, especially when I was in New York. So I learned how to write jokes first, and I feel like I’m getting more in my voice now.
There’s a lot of people that are probably shocked that I’m where I’m at, and not in a mean way. When you met me back then, I was this same energy with way less confidence. But I had goals and dreams, so I don’t think I’m as shocked as other people are.
Don’t sweat blowing your big break — even if it’s ‘The Daily Show.’
I auditioned for “The Daily Show” and it was down to me and Jordan Klepper. Jordan was better. I did so bad. It was a quick no. I was going to meet my buddy for lunch and I did not make it to the restaurant before they called and said, “You’re fine. Don’t worry about it.”
I mean, look, I wanted it. But you look back and it’s like, man, it’s really good that I didn’t get that. Because I was clearly not ready for it. And I could have really shot my career in another direction.
The ‘S.N.L.’ bump is real.
My management company does a lot with “S.N.L.” They have Seth Meyers, Adam Sandler, David Spade. I knew my name had been thrown around. I don’t think it was anything too serious, they were just letting it sit there. Then they came to one of my shows in Vegas and they came when I was at Radio City. The actors’ strike was going on and comedians were in our own void. We didn’t have anything. All that, and then it was like: You know what? We have a hosting spot. In two weeks I went from, I didn’t really know if it was going to happen to, this is happening.
My career felt like a steady climb — “S.N.L.” was a big leap. I’m glad my career before this was a slow build, so that you are able to handle it a little bit better. You know, it’s all slow until it’s as fast as it can be.
Make TV for TV, not for social media.
Television is chasing social media, and I don’t think it should. My comedy’s done very well on social media, but I don’t make it for that. You need to make your thing in the full way, and then you hope that the clips go wherever they go. I don’t want the social-media version of you. I should be buying into you completely.
There’s not a lot you can throw on to watch as a family. That’s why “Friends” and “Seinfeld” and Ray Romano [“Everybody Loves Raymond”] are still some of the most watched shows. It’s not because people don’t want it — they do want it. They’re just not being given it. The goal with the [variety] show is to be able to have people come together and sit in their house and watch something dumb and silly.
If you ever see a donkey perform a high-diving act, put it in your set.
It truly happened. My dad worked at the Wilson County Fair and next to him there was a donkey that jumped off a high dive.
I do think of that on a couple of levels. I’m not making fun of anyone who goes to county fairs. One thing I like is where I say a pro-PETA thing — PETA was doing a good job back in the 1900s — and that’s my favorite part of it. Most would just make fun of PETA and that’s the joke. But I don’t want PETA to be mad at me. I don’t want to be mad at the people that work there. I think everybody’s a very nice person in the grand scheme of things. I don’t like making people feel dumb and I don’t want to make fun of them. So I’ll be dumb and you can laugh with me or laugh at me. Those stories about the donkey or fighting an orangutan, that wasn’t that long ago. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s just like, it’s crazy, right? Look at where we just were and look at where we’re at now.
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