With over 300 million video views, comedian and viral sensation John Crist is the next big thing in standup comedy. Whether you know him from viral videos like “Millenial International,” “Road Rage in the Church Parking Lot,” or BuzzFeed’s “Signs You Grew Up Christian,” Crist has solidified his comedic prowess with over 200 live shows a year, highlighted by recent television appearances on Live at Gotham and Laughs on Fox.

Nine years in, Crist has shared the stage with some of the best in the business, including Dave Chappelle, Jeff Foxworthy, Tim Hawkins, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Dana Carvey, Adam Carolla, Chris D’Elia, Anjelah Johnson and Louie Anderson. Anderson, named one of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Comedians of All Time, says of Crist, “It’s only a matter of time until John Crist is a household name. He is so likable and his stand-up is top notch.” Tim Hawkins, who Crist has performed with over 100 times says, “This guy ain’t no opener. John Crist is the real deal.”

Named by ChurchLeaders.com as one of the “Top Five Comics to Watch,” Crist is no stranger to accolades. He was a finalist in Comedy Central’s Up Next Comedy Competition, a finalist in the Comedy Works New Faces Contest, and named to the Burbank Comedy Festival’s Best of the Fest. “The most meaningful award I’ve ever won?” Crist says, “When I was first starting out, I’d just go anywhere I could find an open mic. One time I did a show at a bar and the winner won a free appetizer. Best cheese sticks I’ve ever had.”

Crist has created and starred in several videos for BuzzFeed and has made several appearances on the Bob and Tom Show. He has been featured in Men’s Humor, Relevant Magazine, The Adam Carolla Show, Cracked, The Catalyst Conference, The Nerdist Network, TBN, The Daily Wire, and Huffington Post. He was even once a voice actor on the popular children’s radio show Adventures in Odyssey.

Crist’s tour schedule keeps him busy, typically performing in churches, comedy clubs and theaters. “It wasn’t always like that,” Crist says. “One time when I was first starting out, I did an open mic at a Chili’s. It was traumatizing.” To date, one of the most unique shows Crist has ever performed was a comedy tour for the troops in Middle East. “It was surreal. It was just me and a tent full of soldiers at this military base on the border of Kuwait and Iraq. No mic, no stage, no nothing. I was standing on a wooden crate. It was probably 120 degrees in there. It was comedy in its purest form.”

When asked where he finds the inspiration to write jokes, Crist says, “Shoot, I grew up in Georgia. My dad is a pastor, and I was the third of eight homeschooled children. Coming from a background like that, how do you NOT write jokes?!”

“Write what you know” is the best piece of advice Crist ever received on standup comedy and the reason why the majority of his jokes are on the topic of Christian subculture. “In high school, my parents made me get a job at Chick-fil-A. How much more stereotypically Christian can you get?”

John currently lives in Los Angeles with his zero cats and is a member of Churchome.

Comedians, Standup Comedy, Comedy, Improv Comedy, Sketch Comedy, Comedy central