Max Amini: A Joke for Every Country

Max Amini joins Tom Papa to talk about building a global stand-up audience through crowd work, curiosity and comedy in both English and Farsi. He shares stories from growing up in Iran, directing James the Second and shaping a live show that changes with every room. They also discuss his upcoming special and worldwide tour. Max's film James the Second comes up in this episode. Max's next special is on the way. Max's international tour is on the road now. CHAPTERS 00:00 Max Amini Knows How to Joke With Any Country 03:58 Directing James the Second 07:08 Building a Stand-Up Career on Instinct 09:51 Discovering Crowd Work 12:29 Finding a Place Outside the Industry 16:20 The Class Clown Becomes a Comedian 18:23 Growing Up Between America and Iran 21:43 Teenage Rebellion in Iran 24:48 The Iran Beyond the Headlines 27:55 Hope, Technology and a Fairer World 30:54 Performing Stand-Up in Farsi 34:19 How Max Amini Learns Every Culture 37:08 Bread, Podcasts and Real Connection 40:14 The Famous Comedian You May Not Know 43:53 Building a Global Audience Independently 48:16 Max Amini's Next Special 49:34 How Crowd Work Shapes the Show 52:23 Why Comedy Rewards Originality 56:05 Turning Old Ideas Into New Films 57:26 Cairo, Albania and a Tour Documentary 1:00:28 Bread for the Road See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.