Evolution of Joe Rogan's comedy career: From NBC to Netflix to owning Comedy Mothership in Austin, TX
Joe Rogan's career as a comedian is one of the many facets of his career as an entertainer, evidenced by the announcement of a new special called 'Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats,' to be released on Netflix on Aug. 3. What some fans may not know, however, is that initially, Rogan had no intention of pursuing comedy as a career.
In fact, it was the people he trained with in the dojo during his Taekwondo days who persuaded him to try his hand in the stand-up comedy world.
After months of preparation, he had his first performance in the late 80s. He spent the remainder of the decade working as a stand-up comedian, but found little financial stability. Finally, in the mid 90s, Rogan got his first big opportunity, appearing on 'Half-Hour Comedy Hour,' a comedy show on MTV.
He also played Frank Valente on a nine-episode sitcom known as 'Hardball.' In-between his television appearances, Rogan also performed at The Comedy Club, before earning another acting role. This time, it was in 'NewsRadio,' a sitcom on NBC. It was during this time that he befriended late comedian Phil Hartman.
Thereafter, Rogan became a UFC commentator, the host of 'Fear Factor,' which was also on NBC, and released the first of what would become many stand-up comedy albums. He also co-hosted comedy television show 'The Man Show' on Comedy Central. Around this time, Rogan renewed his focus on stand-up comedy, filming several specials.
Moreover, Rogan briefly operated a web series called 'JoeShow,' through which he released comedy clips. With countless specials to his name, Rogan also opened the Comedy Mothership, a comedy club in Austin, Texas in 2022.
Joe Rogan has had spats with other comedians
Joe Rogan is certainly passionate about comedy. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the UFC commentator took issue with fellow comedian Carlos Mencia, who has been accused of stealing the jokes of others for years.
Check out Rogan's comments on Mencia:
However, Mencia isn't the only comedian that Rogan has accused of such transgressions. In the past, he has also alleged that Dane Cook engages in similar misdeeds.