Joe Rogan opens up on first big paycheck from Disney after years of financial struggle: "I felt weight lifted off me"
Joe Rogan recently detailed his experience of earning his first big-money paycheque from Disney. The UFC color commentator also mentioned that he was just 26 years old back then.
Today, Rogan is a jack of multiple trades starting from standup comedy to sports commentary. However, he started off his career just as a standup comedian in the late 1980s and barely made ends meet during the initial years of his career.
Rogan finally found the break he needed in 1994. The 57-year-old signed a developmental deal with Disney after moving to Los Angeles from his hometown, Boston. This deal marked the beginning of his acting career as he was featured in several sitcoms including 'NewsRadio'.
The former 'Fear Factor' host took a trip down memory lane in episode 2214 of his podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience. Speaking to guest Shane Smith, the host narrated the experience of earning the first "six-figure" paycheque from Disney after he signed a developmental deal. Rogan also described how it felt like a huge load was lifted off his shoulders:
"I remember the first cheque I got, a real cheque. I got a development deal, from Disney, of all people. I guess I was like 26 and it was the first time ever I had a good chunk of money, like six figures, in the bank. And I felt [like] the weight [was] lifted off me, like a physical feeling. Because, my whole life was like, how am I gonna eat? How am I gonna pay my rent? Then all of a sudden, I don’t have to worry about them anymore."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (56:42):
Joe Rogan quit his initial tenure with the UFC due to a lack of satisfactory payment
Joe Rogan's UFC entry was the result of a conversation between his manager and his friend, Cambell McLaren, who was the co-creator of the UFC. However, Rogan couldn't hold onto his position for long and had to quit after two years due to the UFC's unsatisfactory payouts.
The JRE host detailed the experiences that led to his departure from the UFC in episode 1982 of his podcast:
"Two years I did backstage interviews, and then there was an event in Japan. I was like, I don’t wanna go to Japan. It was literally costing me money. Like, I love doing it, right, but I could make more money doing a comedy club on the weekend."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (41:26):