Andrew Santino
Chicago-bred exasperation cranked to a permanent shout.
5 specials · 2015–2025
Start with Home Field Advantage, the breakout (2017 · 71 min · Showtime)
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Andrew Santino operates at a simmer that always boils over. He steps to the mic looking for an excuse to escalate. His favorite rhythm is the false calm: he describes a minor social grievance with a tight, polite smile, pacing slowly before detonating into a booming, red-faced shout. He uses volume as a punchline, but the hostility is an act of play. When he talks to the crowd, it isn’t a polite check-in. It is a cross-examination. He zeroes in on a fan down front and badgers them until they break, spinning an entire routine out of the friction.
Specials
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A cynical Chicago homecoming set filled with blue-collar skepticism.
Showtime · 71 min
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Twenty minutes of exasperated Chicago attitude and aggressive bird noise.
Comedy Central · 30 min
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Andrew Santino's debut stand-up album recorded live in Denver.
Comedy Central Records · Album · 50 min
On stage
He is a giant of the comedy podcast ecosystem, filling theaters off the reach of Whiskey Ginger and Bad Friends. Unlike acts who learned timing through a desk microphone, Santino is a veteran club comic who simply hit big in audio. On podcasts, he often plays the rigid straight man to his co-hosts’ chaos. On stage, he gets to be the maniac.
The material runs on Chicago-bred impatience. He approaches the world with a natural suspicion that colors his takes on Los Angeles, modern etiquette, and his own marriage. In specials from Home Field Advantage to White Noise, he leans into being the most unreasonable guy in the room. Sometimes the volume outpaces the premise, leaving a bit louder than it is funny. But when he finds the right petty target, he builds an absurd argument out of thin air. His acting background, particularly his run on the series Dave, shows up in his physical stagecraft. He doesn’t just describe a frustrating person; he contorts his posture and adopts the exact, grating cadence of the idiot he’s mocking.
Turning points
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Filming Breakthrough Special in Hometown Chicago
Santino recorded his debut hourlong special Home Field Advantage at home in Chicago, introduced on stage by his grandmother.
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Launch of Bad Friends Podcast
Santino paired with comedian Bobby Lee to launch the Bad Friends podcast, cementing a signature creative collaboration and massive digital following.
At a glance
- Born
- , Chicago, Illinois
- On stage
- since 2006
- Style
- observational, blue comedy, insult comedy, satire, sarcasm, self deprecation
- Breakout
- Home Field Advantage
- Influences
- Bill Burr, George Carlin, Nick Swardson, Joe Rogan
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website, Wikipedia, Instagram
Fans also like
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Chris DistefanoBoth are millennial stand-up comedians with urban backgrounds, streaming specials on Hulu, and high-energy personal comedic sensibilities.
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Bill BurrSantino cites Burr as one of his greatest comedic heroes and an influence on his direct, opinionated, and unapologetic onstage style.
Podcasts
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Bad Friends · co-host
Santino and fellow comedian Bobby Lee engage in chaotic comedy conversations and unhinged riffing.
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Whiskey Ginger · host
Andrew Santino interviews friends and fellow guests in the entertainment industry as they reflect on their past while sipping whiskey.
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No Bad Lies · host
A YouTube series and podcast hosted by Santino focused on golf content.
Also on screen
- Mixology
- Sin City Saints
- 2016–2022
- This Is Us
- 2017–2018
- I'm Dying Up Here
- The Disaster Artist
A clip to start with
Andrew Santino Is Anti-Pajamas | CONAN on TBS