Drew Lynch
Forces a room to run on the rhythm of his stutter.
4 specials · 2021–2025
Get an email when there's a new special. You'll need a Google account.
Drew Lynch stands at the microphone and waits. A stutter forces a different kind of timing on a room, and Lynch uses the delay to his advantage. He will hit a block on a syllable, close his eyes, and smile while he pushes the word out. The audience anticipates the rest of the thought, stretching the setup. He doesn’t rush to fill the quiet. When he chuckles at his own difficulty finishing a sentence, it breaks the tension, letting the crowd know they can laugh, too.
Specials
-
An hour of self-deprecating stand-up about speech therapy and drive-thru panic.
YouTube · 63 min
-
38 min
On stage
He built a massive internet following to outlast the short shelf life of reality television. After taking second place on America’s Got Talent, he bypassed the usual club hierarchy by uploading vlogs and crowd work directly to YouTube. He cultivated an audience that feels a personal investment in his daily life. He plays theaters to crowds packed with people who watch his weekly updates.
He writes cheerful material about his marriage, his height, and the odd ways strangers interact with him. But because a speech impediment can make a new crowd uncomfortable, his rooms often get overly vocal. Lynch handles hecklers by acting pleasantly confused. He rarely yells at an interrupter. Instead, he leans in and asks them simple questions until their logic falls apart.
His rhythm stems from a softball injury that damaged his vocal cords. The resulting neurogenic stutter ended his plans to become a traditional actor, pushing him into standup instead.
Turning points
-
Softball Injury Induces Neurogenic Stutter
After being struck in the throat by a softball and suffering a traumatic brain injury and stutter, Lynch was dropped by his acting reps, prompting him to pivot his frustrations into stand-up comedy.
-
Runner-Up Finish on America's Got Talent
Lynch earned Howie Mandel's Golden Buzzer and placed second overall on season 10 of America's Got Talent, launching him to national headliner status and massive digital followings.
At a glance
Podcasts
-
Did I Stutter?! with Drew Lynch · host
A weekly stream-of-consciousness podcast taking listeners through characters, dialogue, personal life asides, and comedy bits.
Also on screen
- The Makings of a Stand-Up Comedian
- Maron
A clip to start with
Drew Lynch Stand-Up: Why I Can't Sleep In Hotels