Ryan Goldsher
Precise celebrity impressions deployed as structural punchlines.
1 special · 2022
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A Ryan Goldsher set moves from conversational storytelling into exact mimicry without a gear shift. He does not announce who he is about to do. He will be talking about a mundane daily interaction, then suddenly drop his jaw and narrow his eyes to become Mark Wahlberg acting profoundly confused about the plot of the movie he is starring in. The voices operate as act-outs. They let him jump out of his own perspective and deliver a punchline from someone else’s.
Specials
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A half-hour of celebrity impressions meets conversational family stand-up.
YouTube · 31 min
On stage
He occupies a very specific lane in modern comedy: the club comic who actually does impressions. He won a televised impression competition on the USA Network early in his career, then spent the following years figuring out how to fold that technical skill into standard standup. He works traditional rooms, operating as an observational joke writer who happens to have a fully realized Nicolas Cage available when a bit needs a jolt.
The mimicry relies on absurd logic rather than standard catchphrases. His Joe Biden speaks entirely in surreal, small-town riddles about trading garlic bread for medical care. His Morgan Freeman gently explains minor inconveniences at the doctor’s office.
When he leaves the celebrity voices behind, the material centers on his Illinois family. He gets good mileage out of a father who speaks to him like a basset hound, and the daily reality of having an aggressive face but a passive personality. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs making prank calls, an origin that maps cleanly to his instinct to use voices to hijack a premise.
Turning points
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Victory on First Impressions with Dana Carvey
Goldsher won the $10,000 grand prize on the USA Network competition show First Impressions with Dana Carvey after demonstrating celebrity impressions in front of a live audience and guest judges.
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Release of Many People Comedy Special
Goldsher released the special Ryan Goldsher: Many People, exploring personal identity and family through celebrity impressions and cultural commentary.
At a glance
Podcasts
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Retro Junk Podcast · co-host
Comedians Ryan Goldsher and F. Clint DeNisco examine and celebrate nostalgic movies, music albums, and vintage pop culture.
Also on screen
- Carpool Pandering
- East of La Brea
- Death by Dying
- Low-Key
- Let's Be Real
A clip to start with
Mark Wahlberg and McConnaughey- Ryan Goldsher Stand Up