Many People

Ryan Goldsher marries celebrity impressions with personal storytelling in a way that avoids the typical, cheap mimicry trap. Instead of just trotting out famous voices for easy recognition, he filters his family dynamics and personal insecurities through these characters. He uses the cadences of Hollywood heavyweights to comment on his own life, contrasting his actual identity with the voices in his head.\n\nReleased in October 2022 on YouTube by the independent production company Four by Three, the special runs a tight 30 minutes. It was filmed in Cincinnati, Ohio, and marks Goldsher’s debut stand-up release. Prior to this, Goldsher built his profile as an impressionist with a win on USA Network’s competition series First Impressions and training with Second City in Chicago.\n\nSpecific segments highlight his vocal precision, such as Joe Biden telling riddles, Mark Wahlberg asking aggressive questions, and Morgan Freeman delivering mundane bad news. But the back half of the set pivots into conversational, observational material. Goldsher talks about modern breakups, his upbringing in the Chicago suburbs, his hippie mother, and the challenge of figuring out who he is when he isn’t playing someone else.