Paul Mecurio

Daily Show Alum & Stand-Up Paul Mecurio

By Justin Droms | April 12, 2007

Most Wall Street lawyers are about as funny as a dead cat. But then there's Paul Mecurio, who for years worked as a suit by day and a stand-up by night, sneaking out of his swank Manhattan office to, as he says, "make drunks laugh at bars." The gamble paid off, and after a chance meeting with Jay Leno and a partnership with The Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead, Mecurio had himself an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and a stand-up career, which was all leading up to a CRACKED interview.

The Comic Who Was Almost Your Neighbor

By Melissa Rayworth | April 12, 2007

More than a decade ago, comedian Paul Mecurio was living the American dream: Good grades at Georgetown Law, a thriving mergers & acquisitions career on Wall Street, a killer Manhattan apartment. Then one day he sold a joke to Jay Leno for fifty bucks, and Leno got big laughs performing it on "The Tonight Show."

That's when everything changed.

Mecurio was hooked: This junior associate at a high-powered Wall St. firm started sneaking out on his dinner break to tell jokes at open-mike nights at downtown dive bars. "I was living this double life," he says. "I was taking two notebooks to all the meetings: One was for the jokes, one was for the deal. I would never ever take really good notes on the deal because I was busy thinking, 'I could do a joke about that guy...'"

After some serious soul-searching, Mecurio ditched the job, the apartment, the chance to one day own a gorgeous Victorian house in Baristaville. His mother thought he was crazy, especially once he moved into a rooming house filled with ex-cons.

But today, he's got an Emmy and a Peabody under his belt for his work as a writer on "The Daily Show," a successful stand-up career and a sitcom pilot in the works. Mom is finally impressed, and his former Wall St. colleagues remain supportive.

He's currently touring comedy venues around the country, and you can catch him this weekend at Rascals (see calendar for details).

Baristanet is giving away two tickets for Mecurio's Sunday night show. Just be the first to email us at tips@Baristanet.com, and you'll have the last laugh!

THE THIRD DEGREE: PAUL MECURIO

By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg | April 12, 2007

Paul Mecurio is an investment banker-turned-stand up comic who was on the original writing team for The Daily Show -- he's won an Emmy, a Peabody, and he's performing at Rascal's in Montclair through Sunday. He recently took some time to talk with City Belt about stand up, tough day jobs, and Henry Winkler's onion.

Paul Mecurio: On Top of his Game

For the last decade, stand-up comedian Paul Mecurio has helped make The Daily Show what it is today. But now, with a new satirical sports show in the works, the former Wall Street lawyer is poised to break out on his own.

By Dylan P. Gadino

The Mecurio Files: DOWNLOAD the show here!

April 10, 2007

...and now for something completely different. On this episode, I interviewed Emmy winning comedian, former attorney, and all around good-guy, Paul Mecurio.

CINCINNATI | March 15, 2007 - Starting tonight, Paul Mecurio hits the Go Bananas Comedy Club here in town (details and show times are listed below) with his extremely funny comedy act.

Paul is an Emmy and Peabody award-winner for his work as a writer on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." He headlines comedy clubs regularly and recently shot the TV pilot "Sports Central," in which he starred, co-created and executive produced.

In April, he'll be teaming up with Bob and Tom All Stars Comedy Tour again (Paul also has a recurring segment on the Bob and Tom Radio Show called Image Makeover). Paul's had his own "Comedy Central Presents" half-hour special and has made numerous TV appearances including "Late Night w/Conan O'Brien," "The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn," "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," CNN, MSNBC, and many others.

Have I sold you on the guy yet? If I haven't, here's his web site. It's pretty cool.

He took an interesting route to becoming a comedian, beginning his career on Wall Street as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer and moonlighting in the clubs.

He showed up here at my apartment last night, unannounced, and we had a little question and answer session. I was drinking vodka. He was watching me.

What's the rush for you - writing or performing?

Performing. Particularly when I write a bit that really says something and has a strong point of view. If I create an idea out of thin air and make people laugh, that's pretty cool. Of course if my mother hugged me two more times I wouldn't need the approval of total strangers.

READ MORE...

Mecurio rising: Comic brings his humor to Go Bananas

TABARI MCCOY | CIN WEEKLY | Cincinnati, March 13, 2007

Have you heard the one about the lawyer who gave up a career on Wall Street so he could pursue comedy? Of course not.

Because for Paul Mecurio, it's not a joke. It's his life.

Lawyer brings laughs

Emmy-winning comedian jokes his way into Cincinnati

By Sarah Elam | March 8, 2007

Any fan of Comedy Central or the show Sports Central should keep the weekend of March 15 to 18 in mind. Emmy-winning comedian Paul Mecurio is scheduled to perform at Go Bananas Comedy Club in Cincinnati.

"I like to perform any place where there's fruit in the title," Mecurio said.

U.S. workers seek career change in comedy

NEW YORK (Reuters) | February 27, 2007 - As he takes the stage at the Comic Strip, Paul Mecurio gauges the laughter from the previous acts and adjusts his material to fit the mood, using a skill he honed as a corporate attorney.

"When you have only three teeth in your skull, they should be the cleanest three teeth in the country. But not this guy. One tooth was cracked. One was brown. The third had braces," he says, starting a gag about a salesman.

Three Questions with Paul Mecurio

The Mobtown Shank | February 22, 2007

Paul won an Emmy Award for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and has also appeared on Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Shorties Watching Shorties, and The Tonight Show.

And he was nice enough to do an interview with the Shank.

Shank: Just how high is the Daily Show staff most of the time?

Paul: I do the warm-up on the show and as far as I know, not high at all. Actually everyone is very fit - they eat lots of melon and papaya do Tai-Bo. Also, old Jane Fonda exercise videos are popular with the staff ... mostly because she's so hot, especially with that bedazzled headband she wears.

Shank: What's wrong with Colin Quinn?

Paul: Nothing, he's a great guy and very, very funny. Never mind Colin Quinn. Explain to me how Deal or No Deal is even a game show, let alone so popular. It's a sign of the apocalypse. Apparently to get on a national game show now you have to be able to count to 25 and jump up and down like a kangaroo with ADD while your man breasts jiggle uncontrollably and your shrew of a wife screams ... "NO DEAL! NO DEAL!!!!!" Build a bunker - it's over!

Shank: What is the worst, darkest thought to ever cross your mind while on stage?

Paul: One time I had a guy who was text messaging on his phone during the show (it happens all the time now - people just don't get it - cell phones are the worst) ... Anyway, I thought, "Wouldn't it be great right now if he got a text message that his entire family died in a fire?"