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By Mike Snedegar
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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Matteo Lane isn't your typical stand-up comedian.
With his sharp, clever humor, razor-sharp impressions, plus a vocal range that can tackle everything from Mariah Carey to opera singing, Lane is redefining what it means to be a modern-day comic. And while he's a regular on the national stand-up circuit, his success extends far beyond the stage. Lane has built a massive following through his YouTube channel.
Lane's background is as unique as his comedic style. Originally an art student trained in illustration, he initially had his sights set on a career in the art world. But his knack for storytelling — and an operatic singing voice — pulled him in another direction. Now, he's seamlessly blending art, comedy, and music into a performance style that feels as refined as it is raw.
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His YouTube channel is a perfect example of his range. Lane shares his stand-up clips, behind-the-scenes looks at his life, and even cooking segments where he tackles Italian recipes with his signature humor and passion. For Lane, YouTube is more than a platform; it's an extension of his creative identity.
Newsweek spoke with the comedian last week who filled us on his journey on YouTube saying, "I've been doing standup since I was 23, I'm 38 now. And for a long time before the pandemic a lot of comedians were sort of at the will of the booking person, people who told us what our careers were, people who told us there were only a finite amount of people available for these slots so to speak."
He continued about his lengthy journey, saying, "For years I tried so hard to audition, and do all this stuff, traditional stuff and it just never panned out. And after the pandemic, comics started putting their stuff up online. And I thought, you know what, f**k it, I'll put my stuff up online... This is a great way to have a TV show. I have a full-blown channel of cooking, my podcast with Nick Smith, and stand up –– and I'm in full control. I can do whatever I want, say whatever I want, edit it however I want. It doesn't have to go through six different producers, it doesn't have to go through creative meetings, it's all within my voice, and I've had a real fun time doing it. I wanted everything to have this base of comedy. I started in 2021 and II had 3,000 followers, now we have 1.8 million. It's been a lot of fun, and a journey I didn't expect."
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As a proud Italian American and openly gay comedian, Lane brings a fresh perspective to comedy, making waves by embracing his cultural heritage and identity. His sets often delve into the quirks of dating in the modern world, growing up in a big Italian family, and the sometimes chaotic, always entertaining world of queer culture. The result is comedy that's simultaneously personal and universally relatable.
Lane is a meticulous craftsman of jokes, spending months at a time performing and working material on the road and at The Comedy Cellar in NYC. "When I'm on the road, an hour's worth of material – that's at least a year's worth of doing stand-up every single night at The Comedy Cellar. Working out new jokes, re-doing jokes, over and over again. People think, I do stand up every once in a while. I do stand up every night. I'm at the Comedy Cellar, every single night. To write new material I have to be in front of an audience. I think in July, I did 50 shows at The Comedy Cellar. You can see within a week. If I've done 18 shows in a week and I start that joke on a Friday, the next Friday it's a different joke. Usually I take May – September to write a bunch of material, and then you work them out in little clubs trying to piece the material together."
Lane isn't afraid of hard work; he has spent years grinding it out to make a name for himself. There are no shortcuts to getting the material perfect as he explained, "It's hard, it takes a long time. So, I would say by the time people see my new special that I'm doing on Hulu that's coming out, that's almost 2.5 years worth of work. I don't have writers; I don't have people helping me – it's you. And what you do is you workout every single night at the Comedy Cellar. That's why I don't drink, that's why I don't go out, that's why I don't dance, that's why I don't party – I'm writing jokes. And, I want to hang out with other comedians, because you need to be with other comedians. They will challenge you and they will keep you at the top of your game."
Lane is now a fixture in the comedy scene. Yet, even as his star rises, he remains dedicated to the art of stand-up, packing out venues across the country. And he's not slowing down anytime soon. Lane is now turning his passion for cooking into a cookbook, "It's called Your Pasta Sucks: A Cookbook From Matteo Lane. It's a fusion of a cookbook, it's a comedy book with cooking and recipes in it. I go through authentically and tell you how to make a real Carbonara, and then I'm going to tell you stories about my experiences in Rome. I want it to be a book that is light and funny and then also show someone how to make pasta," he explained.
With his unique blend of humor, impeccable timing, and a hint of Old Hollywood style – Lane is a star. For fans of comedy with a side of charisma — and maybe dash of Mariah — Lane is the one to watch.
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