Rising Stars: Meet Brian Kiley of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Kiley.

Hi brian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was a comedy nerd from an early age and always loved jokes. When I saw The Dick Van Dyke Show as a kid, I realized the comedy could be a career. I started writing jokes and comedy bits to get ready.

I saw a comedy show in college (Boston College) and I befriended the headliner Barry Crimmins. He let me come to the shows at a comedy club in Cambridge, Mass in a Chinese restaurant called the Ding Ho. There I got to see Steven Wright, Paula Poundstone, Lenny Clarke, Bobcat Goldthwaite before they were famous.

That summer, I took a comedy class at Emerson taught by Denis Leary. It went well and they encouraged me to keep going. I started doing open mics and started getting some paid gigs. After I graduated, I went full time and did shows throughout New England almost every night.

My dream was to do Johnny Carson and I worked TV clean to make that happen. Eventually, I got booked on Evening at the Improv, Comedy on the Road and Caroline’s Comedy Hour., then finally, the Tonight Show. Johnny had retired the year before and Jay was now the host. I did his show four times.

Around this time, Conan got his TV show and a couple of Boston comics (Tom Agna, Chuck Sklar and Louis CK) got hired on it. When there was an opening, they recommended me and I sent in a packet of jokes and got hired.

I grew up in Newton, Mass which is right next to Conan’s hometown of Brookline. Coincidentally, we went to the same Catholic Sunday school (CCD) as kids and I was in his brother’s Luke’s class. My brother Dan was in Conan’s class in CCD and then later at Harvard. My brother Dan is now a judge and still the smart one of the family.

I wrote for Conan for 27 years (28 if you include this year’s Oscars) and when the show ended I jumped on the last season of Ellen. I continued to do stand up the whole time and now I’m back on the road for the first time in nearly 30 years. (The money has gotten worse)

I’ll share one more story. When I was 25, I auditioned for Letterman and the producer was very complimentary. They then called me to do the show 17 years later. They had a fall out and needed somebody in a pinch and I got my chance. I did the show six more times after that.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
ha. Comedy is never a smooth road. I survived two writer’s strikes and Covid.

The worst circumstances by far was when we moved out to LA when Conan got the Tonight Show. I uprooted my family and we put our kids in new schools and bought a new house. Then, as you know, it didn’t work out and we were all soon without a job.
Those few months of wondering if my career was over and what we were going to do was by far the most stressful time of my adult life.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I first started doing stand up, I tried everything.

I tried stories, observational bits, impressions, you name it. I was a terrible impressionist.

I realized quickly that my strength was writing jokes. So, I’ve focused on that and my stand up is of the one line
variety like two of my heroes Rodney Dangerfield and Steven Wright.

I wrote for more 4,000 episodes of television and had gotten approximately 10,000 jokes on TV. I would say I’m proud of at least 23 of them.

What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is my loved ones. I have no idea why.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://briankiley.com
• Instagram: kileybriancomic
• Twitter: @kileynoodles
• Youtube: brian kiley

Image Credits
my photographer is Sascha Knopf