Comedian JR de...

PAGE 13 three years in. I bombed pretty hard, and the audience was like, ‘Could you bring Alex back on?’ That was the hardest I’ve ever experienced in my life. That being said, if a joke doesn’t work—it’s like boxing—you just have to keep going unless it’s obvious that it was already making the crowd feel awkward.

What do you consider your most memorable show?

I feel that if you remember when you bombed, then you should also remember your best show. Two highlights for me, career-wise, would have to be opening for JoKoy at Madison Square Garden in New York City last year, and the one that took place in my hometown. I performed at a memorial auditorium, again, as an opening act. The tape from that show got me my first Netflix special.

Do you have a favorite joke inspired by your Filipino upbringing? How do foreigners relate to it?

I just talk about how I learned to sing and play music in the church because my grandma took me there twice a day when I was growing up. Talking about that stuff, everyone usually kind of gets it even if they’re not Christian, Catholic or Muslim. I feel that everyone relates to having strict, conservative and religious grandparents, who tell you to pray about every problem you have. Doing it in front of other cultures, I haven’t really had any problem with it. n