Che of The Town in Rochester works for actor Che Holloway
You first met Che in Rochester works for actor Che Holloway, an impromptu interview and amble through the Neighborhood of the Arts.
An aspiring and successful actor, Che is deeply immersed in the Rochester cultural scene. So much so, we’ve named him Che of The Town!
Exclusively for Talker, Che has solicited and is conducting interviews from about 50 Rochestarians working in a diversity of creative fields.
For the full series, see Che of The Town: Interviews
Vinnie Paulino; A Gifted Stand Up Comic Establishing Himself Within The World Of Entertainment
Photos courtesy of Vinnie Paulino
In this highlight, we turn our attention to Vinnie Paulino, a gifted comic with a reputation for having a laser sharp wit. It was the toughest thing going through this interview with Vinnie Paulino, as he constantly kept me chuckling throughout the entire interview. If Vinnie looks familiar, it’s probably because you have seen him on The Rochester Show or on a stage engulfed by audiences laughter.
I first met Vinnie back in 2014 when we worked together on episode 1 of Dark Justice Show. Vinnie “claims” he never acted professionally before, but none of us believed that, as he took total ownership of his character and made it his own. A man of many talents, Vinnie Paulino is a guy you should have in your corner.
I asked Vinnie a series of questions. Here is his response.
Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended etc.
Well I grew up in San Diego, California till I was about six years old. My parents moved us back here to their hometown of Rochester, New York and I’ve been here “kind of” ever since, I spent some years down in Texas and some years in Florida, but I graduated in Webster in the year of 2000.
What inspired you to be an Stand Up Comedian? Early experiences worth sharing?
Really just watching Comedy Central stand up specials, some of the ones I grew up on were Drew Carrey’s “Human Cartoon” and Dana Carvey’s special. They were great, I remember sitting in front of the t.v. as a kid watching these specials and I thought to myself, “Man that is really funny and when I do that, I’m going to have to write my own stuff.”
I just had that weird thought like, “That is really good..but your going to have to write your own stuff.” This stuck with me. My first experience with stand up was done on very much done on a dare, while at an under age drinking in a bar in Fort Worth, Texas. I went up on stage and probably did a horrible job, but I haven’t looked back since.
Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.
Well, that’s kind of a tough question because I feel like whenever your in the entertainment business, you are facing adversity, CONSTANTLY. Especially in my case when it comes to stand up. In a lot of ways I am successful in stand up, but I am not where I want to be yet.
What do you believe sets you apart from other Stand Up Comics?
Uh….My weight…end of story, also I like how you are laughing during this interview Che..very professional.
No, but seriously, I feel like I have my own style when it comes to stand up. I REALLY go after it, like I’m a sweaty mess by the time im done. I am not one of those comics who stands there and talks at ya. I try to get the audience to connect with me and I engage with the audience throughout the show. I try to be in the moment when I perform and I feel that sets me apart from many other comics. Not all of , but MOST of em. I like to play around with people and have a good time, but I also believe in strong material. Being able to weave all this together is what sets me apart.
Do you have other interests or hobbies?
I don’t have time for hobbies, I have NO time for hobbies. My hobby is the Rochester Show; it sucks up all of my time. It is the bane of my existence…and the joy.
Any projects you have out or currently working on?
The television show, The Rochester Show. It has been the coolest side project I have ever had the chance to work on. It started off as just an online podcast and then Channel 18 approached me and was like, “Hey, you wanna be on t.v.?”
I had no idea what I was doing, so I said sure. So I feel like we are constantly working on the show and having fun with it, so if you are reading this…yeah..YOU. Don’t be stupid, check out The Rochester Show! No one will like you if you don’t watch!!
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
I want to be standing on the stage…with a cold drink in my hand.
What advice can you give to aspiring Stand Up Comics?
Be succinct. Say what you need to say in as few words as possible and make it funny. Don’t be too influenced by other people, find your own voice. You have to walk before you can run. You gotta keep crawling…you gotta keep working!!
How can we follow along in your journey? Social media?
Well you can follow me here:
Twitter: @VinniePaulino
Instagram: VinniePaulino
Also follow The Rochester Show on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Rocpodcasts.com
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