Anthony Fuentes: The Man Behind the Comedy | Brooklyn, PTSD, Viral Videos & Finding His Voice

LivingYosh

Comedian Anthony Fuentes shares his journey from a multicultural upbringing in Brooklyn to finding success on the national comedy circuit. H

Key takeaways

Anthony's nickname 'Tanak' is 'Ant' spelled backwards, used to distinguish him from other Anthonys in Bushwick.
He identifies Eddie Murphy, Chris Farley, George Carlin, and Patrice O'Neal as his primary comedic inspirations.
His professional comedy career began with a pivotal first open mic at the Laugh Factory on March 18, 2017.
A major motivator for his success was visiting his late grandmother's grave in Puerto Rico and finding her tombstone had been stolen.
He utilizes stand-up comedy as a vital coping mechanism for severe anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Main topics

Brooklyn upbringing
Comedic influences
Self-reliance and ambition

Notable quotes

Every setback is an opportunity for a major comeback.

Conclusion

A moving testament to resilience, showing how personal struggle can be

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) Today, I'm joined by comedian Anthony Fuentes. Anthony grew up in Brooklyn, built his comedy career in Chicago, and now brings his stories to audience across the country. His website highlights appearances on WGN and the Kelly Clarkson Show. Anthony, we're going to laugh today, obviously, but also I want to hear about the kid who dreamed of doing this, the people whose opinions matter to you, and why having a voice means so much. And later... I have a few scenarios that I want to go through with you and just throw out whatever you think. You know, my man, I'm so happy to have you here. You have no idea. Like, I'm not going to lie. I bribed about it. Like, I'm like, you know, I went out for dinner for my wife's birthday last night with my sister-in-law and her husband. And I'm just like, guys, I got to show you some clips of who I'm having on my show. And they're like, I know that guy. That's so cool. I'm like, yeah. And now I personally know him. That's great dinner etiquette. Speaker 1 (1:03) I'm sorry. I said that's great dinner etiquette. Look at the videos. Yeah, yeah. People were just like, what are they constantly laughing at? Speaker 2 (1:13) Well, they'll see soon. So you grew up in Brooklyn if I did my homework right, right? Speaker 1 (1:18) Yep. Can you tell Speaker 2 (1:19) me a little bit about the neighborhood and how it was growing up in Brooklyn? Speaker 1 (1:23) Oh, man, I grew up in a multicultural area. I grew up in Bushwick. You know, you had Italians across the street. You had my Jewish friends down the street. You had Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, everybody. It was a melting pot, you know, New York. But it was home, you know, and there was a community. Like, we did block parties. We cracked open a fire hydrant pump on summer mornings, you know. Played in the water, held down the top of the nozzle to spray water at cars as they drove by. Troublemakers, you know. Playing crate ball and Scully and Manhunt, you know, it had culture. Everybody was outside from the moment the sun came up to the streetlights was on. You was outside, you know, and there was some of my greatest memories, man. You know, you had, you knew everybody on the block. Everybody had a nickname. You know, if you didn't have a nickname, you ain't from the neighborhood. It's always yours. Mine is, it's still existent to this day. It's Tanak. It's Ant backwards. Because there's, there was like five Anthonys on the block. So when our mother would call us from the window, she'd be like, Anthony, and all of us would go running. So we'd call each other Ant. You know, yo, Ant, what up, Ant? So everybody had to get a nickname so we could identify which Ant. So there was Bug Eye, there was Chops, and then there was me. I always did everything backwards. If you told me not to do something, I was going to do it just to be spiteful. So I'm Ant backwards. I'm Tanay. Speaker 2 (2:50) So I probably don't even have to ask. You were probably a very outgoing kid. Oh, yeah. I Speaker 1 (2:55) was that guy. When they were trying to get into some stuff, they were, yo, get Tanay. Tanay will do it. I was that guy. Speaker 2 (3:04) Well, I was Hissoi, so I was backwards, too. I don't even know. My friends, like Hissoi. I'm like, okay. Really? Yeah. I don't know. I said it. We Speaker 1 (3:16) share things in common. Maybe you was like me. I Speaker 2 (3:19) was very outspoken. I was almost annoying how fun I liked it. Especially after a week of school, I'd come home and I'd be that really loud at the table. It's almost like I got everything out of my system and drove my family nuts. Speaker 1 (3:35) See, but that's good. That's a good character to have. That was me. I was always loud. Speaker 2 (3:41) Yeah, I feel bad for people that are shy, man. It's like, you should be able to just say what you want. Get out of your system. Speaker 1 (3:48) Yep, exactly. That's me. Speaker 2 (3:51) So, if I did my homework right, you're a big fan of Eddie Murphy growing up, which I don't know how anyone can not be. So, what was it about him that you were just like, that guy's amazing, besides the fact that he was? Speaker 1 (4:03) Well, you know, when I was a kid, my brother had Delirious, his stand-up special Delirious on videocassette. And I would watch it in my brother's room where my, you know, because he had his own little TV that he had got for himself. So I'd watch it in his room away from the family because my mother would kill me if she heard me listening to that. But that, you know, and I remember being fascinated by Eddie Murphy, his facial expressions, his stage presence. The way he delivered jokes, his storytelling, the art of the way he told the story. Like when Eddie told the story on stage, he brought the audience into that story. You felt like you was there. You know, the ice cream story from Raw where he's like, oh, you ain't got no eyes. Oh, my God. I was just going Speaker 2 (4:46) to mention that one. Yeah. Speaker 1 (4:48) You know. Yeah. To the Rocky when Italians started watching Rocky. Everything you watched, you felt like you were part of it. He could play so many characters on stage in the middle of a stand-up, which he transitioned into making movies eventually. So, you know, just watching him and his facial expressions, that's why, you know, now I do that. You know, like, you know, I'm a storyteller when I tell my jokes. I bring the audience there. I make them feel like they're part of the story. facial expressions and stage presence you know i watched yeah you know it was it wasn't just him you know chris farley was another one i remember watching and Speaker 2 (5:29) you Speaker 1 (5:30) know the way he used his body and you know there's been times where i do it you know i'm telling a joke so vividly and i did in orlando i was just you know i've learned you know it's it's an art comedy and uh You know, you look at the way Eddie Murphy and George Carlin and these guys were, they were evolving right on stage in front of your very eyes. They could create magic on stage right then and there. They could create a new joke in the midst of their set. And you wouldn't even know that they just came up with that. And I used that. now when I'm on stage, you know, and there's been times where I have all three of them in my mind, you know, Eddie Murphy, Patrice O'Neal, George Carlin, and Chris Farley, and I'm like, and I'll come up with a joke. It happened in Orlando, you know, I was talking about my trip to Orlando and the heat because, you know, sometimes there's comedy and truth. You know, there just is. There's comedy and truth. I saw you with Speaker 2 (6:26) a towel. It's like, it's so funny. Speaker 1 (6:30) Yeah. And so, you know, my brother, I was on the phone with him and he's like, oh, man, George is too hot. You won't be able to handle it. And so, you know, I'm on stage thinking about it. And as time is going and I'm thinking of Mickey Mouse and I'm thinking of Disney and I'm like, yo, I'm going to just throw myself on the floor, pretend to pass out as Mickey Mouse. And, you know, and I do it right then and there. And the crowd goes ballistic. They think it's hilarious. And that to me is awesome because I'm like, yo, I caused that. I made that happen. Yeah, Eddie Murphy by far is one of the greatest. Speaker 2 (7:01) When was the moment where you're just like, you know what? Or maybe someone told you like, you know what? You got it, man. Like, you're ready. Like, you could do this for a living. Did you do it yourself? And some people say like, or maybe as a kid, people like, you got to do this. You're a material. Speaker 1 (7:15) Well, you know, when it comes to your dream, no one's going to offer you success except for yourself. You're not going to know you can do it unless you believe yourself you can do it. I love that. Are you chasing a dream and you're waiting for the other's approval? It's never going to come. It's never going to come because, you know, you're waiting for the wrong reason. You have to chase it. You have to go after it. You have to convince yourself, this is what I'm going to do. This is my dream. This is what I'm going to accomplish. Yeah, I had my grandmother, you know, as a kid, she would tell people, leave him alone. He's going to be a comedian or a lawyer one day, you know, and pan out. But, Because I'd fight you if two for nail was something. I'd be like, no, the sky's gray. It's gray today. I don't care what you say if that's blue. But, you know, when I first knew that I wanted to do this was the very first time I did my first open mic in 2017. March 18th, 2017, I went to the Laugh Factory to do my first open mic. I did three minutes. And the moment I walked off that stage, my boy that brought me, I was like, I want to do this for the rest of my life. I just knew it. That's Speaker 2 (8:22) crazy. Oh, my God. Yeah. Wow. So today, who's the most proud of you? When someone says I'm proud of you, who really gets you? Just like, wow, it means everything to me. Speaker 1 (8:33) I'm proud of myself. Speaker 2 (8:35) You're so, oh, I love that. Speaker 1 (8:36) That's how you, I'm telling you, you can't go through life waiting for others to be proud, waiting for the others to, because here's the thing, no one's ever going to be proud of you. Like you're going to be part of you. You know, when you accomplish a project on yourself, by yourself at home, something simple. You look back after you're done with it and you feel the sense of joy and success in your heart. It could be something small. Assembling a bed, assembling an entertainment center. You know, you finish building that and you look back, you stand back. There's nobody around you. You know, some of the greatest artists who painted masterpieces, you know, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Leonardo, Leonardo, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, all those guys. They they didn't have when they finished painting their canvas. There was nobody to watch them. It was just them by themselves in a room painting a masterpiece. But the sense of satisfaction they felt because it was their art. their passion, their love, that right there was a sense of pride that they felt amongst themselves. You understand what I mean? Speaker 2 (9:38) Yeah, and I really appreciate you saying that because I actually have a hard time where I do the opposite, where if someone's not proud of me, I don't feel like I accomplished anything. So I love how you just said that because I need to do that more. I need to be like, Coach, you did this. Why can't you try yourself? Especially, I guess, because of what I went through. I'm so critical of myself. I'm just like, wait a second. Like, if someone's not proud of me, I must be doing something wrong. Speaker 1 (10:03) Yeah, yeah. No, you got to be proud of yourself, man. You can't depend on anybody to be proud, especially in life, because. In this world, you're born alone, you die alone. You know? And so in between that time, how you center yourself, how you present yourself to yourself is all that matters. You look at some of the greatest minds and success stories we hear about in the past. Everybody doubted those people. Everybody. Nobody believed in them. But they believed in themselves. And when success came, they had themselves to thank themselves. Because I did this. I made this happen. Everybody, you know, I remember when I first started comedy, you know, I wanted to have that, that sense of like, man, are you proud of me? And I would show my videos to family and they'd chalk it off. Okay, okay, okay. But no, look, I did this three-minute set. Okay, okay. And that's when I finally said, no, you know what? That's okay. They don't got to like it. It matters if I like it. It matters if it's my work, it's my art. I can't expect them to be proud of it. You know what I'm Speaker 2 (11:09) saying? I love that, man. Seriously. Yeah. And I mean it. I think today, like, seriously, especially you said it with such confidence, like, I need to go with that mindset. Speaker 1 (11:20) Yeah, you