One of America’s top comedians, Iglesias’ YouTube videos count almost a billion views, with more than 25 million fans across social-media platforms. All of which were tools he felt he could utilize towards his one, simple goal as he began his career in comedy: “I just wanted to be funny enough that I could pay my rent.”Įven those who were clued into Iglesias’ natural talent early on probably couldn’t have predicted how high his career would climb over the next few years. He was always affable and good with people, something that he carries into his life today. I’d rather be the person who sits back and analyzes.” “I’m never trying to be the loudest person in the room,” he notes. He was never a class clown, but that’s because he was observing and listening to others. Growing up a latchkey kid in Southern California and the youngest of six children, Iglesias has lost track of how many times he watched the VHS tape of “Eddie Murphy’s Raw,” along with concert tapes of comics such as Robin Williams and Sam Kinison. But in many ways it also feels inevitable. It sounds like something out of “A Star Is Born,” almost too good to be true.

So my second time on stage, I had a paying gig.” This was a Monday and he came up to me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to come back on Wednesday? I’ll pay you 20 bucks. “Then there was somebody in the crowd who put on a comedy show in that same room on Wednesdays. “That was the first little spark,” Iglesias says, even though he was just riffing off the top of his head.

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