Comedians Are People, TooLists of fun facts, hilarious stories, and things you didn't know about the real flesh & blood human beings behind the mics, lights, and cameras.
Daniel Tosh has performed all over the country and appeared on TV screens across the world. His humor isn't for everyone - he enjoys being provocative and abrasive, seeming to take as much delight in turning people off of his comedy as he does in getting people to laugh. He's also told some incredibly offensive jokes that have received public backlash.
How did Daniel Tosh form his specific brand of comedy? Is he rebelling against his Presbyterian upbringing? How can he coexist on a list of the funniest comedians and simultaneously be considered one of the most annoying hosts? We might not have all the answers, but whether you're a huge fan or not at all into his comedy, these Daniel Tosh facts are sure to give insight into this controversial performer.
His Father Was A Strict Presbyterian Minister Who Went On To Work For Him
You might not know it from his raunchy humor, but Daniel Tosh was raised in a fairly strict, religious household. In fact, his father was a Presbyterian minister. Surprisingly, although his dad wasn't supportive of his comedy career initially, he went on to work for Daniel.
"He's no longer a preacher, " Tosh said in a 2007 interview. "He turns a blind eye to a lot of my antics. And he gets it... now he runs the calendar section of the MySpace page and my website. He feels like he’s a show biz father."
It's unclear what Tosh's father does for him now, with Tosh.0 having ended in 2020.
Daniel Tosh graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1996. Since there's no such thing as a comedy major, Tosh got his degree in marketing. Since graduating, Tosh has returned to perform at his alma mater and showed college kids that there is passionate work outside one's major.
In a tweet before one performance, he said, "Hey, ucf is there any way I could crash in my old lake claire apartment? I’ll bring my own sleeping bag."
Tosh graduated college in 1996 but couldn't find a decent job right away. "I did a couple of jobs that were borderline illegal. Like telemarketing," he said. Tosh took the job because he was paid "$15 an hour to annoy people." He said he also made some half-hearted attempts at real jobs.
"I sat through one real interview, and I was like, 'I wouldn't hire me.' I left halfway through the orientation. That's the closest thing I ever got to a real job."
He Had His Big Breakthrough When He Appeared On Letterman
After graduating college, Tosh began touring the country and performed as one of the New Faces at the 1998 Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. But his big break came three years later, performing stand-up on Late Show With David Letterman.
That led to appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and more. He's just one of many comedians who was able to use a late-night booking as a springboard to greater success.
In the early 2000s, Daniel Tosh had yet to score his own TV show. But he was still an on-screen talent, where he appeared as a spokesman in commercials for Taco Bell. The ads featured Tosh doing things like disrupting a private golf club and annoying stuffy bank employees by bringing food from Taco Bell.
Tosh proved he could "think outside the bun" early in his career.
