Joey Diaz Biography
Born Jose Antonio Diaz, he is a Cuban-American stand-up comedian, podcaster, and actor. He is professionally known as Joey “Coco” Diaz.
Joey Diaz Age|Birthday
Diaz was born on February 19, 1963. Therefore, he is 58 years old as of 2021 and celebrates his birthday on 19th February every year.
Joey Diaz Height|Weight
Diaz’s height is 5 feet 10 inches (approximately 178 centimeters). Moreover, he weighs 58 kilograms.
Joey Diaz Family
Diaz was born in Havana, Cuba to Denora Valdez. However, he was raised in North Bergen, New Jersey where he was the only Cuban-American at the time. Moreover, his mother ran a successful numbers game operation and a bar. However, his father died while he was three years old whereas his mother died while he was 16 years old. He credits about twenty people who helped him during his teenage years when he was taken in by four families around North Bergen.
His reckless nature and tendency to get into trouble caused him to move from one home to another. He began taking drugs and committing crimes during this time as a teenager.
Joey Diaz Wife
Diaz has been married to Terrie Clark since November 25, 2009, and they have a daughter together. However, he has married twice. From his first marriage, he had a daughter whom he lost a relationship with when he divorced the mother in 1991.
Joey Diaz Education
Diaz graduated in 1982 from McKinley School where he won awards for performing arts. Moreover, he enjoyed learning stories about Francis of Assisi and St. Michael as he was raised a Catholic as a youngster. Moreover, his comedy career was greatly influenced by his peers’ sense of humor. Also, albums by Richard Pryor influenced him and he used lines from his teacher at McKinley School in his act.
He moved to Colorado in 1982. However, for his birthday in 1984, he returned to New Jersey due to his growing homesickness. His cocaine abuse worsened during the eighteen months he stayed there. He called it the worst 18 months of his life and the biggest mistake of his life.
Moreover, he quit his longtime cocaine abuse in 2007. He later said it takes 10 years to acquire and it took him 30. Also, he said it has to do with one’s peace of mind.
Joey Diaz Career
Stand-up comedy
Diaz left New Jersey for good in 1985 and returned to Colorado to study economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He quit before taking up work selling roofing which earned him money but remained unhappy because he did not enjoy his time there. However, he was sent to prison in 1988 and served 16 months of a four-year sentence following his arrest for kidnapping and aggravated robbery. He would perform stand-up routines for his fellow inmates during his time in prison. This was during the weekly film screening event when the projector broke. Despite being often told of his talent it took him a further three years to try stand-up.
Moreover, he had many other jobs in the past and later called his entry into the line of work as the last resort. He responded to an advertisement for a $37 stand-up comedy course after seeing the 1988 film in Punchline in the Rocky Mountain Post. He developed a blue comedy act. In addition, he worked as a doorman at Wit’s End before he did his first stand-up routine.
Comedy Works
On June 18, 1991, he performed his first routine at the Comedy Works in Denver at a show headlined by Matt Woods. He took cocaine before going on stage and had a set that he described as a disaster in April 1992 prior to his opening spot for Troy Baxley in Boulder, Colorado. However, he ceased to take the substance before a performance. He entered the Bek’s Amateur Comedy Competition and won after developing his act. He had lost another competition until the winner was caught stealing jokes made famous by Jerry Seinfeld and Diaz was declared the winner.
However, Wende Curtis, Comedy Works manager promised Diaz a flight to Los Angeles for a showcase spot at The Comedy Store for owner Mitzi Shore but never received either. Moreover, he finished sixth out of 40 in a similar contest in Seattle, Washington. Curtis had started a developmental program for comics which Diaz joined when he returned to the Comedy Works. It was group writing sessions at Wood’s home followed by sets in the club the same evening. He was banned from Comedy Works at one point by Curtis before it was lifted after they met later.
Furthermore, he let Los Angeles, California to try and make it a successful stand-up comic in 1995. His motivation to come back and make his daughter proud came from his divorce from his wife and loss of contact with his daughter.
In addition, he appeared in North Bergen on November 4, 2007, to help raise money for North Bergen High School’s basketball team uniforms.
Where I Got My Balls From
Moreover, he supported the release of his stand-up special, It’s Either You or the Priest, and his Where I Got My Balls From documentary in April 2012. It went to number one on iTunes and number one on the Billboard Comedy charts in the UK and Canada.
Additionally, he put his first one-hour comedy special, Sociably Unacceptable in December 2016. This was through Seeso and Comedy Dynamics, on-demand subscription services.
Film and television
Diaz received a contract to star in a television pilot in 1998. He played a bartender in a series titled Bronx County after a talent scout at CBS saw him perform comedy in Seatle. He did not believe the offer until he saw the talent scout possess tickets to have him fly to Los Angeles for the shoot. The opportunity led to more work for him including a part in the television series NYPD Blue and an offer in his first feature film in 1998, a referee in BASEball. However, the series did was not picked up. Also, he was featured in You Got Nothin’ (2003), an independent film in 2000. He starred in parts of Analyze That(2002). which were filmed in Hudson County, New Jersey. He said that it was big for him and he was able to come home to film.
In The Longest Yard
The subsequent roles in Law & order and his first major feature films Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Taxi (2004) increased his profile. Moreover, in The Longest Yard (2005)he acted as an unlawful union organizer. He had lunch with Chris Rock and Adam Sandler during which Rock said he could land him an audition. This was as he had secured the role when he learned a remake of the original was in production. He submitted a tape after assembling an audition tape and landed the role. He named himself Big Tony Tedesco and wrote it into the script which the producers liked. The tape got his part extended but originally the part had a mere three lines.
Moreover, he expressed his wish to continue as a character actor in 2005. he said it was like a dream come true for him and that he got his call and had to make the most of it. He prepared his one-man comedy show, Larceny & Laughter, around that time which featured stories about his time growing up in North Bergen.
Joey Karate
Furthermore, he appeared in four episodes of the television series My Name is Earl as Joey the Candy Bar Criminal in 2007. Diaz was called by the show’s presenters after they saw him in The Longest Yard. This is because they wished to hire actors to play prisoners. Moreover, as Joey Karate, he hosted a series of humorous promotions for the Ultimate Fighting Championship that year. For the upcoming fights, he gave karate instructions and comical predictions. His role in the 2009 television film The Dog Who Saved Christmas allowed children in North Bergen to see him act hence regards it as a point of pride.
In addition, he appeared in Scarlet Ribbons in 2011, an episode of The Mentalist and the film Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.
The Documentary
Additionally, he raised $1400 from fans on Twitter and Facebook around 2011 to finance a documentary about his upbringing in North Bergen. The documentary chronicled how he was influenced by the various people who took care of him following his parents’ deaths and his life. To complete it, he contributed $2,600. Moreover, with his co-host and producer Lee Syatt as director, Where I Got My Balls From was produced with his podcast. They shot six hours of footage in total. It was a tribute film to those who helped him.
In addition, he appeared in Sal’s Pizza, the ninth episode of the comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2013. He played Robert De Niro’s coach in the feature film Grudge Match the same year. A film that premiered on December 25 and he took his fifth-grade teacher to the premiere. Moreover, he appeared in White Truck in 2014, the twelfth episode of the second season of Maron.
Furthermore, he started work on a presentation based on one of his cats for Animal Planet in 2017.
Podcasts
Felicia Michaels introduced Diaz to the comedian in 2009. She encouraged him to co-host a new comedy podcast. In 2010, Beauty and Da Beast launched. He recalled a story about setting a prostitute’s wig on fire when he was young in one early episode. Attendance increased at Diaz’s stand-up shows the weekend after it aired. Moreover, after 113 episodes, the podcast ended in November 2012.
He launched his own audio and video podcast The Church of What’s Happening Now on September 2, 2012. He co-hosts with producer Lee Syatt. It was named after a phrase his former manager told him while he was working selling cars in Boulder. Additionally, episodes garnered over half a million subscribers on YouTube where they were released.
Filmography
Film
From 1998 – 2005
1998 – BASEball as a referee, The History of Choking as Himself, You Got Nothin’ as Charlie, American Gun as Gun Smuggler
2002 – Women vs Men as Goon, Another Bobby O’Hara Story as Tommy Brando, Analyze That as Ducks
2003 – The Mezzos as Joey Mezzo, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star as Emmanuel’s Entourage
2004 – Spider-man 2 as Train Passenger, Back by Midnight as Jojo, Taxi as Freddy, The Mafia Type as Big Al
2005 – Break a Leg as Large Producer, Accidentally on Purpose as Geraldo, The Longest Yard as Anthony ‘Big Tony’ Cobianco, Endings
From 2006 – 2010
2006 – A Fine Line as Bruno Scalise, 18 Fingers of Death as Sammy Delassandro, Joe Rogan: Live as Himself, Road Dog as Himself
2007 – Smiley Face as Security Guard, White Pants as Coach Larkin, A ‘My Life at 26 Shortoon (voice)
2008 – One Hogan Place as Vinnie Books, Boiler Maker as Enzo, My Life at 26 as Paxon
2009 – The Deported as Sheriff, The Dog Who Saved Christmas as Stewey McMann
2010 – Stacy’s Mom as Frankie the Teach, The Russian as Frank, Sinatra Club as Uncle Tony, The Dog Who Saved Chrismas Vacation as Stewey McMann
From 2011 – 2021
2011 – Stonerville as Johny Scarano, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star as German Guy/Distributor, The Dog Who Saved Halloween as Stewey McMann, My Dog’s Christmas Miracle as TSA Officer, Outtakes as Joey
2012 – Leader of the Park as Cicero, Jersey Shore Shark Attack as Richie, The Dog Who Saved The Holidays as Stewey McMann, On Set: Jersey Shore Shark Attack as Himself, Joe Rogan Live from the Tabernacle as Himself, Where I Got My Balls From as Himself
2013 – Grudge Match as Mikey
2014 – The Dog Who Saved Easter as Stewey McMann
2015 – The Dog Who Saved Summer as Stewey McMann
2016 – The Bronx Bull as Mikey, Rules Don’t Apply as Mobster
2020 – Grapefruit as Fairy Godfather (voice)
2021 – The Many Saints of Newark as Buddha
Television
From 2000 -2010
2000 – ComicView as Himself
2001 – 18 Wheels of Justice, Mad TV as Salvatore ‘Big Pussy’ Bopensiero
2002 – NYPD Blue as Manny Mankiewicz
2003 – Karen Sisco as Paulie, ER as Grocery Store Clerk
2004 – Cold Case as Ken Mazzacone, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Elijah Coney, Inside Joke as Himself, National Lampoon Live: New Faces-Down and Dirty as Himself
2006 – How I Met Your Mother as Angry New Yorker, Everybody Hates Chris as Store Owner
2007 – Murder 101 as Herbie Saxe, My Name Is Earl as Joey the Prisoner, Frank TV as Defendant, Jimmy Shubert: Alive N’ Kickin’ as Himself, 1st Amendment Stand Up as Himself, The Payaso Comedy Slam as Himself
2008 – Wizards of Waverly Place as Newstand Guy, Inside MMA as Himself, XXXtreme Comedy Tour as Himself
2010 – Your Mom’s House as Himself
From 2011 – 2020
2011 – Supah Ninjas as Mr. Binzodo, The Mentalist as Gangster, Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution as Himself
2012 – Kickin’ It as Meatball King, Children’s Hospital as Vito
2013 – Partners as Bob, Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Sal
2014 – Trip Tank as Cat Man (voice)
2014 – 2016 – Maron as Bobby Mendez
2017 – Superior Donuts as Jake
2018 – I’m Dying Up Here as Taffy, The Guest Book as Vinnie
2020 – The Midnight Gospel as Various, Big City Greens as John (voice)
Video Games
2016 – Mafia III as Roman ‘The Butcher’ Barbieri (voice)
Comedy releases
2018, The Degenerates
2016, Socially Unacceptable
2015, Savage Dad
2013, You Can’t Eat Pussy with Asthma, Testicle Testaments 4: How I Got Into Comedy, Testicle Testaments 5: Crimes Against Myself, The Blue Album
2012, Testicle Testaments 3: The Person Who Made Me a Man, Testicle Testaments 2: Crime Stories, It’s Either You or the Priest
2011 – Live at the 3 Clubs in Hollywood.
Joey Diaz Net Worth
As of 2021, Diaz’s net worth is $500,000.
