• Late start: Darling, from Urbana, was 31 when he first got on stage at Wiley’s Comedy Club. It was an open mic in 2018.
• Social media: He has 2.7 million followers on TikTok. He has surpassed 700 million views on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, with no signs of plateauing. He mostly posts videos of crowd work, sketches and pranks.
• His style: Darling’s comedy is observational. At times, physical and slapstick. His crowd work is a newer addition to his sets.
• Viral series: His viral series of “got a dollar?” videos have shifted his pranking work from the mean-spirited to the wholesome. If the prank subject declines giving Darling a dollar after the ask (i.e. “you got a dollar, bud?”), he offers them a crisp one dollar bill. The results are awkward, cringy, surprising and hilarious, and his improvisation improves with each new bit.
• What he says about Dayton: “It’s just love,” Darling said. “In this area — Dayton, Springfield — every time I step out, I run into someone who knows or recognizes me from my videos. It feels good to finally be in that space.”
• Sobriety: Darling is very vocal on his recovery journey on social media, now counting over nine years without alcohol.
• Headlining tours: In 2024 Darling was the headliner on the “Nobody’s Perfect” tour across the country.
Darling is currently on tour with several upcoming dates in Ohio, including a stop at The Funny Bone in Liberty Twp. on Nov. 26.
• Future plans: Darling, now a full-time comedian, is looking for the next opportunity, possibly a comedy special, a TV show or a movie that’s going to catapult him to another level.
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