Chicken wings out, celery sticks in: How Jo Koy stays healthy on the road as a superstar comedian

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred It’s just before 1 a.m.and Jo Koy is outside.

Days before the Tuesday release of the stand-up comedian’s sixth Netflix special, he‘s gone live on Instagram standing on Sunset Boulevard next to the Laugh Factory in Hollywood.The poster for “Blue in the Face” is behind him along with his usual crew of family and friends.

It’s late, but he spends a few minutes promoting the special and then encouraging people watching to find the Netflix posters and take pictures of themselves in front of them.It’s a long way from the era when Koy was sending VHS tapes to comedy clubs hoping for a spot on the lineup or attempting to work retail jobs.Today, Koy says he’s living out the “bonus features” of his career.

After all, he sold out SoFi stadium with friend and stand-up comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, he’s done multiple sold-out shows at the Kia Forum, and sold out comedy tours nationally and internationally.He’s also recently been working with Martin Lawrence on his show “Martin Lawrence Presents: Pass Tha’ Mic” where he’s one of the evaluators of comedians on the show.

If you ask him what could possibly be next, he still sees more ways to create, direct, and help up-and-coming stand-up comedians shine.Koy has long been known for his stories about his family but “Blue in the Face” takes things further as a humorous meditation about remembering and grieving his stepfather, who died in 2023.The Times spoke with Koy about his new special, what keeps him going with comedy, and wellness (he’s trading late-night wings for celery sticks and hummus).For the special coming out, what can people expect to see this time around? I opened up a lot.I got to talk about my stepdad.

That’s a whole story about my stepdad and what he meant to me as being a, you know, a product of a ...