From TikTok virality to Netflix specials…

Ahead of his Comedy special in the capital on October 27, we had an interview with Matt Rife and asked him some of our burning questions.

As obvious fangirls of the TikTok sensation, who has on multiple occasions talked about his apprehension to post his comedy on social media, Matt Rife has his social fame to thank. But in conversation, he explains how more powers came together to contribute to his rise.

“Netflix legitimised me. It’s a dream come true and is really a stamp of validation to be able to have my own comedy specials, you know Netflix has really taken over that comedy space,” he says. “Before it used to be Comedy Central and now everybody wants their own Netflix special, and I’m lucky enough to have two of my own.”

When we ask him about his pretty privilege, the comedian reiterates that he isn’t just a pretty face. “There are positives and negatives to have it. If I admit to it, I’m conceited and if I don’t address it then I’m faking being humble. But I am just as insecure as everybody else.”

Rife has featured in quite the list of TV shows and films and currently has his own Netflix series in the works. “I’m not allowed to say too much about it yet, but it’ll be a single-camera series on Netflix that will be different from anything I’ve done before, and it’ll be nice to step into that acting space again and show people a different side of me.”

When asked about how it must feel like to perform in the UAE, given the potential censorship that he might face, his response was typical of his persona.

“The climate here has changed a lot, and when my friend Andrew Schulz came to perform, he told me how incredible the show was and so I’m really looking forward to seeing how things go. I’m excited though to see how my shows are in non-English speaking countries,” he flashes us a smile. “I’d say I’m innocently naïve, or maybe ignorant, so I’m hopeful things will run smoothly.

As a comedian, of course, the expectation mounts on one to always be funny, especially given his spontaneous crowd work prowess. We also talked a bit about this need to feel funny and switched on all the time.

“Being on stage is super fulfilling and I love it, especially when that joke lands,” he says. “Occasionally crowd work doesn’t land but you just have to use your brain and think of doing something funny.”

Comedians must always be funny, right? But what if your idol didn’t think you were funny? Luckily for Matt, he has photographic evidence from a gig in Ohio, where he was on stage, and in the background, Dave Chapelle (his idol) is seen laughing up a storm – the photo is yet to be framed but we’re told it will be soon and hung in his house. He also recently met another one of his idols, while on tour in the UK, Ricky Gervais, who was according to Matt “one of the nicest guys – I was expecting him to be like ‘I don’t care to meet a comedian who got famous on the internet’ but he was so, so lovely.”

Before his show in Abu Dhabi, you might be able to catch the comic around the city as he plans to spend a few days exploring the capital before his show. It will be his first return to the UAE since 2021, when he came across for a film shoot.

Grab your tickets at etihadarena.ae

Images: Socials