Samuel J. Comroe, AGT Champions: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Getty Samuel J. Comroe

The third episode of America’s Got Talent: Champions airs tonight on NBC at 8/7 Central. Among the ten performers that will be competing for the top prize, one of them, Samuel J. Comroe, finished fourth during the show’s 13th season.

Comroe is a comedian who bases much of his material on daily observations and the fact that he has Tourette’s Syndrome. Comroe, 30, has also appeared on various television shows like Conan and The Real Husbands of Hollywood with Kevin Hart. Read on to learn more about his personal life and his career.


1. He Was Diagnosed With Tourette’s Syndrome At the Age of 6

Comroe was born in Los Angeles, California on March 18, 1988. According to the biography on his official website, he is a comedian whose “comedy is made up of the trials and tribulations of living with Tourettes Syndrome.” Comroe reveals that he was diagnosed with the condition at the age of six, and that it has helped to inform the way he approaches his writing.

Comroe told AXS that his condition also helped him use humor to deflect bullying as a kid. “The bullying happened so much that at a certain point I started making fun of the bullies or I’d joke about my own Tourette’s and I’d do self-deprecating humor in front of a group where I was getting bullied,” he said. “I saw other people laughing at that and then they’d laugh at the bullies for making fun of me because I already said the things they were about to say. So, I think through humor and self-deprecation I was able to kind of put them off and let them know I was okay with it and whatever they were saying didn’t affect me.”

Comroe made his Tourette’s a main element of his comedy during his time on America’s Got Talent. This was most evident in the semi-finals, where he explained the difficulty of performing with Tourette’s and an anecdote about how he got away from cops at his friend’s party. The routine earned praise from fans, who helped him advance to the finals. He wound up placing fourth behind Shin Lim, Zurcaroh and Brian King Joseph.


2. He’s Competed In Several Comedy Events Outside of ‘America’s Got Talent’

Comroe’s biggest gig to date was his tenure on America’s Got Talent. The reality competition exposed him to a wider audience, and, as he told AXS, he knew he could do well in the show’s environment. “Just watching the show, I felt like my story and my style of comedy, because my delivery’s so fast and you only get two minutes, I just thought it was the perfect fit,” he said. “It’s always kind of been a dream come true.”

Comroe also spoke on the difficulty of winning the series as a comedian and why nobody has been able to do it yet. “Comedy is subjective. So, what one person thinks is hilarious, another person won’t find funny at all,” he remarked. “So, I understand that’s why a comedian hasn’t won AGT yet. It’s really difficult to connect with all the voters and all of America on that level. It’s just me, a microphone and stories. I don’t have any theatrics. I don’t have music or fire.”

Despite failing to win America’s Got Talent, Comroe has fared better at other renown comedy events like the Ricky Gervais Comedy Competition and the San Francisco Comedy Competition. His official website states that he’s won both of these.


3. He’s Appeared On Hit TV Shows Like ‘Conan’ & ‘The Real Husbands of Hollywood’

Comroe’s exposure on America’s Got Talent has led to him booking appearances on popular shows like TBS’ Conan and BET’s The Real Husbands of Hollywood. Comroe told AXS that he was a huge fan of the former, and that it was a dream come true to appear on it.

Conan was a dream come true because my wife and I have been watching him for so long,” he revealed. “We are such fans of who he is as a person. I’ve been watching the show for so long and I’ve seen a couple friends who are stand-up comedians go through the process and how it’s changed their lives.”

Comroe played a fictional version of himself on two episodes of The Real Husbands of Hollywood. He appeared in 2013’s “Hart vs. Mosley” and “Karma’s a Mitch”, where he acted opposite celebrities like Kevin Hart, J.B. Smoove and Nick Cannon.


4. He Has Over 50K Subscribers on YouTube & 70K Followers On Instagram

Comroe has a sizable fanbase online, with over 69K subscribers on YouTube and 100K followers on Instagram. He regularly uploads videos of his stand-up, like the recent special Normal Behavior, as well as Vlogs where he gives updates on his personal life and leaves inspirational messages to his viewers.

He’s also spoken at length about his success and the fact that his Tourette’s makes him unique to fans. “I think that’s the most beautiful part about this whole thing, is that I didn’t realize how many people I’d be inspiring along the way,” he admitted. “I was just trying to make people laugh and I didn’t realize my story would touch so many lives. I probably get 20 to 30 messages a day from families who have kids with Tourette’s or other disabilities. It’s so awesome to hear them say, ‘You inspired my kid.’”

“One mom wrote to me about her son and said, ‘He used to get bullied and now he stood up to them for the first time after watching your performance,” Comroe added. “He told them I have swag, get out of my face. It was so cool because I didn’t really have anybody, especially with Tourette’s Syndrome to look up to. I didn’t know anybody who was in the spotlight like this. So, that’s really the coolest part about it. I’m inspiring a whole generation of kids to pursue their dream and I think it’s really powerful.”


5. H’s Been Married to His Wife Alfe Azad Since 2013 & They Have a Daughter Together

Comroe met his wife Alfe Azad when he was still a teenager. “We met when we were 17, right around the same I started stand-up comedy,” he told AXS. “She’s just an amazing person. She’s always been there for me. She used to come to open mics with me and she always has my back. Before we were in a relationship, we were best friends and that’s just a perfect way to start a long-term relationship because it’s based off of something real.”

Comroe proposed to her when they were at Disneyland in 2011, and they got married on June 29, 2013. They have a daughter together named Zaina. The comedian went on to praise Alfe, who works as an illustrator, for raising their daughter and allowing him to pursue his professional goals. “Her support means everything to me,” he admits. “The fact that she stays home to raise our daughter, so I can pursue my dream is very selfless.”

As far as being a father is concerned, Comroe calls the experience “amazing.” He went on to explain that it has changed him as a person. “Everything I work for now, everything I’m determined to do is for her. It doesn’t feel like it’s even about me anymore,” he explained. “Stand-up comedy is sometimes a selfish career because it’s just you on stage. It’s your own business. Now that I have a beautiful daughter it’s all about her.”

“Everything I do, trying to get to the next level and everything throughout this whole AGT process, I’ve had Zaina and my wife Alfe on my mind the entire time,” he added. “I’m like, ‘What can I do for them?’ I have to give my next best performance now so they can have a better life.”