Lucas Zelnick Blends Personal Stories and Political Observations as His Comedy Career Accelerates

Comedian Lucas Zelnick grew up during what he considers a golden era of comedy films, with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson dominating theaters with movies like Zoolander, Dodgeball, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers, and Old School. Raised in Manhattan, surrounded by Saturday Night Live talent, improv performers and film actors, comedy was always part of his identity — yet he never imagined it as a career. Most people in his social circle were heading toward banking, consulting or becoming CEOs, so he assumed he would too.

Near the end of college, Zelnick realized two things: becoming a CEO wasn’t exactly easy, and despite getting older, he didn’t feel like a serious adult. He expected a moment to arrive when joking would naturally stop, but it never did. During a long drive from college in Massachusetts to Hilton Head, South Carolina, he began wondering whether he could pursue a creative path like comedy or acting instead.

After graduating, he tried improv, quickly discovered he wasn’t good at it, and transitioned into standup. A full-circle moment came during a show in Charleston, South Carolina, when a former teacher showed up with Zelnick’s yearbook. He had been voted “Most Likely to Be on Tour as a Comedian in 15 Years.” Fifteen years later, there he was — performing onstage.

He went on to attend Williams College, then applied to Stanford Business School, partly because he felt lost after undergrad. While earning his MBA, he questioned whether a comedian’s unstructured lifestyle was right for him. Business school felt like a chance to pause and explore options. But as soon as his MBA program began, momentum also began building in his comedy career.

A turning point came when he met comedian Jamie Wolf at an early show. They clicked creatively and eventually rented a small office space to write together. This grew into Sesh Comedy, a venue where they hosted shows and gave themselves regular stage time. Although they later sold the club, it continues operating as a comedy space today.

As Zelnick developed as a performer, he began mixing personal stories with commentary on political and cultural issues. The unique perspective of having a father who is a CEO, Strauss Zelnick, influenced some of his material — such as a joke he wrote after the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, aiming to approach it from the viewpoint of someone close to corporate leadership. He naturally gravitates toward topics that are high-energy and high-consequence, ones where he feels he has something specific to say.

While a few comedians have suggested that comedy isn’t meant for a “New York City private school kid,” many others have embraced him as simply another comedian doing good work. One of his biggest supporters has been comedian Ashley Gavin, who encouraged him to post standup clips online, helped him understand how to build a fan base, and took him on the road so he could perform longer sets for larger audiences. Gavin’s background as a former software engineer also reassured him that choosing comedy over a traditional career path could make sense.

Although he’s confident in his choice, touring can be draining, and he’s exploring acting opportunities that would allow him to stay home more with his girlfriend and their dog. This year, he acted in three upcoming films: Fade to Black, Offsite, and an untitled Hulu project written by former SNL writers Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney. He hopes to play the best, funniest, most improvised version of himself on screen as more roles come in.

For now, Zelnick is back on the road, thinking deeply about subjects like guns, religion and politics — material he feels drawn to in this stage of his career. As he puts it, he hopes one day to be skilled enough to make talking about a chair funny, but for now, he’s committed to the topics that genuinely spark his curiosity and energy.

For more about Lucas Zelnick’s career and upcoming work, you can explore profiles such as his GQ interview at this link or read about Sesh Comedy’s ongoing shows at seshcomedy.com.