When Atlanta comedian Daniel Dellanno began performing stand-up at 18, it was hard for him to hear the laughter.
“It was weird,” he remembers. “I was just so focused on getting my jokes out.”
Thankfully, in a crowded theatre at Chicago’s Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville last week, this seems to no longer be the case.
He traveled to the Windy City along with his mother to watch the premiere of “Funny AF,” a newly released Netflix comedy competition series hosted by comedian, actor and producer Kevin Hart and featuring Dellanno in his television debut.
The series follows Hart as he travels the country to find the next “stand-up superstar” along with comedians Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Segura and Chelsea Handler.
Out of the 43 comedians competing, Dellanno, who describes his comedy as an “honest — sometimes too honest — conversational style,” is the sole Atlanta native.
“There are so many great comedians in Atlanta, and for them to pick me, I thought it was really cool,” he said. “It was an honor.”
Although he enjoyed standup at a young age, the Snellville native never saw it as a potential career path until a high school calculus teacher offered him the opportunity to host and perform at a school event.
After receiving glowing responses from his peers, he started performing at open mic nights in Buckhead.
“I remember my second ever time doing it and got laughs and thinking ‘Yeah, I can do this.’… this is what I want to do,” Dellanno remembers. “I’m a comedian. Everything else went out the window.”
That rush led not just to a desire to succeed in comedy but also to a commitment to the sacrifices it would require.
“If you’re going to something, do well and be proud of it. That was always instilled in me,” he said.
For the next seven years, Dellanno focused on open mics, out–of–town featuring gigs, and social media content creation to pursue comedy while working day jobs at Target and a metro Atlanta warehouse.
After several viral comedy videos and a string of bookings in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, Dellanno gained a new wave of online audience members and industry connections.
In 2025, while performing at the Big Pine Comedy Festival in Arizona, he caught the attention of a “Funny AF” representative. Dellanno packed his bags to go to Chicago for an experience he can only describe as “surreal.”
“It was my first time in Chicago … it was cool seeing Kevin there,” he said. “It was just a really fun experience.”
Dellanno says that the exposure has prepared him for the next chapter of his life, allowing him to finally pursue comedy full-time and prepare for a new residency in either New York City or Los Angeles.
“I’m doing this because I enjoy what I like to do. I enjoy putting this out into the world. That’s why you create what you create.”
And with those creations, he’s confident the sound of laughter will follow.
