Chris Distefano | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Distefano in a 2014 headshot | |
| Born | Christopher Paul Anthony Distefano (1984-08-26)August 26, 1984 (age 41) |
| Other names | Chrissy D |
| Alma mater | St. Joseph's College (BA) New York Institute of Technology (DPT) |
| Notable work | Guy Code Girl Code Hey Babe! History Hyenas Chris Distefano Presents: Chrissy Chaos |
| Partner | Jasmine Canuelas (2015–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Medium | |
| Genre | Observational comedy |
| Website | Official website |
Christopher Paul Anthony Distefano (born August 26, 1984)[1] is an American comedian. Primarily a stand-up comedian, he began his career in entertainment onMTV andMTV2's showsGuy Code andGirl Code. His first hour-long standup special,Chris Distefano: Size 38 Waist, was released in 2019 byComedy Central. His second special,Speshy Weshy, premiered onNetflix in May 2022. Distefano co-hostsHey Babe! podcast withSal Vulcano fromImpractical Jokers and hosts several podcasts,Chrissy Chaos and co-hosts ‘History Hyenas’ with comedian Yannis Pappas.
Distefano, who is of mostly German descent[2] (he has some Italian and Irish ancestry),[3][4] grew up in theRidgewood neighborhood ofQueens and attendedArchbishop Molloy High School in theBriarwood area of Queens .[5][6] He went toSt. Joseph's College where he played basketball and studied psychology; he graduated in 2006. Distefano was recruited to play for St. Joseph's College Brooklyn'sD-III basketball team in 2002. He was the team's lead scorer, and was inducted into the college's Hall of Fame in 2018.[7]
Distefano earned a doctorate in physical therapy fromNew York Institute of Technology inManhattan, New York in 2010.[8] He was a pediatric physical therapist until 2013 when he began pursuing his career in comedy full-time.[9]
Distefano began performing stand-up in August 2009.[4][9] He hosted the 2010Fencing Masters on theSNY network and Elite 8 of the 2011 and 2012 March Madness comedy competitions at the comedy clubCarolines on Broadway. He headlinedCarolines Breakout Artist Series and was selected as a finalist in the 2011 NY Comedy Festival. He also performed standup at venues including New York Comedy Club,Comedy Cellar,Gotham Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club, and the Laugh Lounge.[10]
In 2012, Distefano joined the castMTV'sGuy Code, which was in its second season. In 2013, he joined the cast ofGirl Code.[11] He appeared in episodes of other MTV shows includingGuy Court,Guy Code vs. Girl Code,Off the Bat, andThe Challenge.[4] He was a frequent guest on theOpie with Jim Norton show during that time. Distefano performed on theLate Show with David Letterman in June 2013.[12] In 2014, his first half-hour special was released as part ofComedy Central'sThe Half Hour.[4]
After appearing onLate Night with Seth Meyers,[13] Distefano began his first national U.S. tour in September 2015 withMonster Energy Outbreak Presents. He co-starred in the 2015IFC seriesBenders withAndrew Schulz.[14] He was one of two announcers on Season 2 of Netflix'sUltimate Beastmaster, which debuted on the streaming service on December 15, 2017.
Distefano was in seven televisionpilots which did not get picked up, including aCBS-produced show based on his own life calledDistefano.[9] He co-starred in the web seriesBay Ridge Boys alongside fellow comicYannis Pappas, with whom he co-hosted the weekly history podcastHistory Hyenas, which was launched in February 2018.[11] Distefano regularly performs and tours globally. In January 2019, his first hour standup specialChris Distefano: Size 38 Waist premiered on Comedy Central, which included a personal welcome on stage byChazz Palminteri. The special was part of a deal he made with Comedy Central in December 2018, which included the seriesStupid Questions with Chris Distefano, and at least two series in development.[15] That also included his weekly podcastStand-Up with Chris Distefano, launched in April 2019.[16]
In February 2022, Distefano sold out his first performance atBeacon Theatre in Manhattan.[17] He then sold out his first two shows at theGramercy Theatre a month later, during the shows he recorded his second special,Speshy Weshy.[18]
Distefano, an avid sports fan, has hosted episodes of shows including MLB'sOff The Bat and MSG'sThe Brackets. He was invited by theNew York Mets to throw the first game pitch in 2021,[19] and he set off theVegas Golden Knights' pre-game siren alongside friend and fellow comedianAndrew Santino in March 2022. In early April, Distefano was featured onThe Pat McAfee Show, hosted byPat McAfee.[20]
In 2025, Distefano participated inSaudi Arabia'sRiyadh Comedy Festival,[21] an event whichHuman Rights Watch characterized as an attempt by the Saudi government towhitewash itshuman rights abuses.[22][23] He expressed hesitation in his decision in two podcast appearances released in the summer of 2025, but ultimately chose to go, indicating that his recent purchase of a house was a deciding factor.[21]
Distefano dated comedianCarly Aquilino from 2010 to 2014.[24] Distefano has two children and a stepson with Jasmin Canuelas, whom he has been dating since 2015. They are engaged.[25][26] They live onStaten Island.[27]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–15 | Guy Code | Himself | From season 2 on |
| Girl Code | |||
| 2013 | Guy Code Honors | TV special from 2013Comic-Con | |
| Ain't That America | Co-host alongsideLil Duval. | ||
| Charlemagne & Friends | VMA pre-party onMTV | ||
| Guy Court | |||
| The Bracket | Co-host alongsideYannis Pappas | ||
| 2014 | Off The Bat From The MLB Fan Cave | Co-host alongsideMelanie Iglesias | |
| 2015 | Benders | Anthony Pucello | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Ultimate Beastmaster | Himself | Co-host alongsideTiki Barber (season 2) |
| Distefano | Chris | Unaired CBS pilot | |
| 2021 | Backyard Bar Wars | Himself | Host |
| 2023 | Super Maximum Retro Show |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ode to Joy | Staten Island Meathead |
Comedy specials
Podcasts
