Decorated actor Vinny Vella has been in show business for more than 40 years and is now taking the plunge into the world of stand-up comedy.
Vella, a New York City native, started working on his stand-up material this past February and finally took his show, "Who's Better Than You?" on the road starting in his hometown last week. "Who's Better Than You?" is a storytelling skit in which Vella drew inspiration from real life experiences.
Best known for his role in the 1995 crime-drama feature "Casino" and ongoing persona in HBO's hit series "The Sopranos," Vella's film and television resume also consists of "Coffee and Cigarettes", "Kill the Irishman" and a public-access television cable TV show on MNN, “The Vinny Vella Show.” Though on-screen acting has been Vella's passion for decades, he said storytelling on live stage is a new, exciting rush.
"As a kid, I never got a pat on my shoulder for anything, but later on in life, when I started doing movies, people started patting me on the shoulder, letting me know I was great," said Vella. "I started really appreciating what I was doing in life. Now with this comedy, I appreciate it even more."
"Right now, there's nobody like myself in the comedy world," he added. "I'm not trying to blow any smoke, but there's nobody out there anymore telling true stories. There are comedians telling jokes, but what I'm telling are true, funny stories about my life."
Less than a week into his launch, Vella is pleased with the course his comedy career has taken already. After selling out Duplex, a legendary New York City venue, the feedback was remarkable.
"I thought I was going to be nervous, but I felt very comfortable on stage and everybody was loving it," said Vella. "I love making people laugh. That's the best medicine in the world. People can laugh and enjoy themselves and that's something you can't buy and that's something that doesn't come in a jar."
