You might know him as the quiet, lovable jokester from 2021’s Celebrity Treasure Island, but Joe Daymond is a whole lot more than that. Certainly, if you follow him on social media, you’ll know he’s a big deal, baby.
“It’s kinda wild, eh?” the 7 Days star says of his 350,000 followers. He’s also selling out theatres in Aotearoa and he’s now in hot demand in Australia too. Not bad for a guy who was living out of a car for three months before being discovered – something he discusses in his stand-up show I Hope I Made You Proud, which he’s just finished touring around the country.
“It chronicles the story of living in my car to signing with a manager in LA,” explains Joe, 29, who had moved from his hometown of Wellington to Auckland to find work.
“It was the hardest thing. Labouring places wouldn’t hire me because they’d say, ‘We think you’ll leave this job when you find somewhere better.’ Office jobs wouldn’t hire me because they were really hard on people having gone to university. I’d done two years at uni, but it wasn’t enough.
“I was trying my hardest to crawl my way out of it and stand-up seemed to be the avenue for that.”
However, comedy had its own challenges and Joe, who’s of Te Āti Awa and Fijian descent, struggled with feeling isolated from other performers.
He explains, “It was hard for me to connect with other comedians because I was so hell-bent on progressing as fast as I could so I could help our family’s circumstances.
“I was a pushy young thing and I didn’t have the communication skills to tell people my situation. The older comedians perceived me as being entitled.”
Luckily, Joe found it easier to communicate online. The budding influencer had a fair few followers before the pandemic hit. He felt determined not to let COVID interrupt his flow.
“I knew if I kept cranking away at social media, more stuff would happen,” he tells. “I went into lockdown with about 8000 followers and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to post every day because everyone is going to be inside looking at their phones. I’ll just see what happens from there.’ I grew to 35,000 over the course of five weeks. It was crazy!”
Not one to rest on his laurels, Joe immediately went on a sold-out tour once restrictions were lifted.
“I knew I may never get that chance again. That’s what put me in the mainstream,” he says, still in disbelief. “I knew that would send a message to the industry – I’m not a flash in the pan. I’m here to stay!”
Indeed, Aussie tour companies came calling. Not long after that, so did Comedy Central, for whom he made the series Bouncers. But as his career exploded, Joe wrestled with the pressure.
“That was a really difficult time in my life, probably the worst,” he confesses. “That part was harder than living out of my car. My life started to become a lot more isolated.
“I started falling out with my friends. People saw things happening for me and that I was busy, but they looked at it like, ‘Oh, you don’t have the time or capacity for our relationship.’”
Touring by himself made Joe feel even more alone.
He says, “When I was younger, doing open mics and workshops, and hanging out after gigs was a struggle, but at least I felt like I was in a community.
“Now there’s almost none of that and there’s a lot of grind. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it, but it can be hard when you don’t have a group or community any more.”
Despite this, Joe insists he’s happy with his life right now.
“I’m loving stand-up at the moment,” he enthuses. “Writing and directing are my first loves, but I’m passionate about stand-up in two ways. I love watching real good comedy and I love watching younger comedians catch passion for it.”
Helping others is a huge part of whatever Joe does. Hoping to make a difference for people of colour starting out in the TV industry, he set up West Park, an indigenous, youth-led media company.
It’s also why he’s hosting the Comedy Mixtape show at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, where he’s curated a line-up of up-and-coming Māori and Pasifika comedians. “I’ve always wanted to push other comedians who maybe don’t get the exposure they deserve.”
Joe’s star may be on the rise, but his humble beginnings are never far from his mind.
Joe Daymond’s Comedy Mixtape is on at Auckland’s Q Theatre on Wednesday 7 May. For tickets, visit comedyfestival.co.nz.
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