SeriesFest Season 9 Conversations: Adam Ray, Actor and Comedian

Adam Ray Performing at SeriesFest Season 9’s ‘A Night of Comedy’. Photo by Marc Piscotty for SeriesFest.

Comedian and Actor Adam Ray is one busy creative. For he’s popped up in a bevy of television shows and films, in between taking the stage to make us laugh with his crisp stand-up comedy routine, and we at NTG were fortunate enough to sit down with Adam before ‘A Night of Comedy’ got underway at Red Rocks in the rain, as part of SeriesFest Season 9, to discuss his love of comedy, and more.

Adam Ray: Nerds That Geek. What’s that all about?

John Betancourt: It’s about celebrating pop culture. We just geek out about pop culture, day, and night. 

Adam Ray: So, what’s the nerdiest shit that you, John, geek out on the hardest?
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John Betancourt: Star Trek. All day, every day.

Adam Ray: My buddy Piotr Michael. They're doing a video game, right? He just announced on Instagram. He's gonna play Spock. That's kind of a big deal.

John Betancourt: Oh man. That’s a huge honor. I’m going to have to play that and geek out about it for sure.

Adam Ray: So, I saw the Star Trek movie where there was like a whale.

John Betancourt: Yes! The whale movie.

Adam Ray: That was good!

John Betancourt: It really was! It’s one of the most popular ones. 

Adam Ray: Nimoy’s a beast, man. Nimoy’s a beast. But anyway, this is about you, John.

John Betancourt: Oh, yeah. I guess I should ask some questions! So, let’s talk about comedy. Obviously, it’s a big part of your life. What is it about comedy that still excites you?

Adam Ray: Oh, man. I started comedy. Because, you know, as a young kid, man, I got teased a lot for weight, and other bullshit. And then I started to make people laugh, not just my friends, but like publicly at school to like a bigger audience of strangers and kids and then I was looked at as the funny kid and not the fat kid. So, like, it saved me in that regard. And also, it feels amazing to make people -- to know that you're doing something that now feels pretty effortless, to feel good and can change your day. And some of the messages you get from people from shows or videos. It's crazy, and it's just it's selfishly, it's really fun. I got to do some of the coolest things in my life because of comedy. And, you know, meeting 78-year-old Joel McHale is like… (Laughter from Adam and John) don’t let him tell you he's younger because he's not! He looks great because he washes his face. But he’s uh… he’s a guy I looked up to as a kid and he was on a show called Almost Live! when I was in Seattle that I watched. It was like SNL for Seattle, and I watched being like… “Dude”. I mean I was so enamored by this guy this cast and they're not famous. They’re famous to us.

But I was like, it gave me like it just a boost as far as like, “Oh wow, there's a lot of room for a lot of people in this.” And then once I got to know him, and he told me his story now he's you know, a household legend and so, it’s an extra treat to be in this show, and comedy truly cures. And I think closing SerieFest with a show here is like the perfect way to do it. Because you've seen a whole week of people getting to you know, really toot their horns, and show off their skill sets from all over the world and, and now we're at one of the most iconic venues of all time to do… to do dick jokes where The Beatles played. “Let it Be” is… is not going to be lost on me.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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