Joseph Neibich — an actor, director, producer, comedian and writer who also goes by Joseph Nybyk — was honored as the 2025 Best Comedian by Tucson Weekly.
He will perform at Laffs Comedy Caffé on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29, during a show headlined by comedian Pauly Casillas.
Neibich serves as a house emcee at Laffs, and has performed the same role at Laugh Factory, Stand Up Scottsdale and the Comedy Spot in Scottsdale.
A Gilbert native, Neibich attended UA, but earned a degree in political theory and prelaw from Sewanee: The University of the South.
In 2000, he started his stand-up career and found success. He has performed at casinos, clubs and colleges nationwide, as well as cruises and corporate gigs.
Early in his career, he had the chance to work the door at the Comedy Store in Hollywood.
“From Jay Leno to David Letterman to Richard Pryor, pretty much everyone started working the door at that club,” Neibich said.
“Every single one of us would have paid for the job. They would have Joe Rogan pop in, Andrew Dice Clay, Chelsea Handler, all the biggest people… Being able to watch the best of the best nightly — and they’re going up at like 1 in the morning to work on their craft — they really show you the dedication and hard work it takes to make it in comedy.”
At the beginning of his standup career, Neibich would tell stories about tending bar and meeting celebrities at the Beverly Hills Hotel and other places where he worked.
“I met everyone who’s anyone, and I was there when the queen visited,” he said.
“I was there when Michael Jordan visited… You’d look out into the restaurant and see Ben Affleck having dinner with Jennifer Lopez. I met Bono…I met every living president up until Barack Obama… (Arnold) Schwarzenegger, I saw him in the hotel several times.”
He often jokes about these experiences in his standup today.
“I talk about it for a good 10 minutes of my set, just the antics of the rich and famous and being a young bartender trying to make it in Hollywood,” Neibich said.
He also touches on how his life has changed as he has aged.
“I’m talking about getting older, the aches and pain, and I do things different… I used to love to party. Now I love coffee shops,” Neibich said.
Neibich said that he always had an interest in comedy, from the time he was young.
“I just loved making people laugh and then just the thrill (to be) able to do it,” Neibich said.
“As a child, I remember sitting at my dad’s feet, when he was sitting in his armchair, watching Johnny Carson with him. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Neibich didn’t really picture performing as a career option until he got older.
“Growing up in Gilbert, I didn’t see an avenue to get there,” he said.
“It’s not like I was from New York City, Hollywood or Chicago. These days, I think kids anywhere can see the avenue to their success at any age… Back then, it was work construction, be a teacher or be in insurance. It was what you saw around you. You work for the city. Some of my goals were I’ll work for the state. I’ll go into politics. Maybe, I’ll be an attorney. I had a couple of uncles who worked in politics…I did a little bit of theater in elementary school and junior high. It was really good.
“Even though I loved it, I didn’t really like the circle I was in. When I went to New York City, at one point when I was in college, I sat in on a couple of acting classes. Then, I started going to theater at my university, and I just knew it’s where I wanted to be. I loved everything about it.”
Recently, Neibich’s focus has been on acting in and creating his own films. He wrote and starred in the 2025 short film called “Feeling Blessed.”
It was entered into HollyShorts and the Rhode Island International film festivals, two Academy Award-qualifying events.
He also wrote and acted in the film “Lights Off,” which is set to appear at the Arizona International Film Festival at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, as part of the Arizona shorts block.
Neibich promotes the Faith in Film International Film Festival set for Saturday, May 17, at the Screening Room. It is a film festival and screenwriting competition that promotes faith-based films from around the world.
“I just want the filmmakers to get their just due and for a theater full of people to appreciate their work. Hopefully, it helps them get noticed, and they make bigger and better movies,” Neibich said.
He had a small part as a reporter in “Jerry Maguire.” That role gave him the confidence in his acting abilities.
“You barely see me in the movie, but I was over-the-moon excited about booking it,” he said.
“Then, the very next day, I was calling all the agents in Arizona,” Neibich said.
After moving from Tucson to Los Angeles in 1997, he worked for a time in the marketing department at Paramount Pictures.
He was employed by Landmark Entertainment during a time when James Cameron was making his short film “T2 3-D: Battle Across Time,” and then when Michael Jackson owned the company.
He said that he learned from watching Cameron and Jackson at work.
“I worked as a junior agent. I worked in production. I worked as an associate producer, production coordinator,” he said.
“Your boss gets fired, so you lose your job, too. She gets hired somewhere else, and then you get hired, or maybe you get hired somewhere else, and then she comes to work for you. It’s such a crazy town, but I loved it. I can’t imagine spending my 20s and early 30s doing anything else.”
To find out more about Joseph Neibich, go to nybyk.com.”
