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Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Nic Novicki's life looking up at the world helped him reach new heights in comedy
Nearly two decades ago, Nic Novicki was another young comedian living in Queens, testing his mettle in the competitive New York City comedy scene. There, he shared not just an apartment, but a living room separated by a sheet with another up-and-comer trying to make a name for himself: Nate Bargatze. They shared an apartment with fellow comedians Dustin Chafin and Rich Aronovitch. Fast forward 20 years, and Bargatze is one of the most popular comedians around, selling out arenas across the country. And, he hasn't forgotten his old friend. Novicki frequently tours with him, bringing those humble beginnings to larger audiences than they ever imagined, including taking their act to the high seas on the Nateland cruise this February. 'We would perform shows together every night, and then I would stay with them when I would go back to New York [from L.A.],' Novicki tells The Times over Zoom. 'It started with five people at a show in New York, and then clubs, and suddenly, things got bigger and bigger. It's been one of my biggest thrills to step out on stage and see that many people.' As a little person standing 3 feet 10, Novicki has a unique perspective from a physical and emotional standpoint, which he brings to his comedy. Some of his most rewarding projects have involved his work with Easterseals, the nation's largest disability services organization. With them, he's organized the Disability Film Challenge, which launched nearly 13 years ago. It's an annual five-day filmmaking competition where people with disabilities are either in front of or behind the camera, and make a film related to a specific genre — this year, for example, the theme was thriller and suspense. 'I created this film competition 12 years ago because I was always making my own content,' he says. 'The story of my life has been, as a comedian, to get up on stage and do as much as you can rather than wait for the industry to come to me.' In addition to comedic endeavors, Novicki has made a name for himself as an actor. He was a regular on the HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire' and appeared on 'The Sopranos,' 'Loudermilk,' 'The Neighbors' and 'Drop Dead Diva.' We spoke with the Culver City-based comedian ahead of his slot at the Burbank Comedy Festival next week, where he breaks down his stand-up routine, opening for Nate and his perspective on comedy as a little person, as well as why the work he's done with Easterseals has been so imperative. Do you have a different approach when you're performing in front of thousands at an arena show with Nate versus a club show? My act is focused on storytelling. A lot of what I do is kind of story-based about my life and the interactions that have happened. Nowadays, it's with my family, and my daughters are a huge part of it. Regardless of the size of the venue. For example, if I'm doing a late-night set at the Comedy Store or another comedy club, my act stays the same. Ultimately, I'm at that stage in my life. I do the same bits, and there's no need for me to feel like I need to be edgier. The same bits will work late night or early in the day when Nate has an early show. Recently, I did a show that was really fun called BYOB — bring your own baby. Where was that and what was it like? It was at [Santa Monica comedy club] the Crow. My wife brought our baby. Ultimately, I've always been able and comfortable talking about who I am. I've always done well with kids, which was the origin [of comedy] for me. When I was 10 or 11 years old, I started doing speeches that raised money for the Little People of America. I would perform at Rotary Clubs, and I remember early on, I would be standing behind a podium, be like, 'Oh, did you guys forget the stool here? What's going on?' It would be the Invisible Man bit, and everybody laughed. I realized then that I had everybody, and they were paying attention. Even at that age, you understood showbiz. You knew how to work an audience. It's funny. I didn't think of it as a comedian, but I was doing a version of stand-up comedy. Growing up on the East Coast and being a little person, I used comedy as a way to break the ice, and also be like, 'Hey, let's be funny and lighten the situation.' When did you decide to pursue comedy as a career? I started doing stand-up comedy during my freshman year of college at Temple University in Philadelphia. I went there to study business, but I was like, 'What is this?' It's a great city for comedy, and now, in a full circle of wildness, we [Bargatze and he] are performing two shows at the Wells Fargo Center. There are these different places that I haven't been to in a long time, like Erie, Pa., where I have family. Thanks to comedy, going back there for the first time to perform in a giant arena with Nate is pretty wild. What is it about both of your comedic styles that appeals to so many? Aside from Nate being one of my best friends, he's just the best at what he does. Both of us have very similar sensibilities and senses of humor. It's been great for me because I don't have to change my style of comedy to fit with his. When I was starting, I was never dirty, but maybe I'd swear a little. I realized so much of my life is about being in the Little People of America. Little people and people with disabilities are asking me for advice about how I was able to create my own projects. Ultimately, that's the kind of comedy that I'm drawn to, and it's part of my daily life. I'm proud to be a little person. I'm proud to be who I am, and I can't hide it. It's not easy, though, to get the audience to laugh at something uncomfortable. In this case, laughing with you about your disability. I'm 3-10. So it's not like I could be not 3-10, so it's part of what my world is. My wife is little, and I've grown up in Little People of America. It's not entirely what I'm about as a comedian — I like to talk about things other than my height, but it is a part of who I am. I'm a storyteller, and the situations that happen involve my height. Whether it's dropping my daughter off at daycare … these are real-life situations that happen. Rather than be uncomfortable in the moment, I've embraced it, laughed and been OK with just having that discussion in that moment. I look at the positive and the comedy of a situation because it's something that I find funny, rather than being upset by it, like being patient and asking someone to help me press a button in an elevator. This may sound crazy, but I've met so many people by asking for help, like reaching for a plate. Now, I have a connection with this person that I wouldn't have had. As a comedian, I think you have to be open to life and what happens, and be able to comment on it. The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge is a significant source of pride for you. Now, nearly 13 years later, what do you see as its legacy? It's grown so much. Since partnering with Easterseals Southern California, we've had 850 films created from around the world. We have our awards ceremony at Sony Pictures every year. Nate has presented alongside the Farrelly brothers, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. I feel like the disability community is a community, and it's something I'm so proud to be a part of. I've made so many friends and forged lifelong bonds with both little people and through the Film Challenge. Much like my comedy career, it's been a gradual climb. It's been the long game for me, as an actor and comedian with the Film Challenge. My whole vision is to do as much as you can, and I think the world wants to see more disability representation. I do a regular show at Flappers in Burbank where I headline, and it's Nic Novicki and friends. I always have a disabled comic from the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge perform to highlight them. I love having that world where people can get themselves out there, and that was always the mission. Initially, the Disability Film Challenge was going to be a one-off competition where I helped disabled friends who asked me for advice, and allowed them to make a film and tell their own stories. After that first one, right away, casting directors started reaching out to me asking how to get in touch with a guy in a wheelchair, and all of a sudden, we had five films that first year. All of these films are starring and created by people with disabilities. It's been great to see the number of jobs that have come from this, and something I'm incredibly proud of. It's funny. I was in New York City with a group of people, and I was like, 'I know every little person in the world,' and they were like, 'Yeah, sure, sure, you do.' So we're walking on Madison Avenue, and a little person popped up out of nowhere and said, 'Hey, Nick, what's up?' I looked at them and said, 'You see?' I swear to God, it was sitcom-esque timing, but it really happened.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Stories Don't Have to Be About Disability' to Feature Actors with a Disability: A Call for Change
'Over 70 million Americans and 1.3 billion globally have disabilities,' Nancy Weintraub said at the 'Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lens on Disability,' panel at the American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival. Weintraub is the Chief Advancement Officer at Easterseals Southern California. For over a century has been the leading disability support and advocacy organization in the U.S. Easterseals works heavily to increase opportunities for disabled performers in the film and TV industry, and Weintraub was joined by actor, writer, producer, and founder of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, Nic Novicki, for a lively conversation about the state of disability inclusion in entertainment — and the importance of authentic representation. More from IndieWire 'In Your Dreams' Teaser: The Search for the Sandman Powers Netflix's New Animated Sibling Fantasy Sam Rockwell Says 'Sinners' Success Is 'Encouraging' for Hollywood: 'It's a Big Swing' 'One in four of the population has a disability, yet we're in less than 3 percent of film and TV shows,' Novicki, who's appeared in 'The Sopranos' and 'Boardwalk Empire,' said. The time is right for inclusive change. So Novicki founded the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, 'an annual film competition where you make a one-to-five-minute film that has somebody with a disability involved in front of or behind the camera. The films don't have to be about disability, it's just about including people with disabilities.' The Challenge winners then receive coveted access to already established entertainment industry professionals as a prize. Earlier in the year at Sundance, Easterseals launched a new report on the subject of representing disability onscreen that Weintraub explained looks 'at how far we've come with disability inclusion, but also recognizes there are more opportunities to grow together. Over 50 talented individuals with disabilities helped curate it. We held a national survey in October of 800 adults with disabilities.' Novicki, who has been in over 40 television shows and films, revealed that the Film Challenge had resulted in 135 films being created this year from around the world. Easterseals' report from earlier this year featured an important point from Novicki: 'A lot of times, accessibility does not requiremore money, it requires more planning — strategically planning ahead and integrating accessibility from the very beginning.' Money need not be a barrier. Both Weintraub and Novicki love celebrating successes alongside their ongoing work to increase inclusion. 'There have been some amazing success stories recently,' Novicki said. ''Wicked'! Marissa Bode is a wheelchair user. The future is bright. 'Coda,' winning the Oscars, an all-deaf cast.' 'The buying power, the disposable income of the disability community in the United States is $490 billion, and that translates to over $1.3 trillion globally,' Weintraub said. 'Not only do we have a critical mass of people who want to see themselves represented, but they're a large part of the market. Authentic disability representation has financial incentives.' The report showed the audience wants more representation, and wants networks and studios to fix the lack of representation. 'I wondered why more people with disabilities weren't creating their own content. I wanted to play a gangster. So, I started shooting it myself,' Novicki said. 'I started creating my own opportunities. I created the Disability Film Challenge and it started small. We had 5 films that first year. I partnered with Easterseals in 2017. Now we have had 850 films created from around the world over the last 12 years. These become working databases. The Casting Society of America shares these films. With the challenge, it's not talking about the problem of the lack of representation, it's about being part of the solution.' 'Amazon MGM Studios is a partner of the challenge,' Novicki said. 'They reached out to us looking for an actor on the autism spectrum. We were able to send dozens of talented actors from the challenge. Nic Sanchez ended up booking a role in that film, which was 'The Accountant' sequel, and worked with Ben Affleck. It's a challenging landscape, but I'm optimistic because it's a global population of people with disabilities that hasn't been tapped into.' 'Stories don't have to be about disability,' Weintraub noted. 'A lot of the stories that come out of the challenge are seeing people with disabilities being moms, dads, lawyers, doctors, gangsters, bad guys, and being in romantic relationships too. The studios can see them in roles outside of roles that are just about their disability.' 'People with disabilities have largely not been given the same amount of auditions and opportunities,' Novicki said. Weintraub added, 'There are a lot of background crowd shots in movies. Always consider putting people with disabilities in those. Again, it's one in four, so they should be represented everywhere as well.' 'When you talk about one in four of the population,' Novicki continued, 'You're also talking about your neighbor, your son, your father, your uncle. Everybody has their own connection to disability. It's just about how do you meet them? That happens here (at Cannes). This is the largest film market in the world.' 'The disability community wants to see themselves represented. There's so much pride in our community,' Novicki said. 'I'm proud to have a disability, to be a little person, to be a part of this community. With 1.7 billion, there's a lot more room for awareness. There are a lot of success stories. We have a lot of our own within the challenge, but there's still room to grow.' Watch the video above to find out how to submit films to the Disability Film Challenge, and learn more about Easterseals' disability inclusion work. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Easterseals Study Shows Stagnation in Disability Representation Despite $490 Billion Market
The entertainment industry may be missing out on a significant market opportunity, with the latest research from Easterseals showing that representation of disabilities in media has stagnated despite a U.S. audience commanding $490 billion in spending power. 'There's trillions of dollars of buying power within the disability community. We're one in four of the population. So that is a huge market that has been underserved,' actor, comedian and producer Nic Novicki told CEO Sharon Waxman at TheWrap's Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lens on Disability Inclusion panel presented by Easterseals Disability Services at Sundance on Friday. The nationwide survey of 800 adults with disabilities found that 51% reported seeing fewer characters with disabilities recently, while 83% emphasized the importance of representation on screen. The research comes as Easterseals announced 'thriller and suspense' as the genre for its 12th Annual Disability Film Challenge. 'I think one of the other things, the key findings, too, is that when we talk about jobs, it's both this is one of the key points, is that it's not just jobs in front of the camera. It's also behind the camera,' Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer for Easterseals Southern California, said. The Disability Film Challenge, which has produced 750 films over the past 11 years, requires participants to create 1-5 minute films featuring talent with disabilities in front of or behind the camera. According to Novicki, winners receive $2,000 cash grants and $5,000 production grants from Adobe, Dell computers, IMDb Pro mentor meetings with executives from NBC Universal, Netflix, and Paramount Global. 'We get emails all the time, I mean, on a weekly and monthly basis, from studios, from networks that are actively trying to authentically cast people with disabilities and bring people in for roles that aren't written for disabled actors,' Novicki said. The competition has led to opportunities, including film challenge participant Nik Sanchez landing a role alongside Ben Affleck in 'The Accountant 2.' Filmmakers can register through March 31 at Watch the full interview with Weintraub and Novicki in the embed above. The post Easterseals Study Shows Stagnation in Disability Representation Despite $490 Billion Market | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
