Sebastian Maniscalco is a popular American stand-up comedian and actor with a net worth of $16 million as of March 2023. Over the past two decades, he has emerged as one of the most celebrated comedians in the United States. Maniscalco is known for his unique style of “clean comedy” that focuses on everyday life, marriage, Italian American culture, and pop culture.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Sebastian Maniscalco was born on July 8, 1973, in Arlington Heights, Chicago, Illinois. His parents were immigrants who came to the United States in search of the American dream. Maniscalco grew up in a Roman Catholic household and served as an altar boy at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Mount Prospect, Illinois.
After graduating from Rolling Meadows High School, Maniscalco attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he obtained a degree in communications studies. Instead of pursuing a regular corporate job after college, Maniscalco moved to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue a career in comedy.
Maniscalco began performing at open mics in bars and bowling alleys while working as a waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. He worked as a waiter for the next seven years, drawing inspiration from the behavior of the people he served to create material for his comedy routines. Despite the difficulties he faced during this time, Maniscalco persevered, taking every gig he could get, no matter how small the pay.
Breakthrough Success and Earnings
In 2005, Maniscalco’s career took a major turn when he went on tour with Vince Vaughn as part of The Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights — Hollywood to the Heartland. The 30-day comedy tour of four stand-up comedians was a box office hit, grossing over $600,000 in the box office.
Since then, Maniscalco has released five comedy specials, three of which were on Showtime. His fifth comedy special, “Stay Hungry,” was released on Netflix in 2019, which brought his works to a wider audience and paid him a larger sum. His increased popularity was immediately apparent as he landed the gig of hosting 2019’s MTV VMAs which was held on the 26th of August.
Maniscalco has also branched out into acting and voice acting. He made his feature film debut in 2018 in the biographical comedy-drama buddy film “Green Book,” which grossed over $321.8 million against a $23 million budget. He has also appeared in a number of other films, including “The House,” “Tag,” “Cruise,” and “The Irishman.”
In addition to his comedy specials and films, Maniscalco has made several talk-show appearances, including “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” He has also co-run a podcast, “The Pete and Sebastian Show,” with fellow comedian Pete Correale since 2014.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Sebastian Maniscalco’s net worth is currently estimated at $16 million, and he has earned his wealth through his successful career as a comedian, actor, and author. In 2017, he made his debut on Forbes’ list of The World’s Highest-Paid Comedians, with earnings of $15 million in 12 months. He maintained his position on the list in 2018 and made a significant jump to fifth place in 2019, with earnings of $26 million, thanks in part to his deal with Netflix.