Ron Funches Tells Us About His Ongoing Quest To Become A Better Person

US stand-up superstar Ron Funches is a bubbly ball of comedic happiness that radiates outwards to his audience, his peers, and his interviewers. From cutting his teeth on the Portland comedy circuit, to appearing in critically acclaimed shows such as Transparent and BoJack Horseman, Funches has maintained his sunny disposition.

“My comedy is about positivity and optimism and finding the joy in all aspects of life,” he says of his uniquely warm outlook, “I hope you enjoy it [in Australia].”

Funches has admitted in the past that being the happy-go-lucky man he is today wasn’t always easy. It seems in no small part that this cheerful disposition, then, has inspired him to talk openly about his desire to become a more developed human. This led the comic to start his audio/video podcast, Getting Better With Ron Funches, the comic chipping away at himself a public yet personal diary. In it, the stand-up speaks candidly about all manner of personal and global subjects, dragging over the finer aspects of the world and his own desire for change. It’s an effort first and foremost to try and better himself, but somewhat inadvertently, for his audience to try too.

“I think people just respond to the truth that it’s a battle to get better,” he says of the appeal of being so public in his mission to improve as a person. “I really turned my life around both health-wise – losing 140 pounds or over 60 kilograms, I don’t know what you guys use – and professionally.” 

Funches states that his desire for improvement and personal advancement was indeed personal, at least at the beginning. However, he’s seen the effect it has had on others, thanks to the standing friendship he maintains with his fans.

“I wanted to journal that change, and speak with people I admire and learn from them,” he says. “Other people told me I’ve inspired them, and it goes both ways. It’s a constant struggle, so knowing I motivate other people motivates me to keep going.

“There is no end goal to it, we just keep working. And sometimes we fail and sometimes we succeed, but either way we keep trying, and I think that’s a message that’s not always shared in comedy.”

Though Funches has a dream list of guests already compiled (he says his top three are “Conan O'Brien because I look up to him so much, Rachel Bloom because she reminds me of Lucille Ball, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson because he’s the best human ever created”) the comic went all out on the personal front from the get-go by having his own mother on as his first guest. 

The pair discussed everything from smoking pot together to repairing their relationship – though perhaps, Funches teases in the podcast, these examples are connected.

Though the episode does indeed get intimate, Funches maintains his trademark cheekiness on the whole affair, simply stating, “She’s a tough guest to book! Her demands are ridiculous, but she’s worth every penny.”

While Funches admits that the podcast has certainly aided his exposure as a comic personality, he says the biggest change he’s had as a performer has come from the interactions he now has with his audience.

“I have more people invested in me as a person and who truly understand what I’m trying to do. I can express my point of view more than on Twitter or in a short set where I have to be funny because people paid money.” 

As humble as he is hilarious, Funches doubles down on his appreciation for this relationship with his fans, saying, “I just get to be really open and honest, and it’s helped my comedy certainly more than it’s helped my career.”