We had the good fortune of connecting with Tim Murray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tim, what inspires you?
I’m really inspired by other gay comedians creating their own path in this business. Watching Drew Droege, Michael Henry, Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Jimmy Fowlie basically being their own one-person production company on YouTube were really what made me realize I didn’t have to wait around to do what I love. I can just do it! Then seeing people like Peter Kim, Matt Rogers, and Bowen Yang starting their own unique ways of making their comedy their business (specifically through podcasting), made me feel really excited to just keep doing my favorite thing in the world, making people laugh, and figuring out a way to get paid for it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My main goal always is to make people laugh and I’ve discovered the only real way to do that is to do what makes me laugh. I try to create worlds through stand-up, podcasting, sketch comedy videos, plays, and screenplays that reflect the super gay 90’s dreamscape I fantasized about growing up. I love a dated pop culture reference. I love musical theatre. I love poking fun at the culture we have developed as a gay community and anytime I can combine those three things I’m happy and when I’m having fun other people seem to laugh the most. What sets me apart from others is my niche sense of humor combined with my work ethic. I’m always moving. Sometimes I’m spending several weeks editing a video no one watches, but I have fun doing it and I guess that’s all that matters. Then the next one I will spend three minutes on and it will go viral. This profession has never come easily to me. I had one “big break” when i was 26 and got to act in a musical parody Off-Broadway in NYC. That show paid my rent for a year and 3 months and that was an incredible time, but outside of that I have had to build pretty much everything I’ve gotten myself. the biggest challenge has been getting people to watch or buy tickets and the only way to overcome that is to just keep showing up for yourself over and over and eventually if what you’re doing resonates with people, the audience follows.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, if they were coming now we’d go to the beach and then stay inside the rest of the time. But in a pre-pandemic world I’d take them to see a show at the Rockwell. I’d find out if Drew Droege was doing a show in town and we’d go see that. And I’d take them to Kidmet in Los Feliz. one of my favorite restaurants.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My boyfriend Michael Bullard has been such a supportive force for me. He has helped film the videos I make, he gives me feedback on my ideas and encourages me to keep going when everything seems too far out of reach. He gave me two books that have helped me tremendously in growing my business: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** and The Book of Forgiveness. I have always been an approval addict. I seek validation from others and constantly look to other people to find out if what I’m doing is funny or universally true. To an extent that has made me better at what I do, but ultimately there is a glass ceiling there. If you don’t trust your own instincts how will you ever get where you want to go? The Subtle Art… taught me to stop caring what other people may think or say about what I do. The Book of Forgiveness is helping me stop focusing on what has NOT happened in my career and made space for me to focus on what can be.

Website: https://www.timmurraycomedian.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmurray06
Twitter: @TMurray06
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Comedian/Tim-Murray-Comedian-133907380739643/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/tmurray06
Other: www.patreon.com/TMurray06

Image Credits
Kim Newmoney

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