Joey Diaz: The Story Behind The Laugh

What's Joey Diaz's Net Worth?

Let’s talk about Joey Diaz. This Cuban-American actor and comedian has built up a net worth of $1.5 million, and trust me, that’s no small potatoes. Joey has carved out a career for himself in both film and television. He’s been on the big screen in movies like "Analyze That," "The Longest Yard," and "The Many Saints of Newark." On the small screen, he’s best known for his role in the sitcom "My Name is Earl." But Joey's not just limited to acting. He’s also a regular guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and has his own podcasts, "The Church of What’s Happening Now" and "Uncle Joey’s Joint," where he talks about everything from his life to the world around him.

Early Life and Education

Joey Diaz was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 19, 1963, and grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey. His mom ran a bar and, if you can believe it, a numbers racket. Tragedy struck early in his life when his father passed away when he was only three, and later, when he was 16, his mom also passed away. That left Joey being raised by a series of families, and honestly, it wasn’t easy for him. He got into drugs and crime during this time, but despite all that, he excelled in school. At North Bergen High School, he even won awards in performing arts and graduated in 1982. After a brief stint in Colorado, where he got homesick, he returned to New Jersey. But Joey wasn’t done with school yet. He went back to Colorado in 1985 to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder, but let's just say it didn’t stick, and he dropped out not long after.

Prison Time

Life took another turn in 1988 when Joey was sentenced to four years in prison for kidnapping and aggravated robbery. Now, you might think this would be the end of the story, but here's where things get interesting. While he was locked up, Joey started doing stand-up comedy for his fellow inmates. Believe it or not, this experience lit a fire in him to pursue a career in comedy. And guess what? He didn’t serve the full sentence. Joey was released after just 16 months.

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Stand-up Comedy Career

After taking a course in stand-up comedy, Joey made his professional debut in June 1991 at the Comedy Works in Denver, Colorado. At this point, he was still battling a cocaine addiction, which led to a pretty disastrous set in 1992. That was the wake-up call he needed. Joey swore off using cocaine before performances. He kept working on his act and eventually won some amateur comedy competitions. In 1995, Joey moved to Los Angeles to take his career to the next level. Over the years, he found steady success and released several stand-up comedy specials. His humor, raw and unfiltered, struck a chord with audiences, and he began to make a name for himself in the comedy world.

Film Career

By the late '90s, Joey made the leap from comedy clubs to the big screen. His first movie role was as a referee in the 1998 sports comedy "BASEketball." He kept going from there, appearing in films like "American Gun" and "Analyze That" in 2002. The following year, he was in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," and in 2004, he played roles in "Spider-Man 2" and "Taxi." Joey took on the role of Anthony Cobianco in the remake of the sports comedy "The Longest Yard." He didn’t stop there, either. He also appeared in films like "18 Fingers of Death!," "Smiley Face," "Boiler Maker," and "The Deported."

As we rolled into the 2010s, Joey kept busy with roles in "Stacy’s Mom," "Sinatra Club," and "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star." In 2013, he played the coach of Robert De Niro’s character in the boxing comedy "Grudge Match." Joey was in another boxing film, the biographical drama "The Bronx Bull," in 2016, which starred William Forsythe as legendary champion Jake LaMotta. The same year, he played a mobster in Warren Beatty’s "Rules Don’t Apply." After taking a break from the big screen for a few years, Joey returned in 2021 to play Buddha in the crime drama "The Many Saints of Newark," a prequel to the iconic HBO series "The Sopranos."

Television Career

Joey's television career kicked off in 2000 when he appeared on the BET stand-up comedy show "ComicView." His first acting roles on TV came in 2001, with appearances on the crime drama series "18 Wheels of Justice" and the sketch comedy show "Mad TV." Joey kept appearing in episodes of various shows, including "NYPD Blue," "Karen Sisco," "ER," "Cold Case," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Everybody Hates Chris." One of his bigger roles came in 2007 when he played a prisoner named Joey on the third season of the sitcom "My Name is Earl." Joey wrapped up the decade with a role in the ABC Family television film "The Dog Who Saved Christmas."

In 2011, Joey appeared in episodes of "Supah Ninjas" and "The Mentalist." He continued making guest appearances on a variety of shows over the years, such as "Kickin’ It," "Childrens Hospital," "Partners," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "TripTank," "Maron," and "Superior Donuts." In 2020, Joey landed a recurring role on the Netflix adult animated series "The Midnight Gospel," which also features the voices of Duncan Trussell, Stephen Root, Maria Bamford, Phil Hendrie, and Steve Little, among others.

Podcasting

Joey hasn’t just made waves in film and TV; he’s also become a big name in the podcasting world. In 2010, he launched his first podcast, "Beauty and Da Beast," which he co-hosted with Felicia Michaels. The podcast ran until 2012. Joey then created "The Church of What’s Happening Now," co-hosted by Lee Syatt. He later started another podcast, "Uncle Joey’s Joint," in 2020. In addition to these, Joey has been a regular guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience," where he shares stories from his life and career.

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Personal Life

Joey’s personal life has had its ups and downs. He was once married, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1991. He has a daughter from that marriage, though they became estranged. Later, in 2009, Joey married Terrie Clark, and they have a daughter together. Joey’s life is proof that no matter how rocky the road, you can always find your way back to happiness and success.