History of Nate Bargatze in Timeline

Nate Bargatze is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his clean comedy and deadpan delivery. He achieved significant success in 2024, becoming the highest-grossing stand-up comedian with over a million tickets sold. His style is characterized by a monotone voice and generally family-friendly material, contributing to his widespread appeal.

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Full Timeline

1997: Graduation from Donelson Christian Academy

In 1997, Nate Bargatze graduated from Donelson Christian Academy (DCA) in Nashville, where he competed in track and field and tried out for the basketball and golf teams.

1997: Opryland USA Closure

In 1997, Opryland USA closed, where Nate Bargatze worked as a teenager.

2002: Started comedy career

In 2002, Nate Bargatze began his comedy career and moved to Chicago to attend The Second City.

2002: Jerry Seinfeld Documentary

In 2002, Nate Bargatze watched the Jerry Seinfeld documentary 'Comedian' which he called "life-changing" and a "big reason" why he moved to New York.

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2004: Moved to New York City

In 2004, Nate Bargatze moved to New York City to further his comedy career, becoming a barker for the Boston Comedy Club and working as a dogwalker and FedEx delivery driver to support himself.

2008: Breakthrough Year

In 2008, Nate Bargatze had a breakthrough year, featuring on Comedy Central's stand-up show Live at Gotham, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. He also toured extensively with the USO.

2009: Co-hosted It Could Be Better podcast

From 2009 to 2013, Nate Bargatze co-hosted a podcast, It Could Be Better, with Chris Laker and Yannis Pappas.

2010: Won New York's Comedy Festival and Boston Comedy Festival

In 2010, Nate Bargatze won both New York's Comedy Festival and the Boston Comedy Festival.

2011: Released first special

In 2011, Nate Bargatze released his first 30-minute special as part of an episode of Comedy Central Presents.

2012: Moved to Los Angeles and released first album

In 2012, Nate Bargatze moved to Los Angeles and released his first comedy album, Yelled At By A Clown, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Ten Comedy Charts.

2013: End of It Could Be Better podcast

In 2013, Nate Bargatze ended hosting It Could Be Better podcast.

2013: Appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Clean Cut Comedy Tour

In 2013, Nate Bargatze was booked on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and participated in Jimmy Fallon's Clean Cut Comedy Tour.

2014: Developed a sitcom deal with NBC Universal and auditioned for The Daily Show

In 2014, Nate Bargatze developed a deal with NBC Universal to create a sitcom based on his life, with Fallon serving as producer, but NBC scrapped the project. Also in 2014, he auditioned for The Daily Show and was a finalist, but Jordan Klepper was hired.

2015: Released Full Time Magic

In 2015, Nate Bargatze's first hour-long special, Full Time Magic, was released by Comedy Central. The album version reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Ten Comedy Charts.

2017: Featured on The Standups

In 2017, Nate Bargatze was featured on Netflix's The Standups, which he credited with "changing everything" and significantly increasing attendance at his gigs.

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2018: Stopped drinking alcohol

In 2018, Nate Bargatze stated he had stopped drinking alcohol due to struggling with alcoholism.

2018: Ronnie Bargatze Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2018, Nate Bargatze's second cousin, Ronnie Bargatze, was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame.

2019: Released The Tennessee Kid on Netflix and filmed sitcom pilot

In 2019, Nate Bargatze released an hour-long special, The Tennessee Kid, on Netflix, which was named the best comedy special of the year by Forbes. He also filmed a sitcom pilot for ABC based on his life, but it was not picked up.

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2020: Began hosting The Nateland Podcast

In 2020, Nate Bargatze began hosting The Nateland Podcast along with Brian "Breakfast" Bates and Aaron Weber.

2021: Released The Greatest Average American and featured in The Atlantic

In 2021, Nate Bargatze released his next stand-up special, The Greatest Average American, on Netflix, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. He was also featured in an article in The Atlantic that called him "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up".

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2022: Joined Aperture Desk Job

In 2022, Nate Bargatze voiced the character Grady in the Portal spinoff game Aperture Desk Job.

January 2023: Released Hello World on Amazon Prime Video

In January 2023, Nate Bargatze's stand-up special Hello World was released on Amazon Prime Video, setting a record for Amazon's most-streamed original comedy special.

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April 15, 2023: Broke attendance record at Bridgestone Arena

On April 15, 2023, Nate Bargatze drew 19,365 attendees to a performance at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, breaking the venue's all-time attendance record.

October 28, 2023: Hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time

On October 28, 2023, Nate Bargatze hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time.

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2023: Participated in Golf Tournaments

In 2023, Nate Bargatze participated in the pro–am of the Simmons Bank Open golf tournament and competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

October 5, 2024: Hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time

On October 5, 2024, Nate Bargatze hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time.

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2024: Highest-Grossing Stand-Up Comic

In 2024, Nate Bargatze became the highest-grossing stand-up comic, selling over a million tickets across his shows.

2024: Contributed to development of athletic facility

In 2024, Nate Bargatze contributed $1.15 million to the development of an indoor athletic facility at Donelson Christian Academy, his alma mater, which was subsequently named in his honor.

2024: Commented on sitcom pilot

In 2024, Nate Bargatze reflected on a sitcom pilot, stating "I don't think there was a lot of entertainment made for people not on the coasts during that period".

2024: Statement on past alcohol abuse

In 2024, Nate Bargatze stated that he had stopped drinking alcohol in 2018.

March 2025: Announced his first feature acting role in The Breadwinner

In March 2025, Nate Bargatze announced that he would make his first feature acting role in The Breadwinner, a film he co-wrote with Dan Lagana and scheduled to release on March 13, 2026.

September 2025: Hosted the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards

In September 2025, Nate Bargatze hosted the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, introducing a donation counter to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that led to controversy.