Joey Diaz

Diaz says he disliked Hollywood Narcotics Anonymous meetings because attendees did not adhere to the program.

“I didn't like the Hollywood NA. I went to it a couple of times”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:54:51

Diaz argues that sobriety is about discovering the self that drugs had concealed, not merely resisting temptation.

“Sobriety isn't just fighting off the devil. It's us emorphing into the new us”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:47:52

Diaz says he quit cocaine at 44, nearly 19 years ago, and accomplished more since than in all the years before.

“44, I made a decision to stop snorting Coke. That was 19 years ago. This November will be 19 years”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:48:28

Diaz says he plans to go all out in comedy until he turns 65 and then reevaluate.

“I have an 18-month window until I turn 65, and that goal is to give it all out, balls out”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:43:27

Diaz says he has abandoned corporate comedy and no longer cares about being canceled, focusing only on being funny.

“I decided I'm going to do comedy, but it's not corporate comedy. It's 63, I don't give a fuck if I get canceled”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:40:37

Diaz says that despite hardships including jail, he would repeat his entire comedy career.

“including my jail sentence, the first 10 years of comedy and everything else that's happened the last 40 years, I would do it all over again”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:11:37

Diaz says one monthly show in Austin covers his rent and airfare.

“Just one show a month covers my rent and the fucking plane ticket”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:36:00

Diaz says limited stage time in New Jersey left him maintaining rather than improving, prompting his move to spend more time in Austin.

“comedy's rough some nights, you know? And I find myself maintaining but not improving, okay?”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:28:32

Diaz credits basketball player Mike O'Koren with showing him that success beyond his neighborhood was possible and wants to thank him on his podcast.

“He opened this door mentally without ever knowing. I want to get him on the podcast to thank him to his fucking face”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:12:24

Diaz says he left Los Angeles because he felt he had gotten everything he could out of the city.

“I felt that I had gotten the most I did out of LA”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 10:09

Diaz says he keeps alcohol out of his home so his daughter does not grow up around drinking as he did.

“I don't want her to see alcohol on the fucking tables. That's just me”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 59:20

Diaz says he exposes his daughter to comedy green rooms because he wants her to be street smart, which he believes children today lack.

“I want a smart kid, but I want that kid to be street smart. And that's what these children are missing today”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 41:52

Diaz says the coping lie he told himself after his mother's death resurfaced and caused him to struggle in his first year back in New Jersey.

“That's the biggest lie I ever told myself. And do you know when I moved back here six years ago, the first year, I was struggling”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 34:18

Diaz says his mother died of a broken heart that manifested as a heart attack.

“It's what the Chinese call a broken heart disguised as a heart attack”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 32:49

Diaz says he regrets not joining the military after considering it in honor of his late mother.

“If I knew now what I knew then, I would have signed up in the service”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 24:41

Diaz describes his Cuban-born mother as fervently patriotic toward the United States.

“My mom wouldn't go to a baseball game if she couldn't stand for the national anthem”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 23:09

Diaz says he struggled with his mental health after moving to New Jersey and sought therapy, which helped him.

“six years ago, I was struggling with mental health. Signed up and spoke to a therapist”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:40:43

Diaz argues that boredom and social isolation are the biggest dangers at his age, which is why he goes to gyms.

“At this age, this is the biggest thing that'll get you. Yeah. Is boredom and not having social”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #685 - Joey Diaz (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:36:57