The 45-year-old comic has come a long way since his early days performing open mic nights.
Comedian, actor, and author Sebastian Maniscalco has been named the host of the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.
The announcement was made on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.
“We’re thrilled to have the incredibly talented Sebastian Maniscalco as this year’s VMA host,” Bruce Gillmer, MTV VMAs executive producer, said in a press release. “Sebastian is on FIRE right now and his comedic spin on relatable topics will make this year’s show truly unforgettable.”
Maniscalco, 45, has come a long way since his early days performing bowling alleys and open mic nights. Forbes ranked him among the world’s highest paid comedians in 2017 and 2018.
Here's five more things to know about the talented comic:
1. He was named the 2018 Comedian of the Year by Billboard.
Maniscalco was the first-ever recipient of the honor, which was presented at the Billboard Live Music Summit in November.
"When I started out, my goal was to simply make a living from doing comedy. I never imagined all the support that you all give me every day," he said of the honor in an Instagram post. "I'm honored to be @billboard's inaugural Comedian of the Year. Thank you!"
2. He sold out Radio City Music Hall.
Maniscalco performed five sold-out dates at the iconic New York City venue last year, in support of his new memoir, Stay Hungry. "It truly was one of the biggest moments in my career and I was so happy to share it with the people of NYC!" he raved.
3. He made his feature film debut in a Best Picture winner.
The performer made his feature debut last year, playing Johnny Venere, a friend of Viggo Mortensen's character, in Green Book. The Peter Farrelly-directed film -- which was based on the real-life friendship between classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Italian American bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Mortensen) -- went on to win three Oscars, including Best Picture.
4. He's taking Netflix by storm.
The comedian is currently on his You Bother Me tour, as well as preparing for the release of The Irishman, starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, and directed by Martin Scorsese. Maniscalco plays "Crazy Joe" Gallo in the gangster biopic, which is due out on Netflix later this year. He also released a comedy special, Stay Hungry, on the streaming service earlier this year and appears in an episode of Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
5. He's a new dad.
In addition to his busy professional life, Maniscalco is also a family man. He and his wife, Lana, welcomed a baby boy named Caruso on June 15. The couple also have a 2-year-old daughter, Serafina.
The 2019 MTV VMAs will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Aug. 26.
See more on the annual awards show below.
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