The 2019 MTV VMAs [1] are promising to be quite the event [2], and we know host Sebastian Maniscalco [3] is busy prepping plenty of jokes to get us through the evening. Maniscalco might seem like an unusual choice to tap for the event — this is, after all, his first ever hosting gig! — but we're sure the comedian and actor is more than up to the task. His career so far has been like something out of a movie: moving to LA at a young age to try to make it in the biz, waiting tables, and performing at tiny venues until he finally made it big.
Ahead of his big hosting gig, here are 10 fun facts about Maniscalco that you may or may not know.
He's Come a Long Way Since His Earliest Performances
Today, he's hanging out with VIPs at baseball games and huge venues. When he first started out, he told the LA Times, he was literally performing in bowling alleys [5] — on half-hour breaks from his waiter job. "So I would have a full section and I would tell whoever the other waiter was working that area that I'm going... I didn't know any of the wines of the day or the soup of the day, but I knew how to do this," he said.
His Comedy Specials Have Reached Millions
Along with his live-comedy tours, he's had five comedy specials taped for TV broadcast. His most recent, Stay Hungry, was released on Netflix in January 2019.
He's Italian-American
As you might have guessed from his name, Maniscalco comes from an Italian-American family. Born in a Chicago suburb, he's the son of a Sicilian immigrant, making him a first-generation American.
He's Lived All Over the Country
Born in Illinois, he's lived and worked all across the country, including Los Angeles and New York City.
His Wife Is in a Creative Industry, Too
Lana Gomez, who married Maniscalco in 2013, has a successful career in her own right. She's a visual artist, specifically working in paint.
He's a Proud Dad of Two
Maniscalco and his wife are the proud parents of two kids. Their daughter, Serafina Simone, was born in 2017 (and named after his grandmother [6] and his wife's mother), and their son Caruso was born in June 2019.
He's a Published Author
In 2018, he published Stay Hungry, a collection of personal and autobiographical essays that follow his life and career from his small-scale beginning to his current success.
He's Not Ashamed of His Geek Side
I mean, if posing at Comic-Con with four superheroes doesn't scream proud nerd, what does?
He Was in an Oscar-Winning Film
Maniscalco had a supporting role in Green Book, the race-relations drama that controversially took home the best picture Oscar [7] in February 2019.
He's More Than Just a Comedian
Following his successful role in Green Book, Maniscalco is continuing to explore acting. He had a role in 2018's comedy Tag, and up next, he'll be playing real-life gangster "Crazy" Joe Gallo in the Martin Scorsese crime drama The Irishman [8].
