Nate Bargatze may be selling out arenas, hosting Saturday Night Live and leading the highest-grossing comedy tour of 2024, but according to him, he’s not the main act.
“I am second,” the Tennessee-born comic told The Interview podcast from The New York Times. “Second to God, second to your family, second to the audience. You kind of live to serve. It’s very much a calling in that aspect.”
And serve he does, with laughs, humility and clean, family-friendly humor that’s bringing generations together. Known for his deadpan delivery and hilarious takes on parenting, Southern life and everyday awkwardness, Bargatze has quietly become one of the most beloved names in comedy.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
As reported by The Christian Post, the 46-year-old Grammy-nominated comedian says his faith is woven into every part of his life, even when it comes to navigating success.
“It’s just constant,” Bargatze said of his relationship with God. “Constantly having to work on it. Constantly reminding myself to be out of it and make sure that this life is not about me.”
A Clean Comic in a Culture of Chaos
While edgy jokes and profanity may dominate the mainstream stand-up scene, Bargatze has carved out a wildly successful lane by doing the opposite.
“It’s how I grew up,” he told Fox News Digital in 2023. “I come from a Christian family and Southern Christian, so I wasn’t allowed to watch anything … growing up and only watching clean comedians, it was just how I was going to be. And it would feel forced if I was not.”
/**/Even at 43, the idea of cursing in front of family still makes him cringe. “I just can’t imagine cursing in front of your parents,” he said. “I still just couldn’t do that. So that’s how I write. I think I write my comedy to make my parents laugh.”
Comedy for Everyone in the Room
Bargatze doesn’t label his comedy “faith-based,” and he’s intentional about that.
“I just want to make something [where] all of them can be in the room together,” he said. “I get worried about being labeled. Stuff gets faith-based or stuff like that, and people write it off.”
He wants his shows to feel like a night at the movies with your kids, those little moments that sneak into your memory forever.
“I want you to come as a family,” he said. “I think about those moments with my daughter, all these little dumb moments, like going to the movies and her trying to talk me into buying candy and popcorn. Those are the moments I remember.”
And yes, grandmas are loving him, too.
“I have a lot of grandmothers come to my shows, and they love me,” he laughed. “I don’t think there’s much being made that they could go to — certainly not stand-up comedy.”
Faith, Family and a Film on the Way
With a movie on the horizon, The Breadwinner, scheduled for 2026, and more major stages ahead, Bargatze has no plans of slowing down. But through it all, he remains grounded in the same values that got him here.
“God has a path,” he said previously on the Funjelah podcast. “I’m just here to follow the path, so I just kind of wait and see where the doors open.”
We live in a culture where comedians often push limits to get a laugh, but Bargatze is proving you can win hearts, sell tickets and honor your faith, all while keeping it clean.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
