Comedian Vladimir Caamaño talks career inspiration, stand-up comedy

Vladimir Caamaño, a Dominican comedian from The Bronx, made his late-night stand–up debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and has appeared on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Superstore.” Caamaño will perform in Syracuse University’s Grant Auditorium on Thursday at 10 p.m.  

The Daily Orange talked with Caamaño about his career path, mentors and sources of inspiration. 

 The Daily Orange: Growing up, did you think you’d become a comedian? Was that all a part of your plan? 

 Vladimir Caamaño: It’s all a part of my plan. You know, when I was a baby, I told my momma I wanna be a comedian. I’m kidding, obviously. I think it was always in me. I think when you love something you’re just drawn to it, and it’s a matter of accepting it and being persistent. And I’ve always loved comedy, and I grew up watching Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, so those guys made me so happy. John Candy, Steven Martin — they just made me happy, and I think the fact that they made me happy made me wanna be that way, if that makes sense. I wanted to be like them.  

 D.O.: How did you get to this point in your career? What kind of obstacles have you had to overcome?  

 VC: The biggest one is I had to believe in myself. I think that’s the hardest thing for anybody. Are you good enough to do this? You know, and every day you always kind of have to re-believe in yourself. It’s so easy to go along. You learn that things don’t hurt as bad, rejection is not as bad as you thought, and hearing people’s stories. You make certain friends along the way. You meet your mentors, and you only meet certain people in your life if you take certain risks. It’s like Luke Skywalker. Had he not taken the risk, he never would’ve met Han Solo and Chewie. So, if you want to meet the special people in your life, you got to be willing to take flight. Like, if I had a movie, the tagline would be “friendship awaits.” If you wanna make some good friends, you got to take the leap. 

 D.O.: Tell me about the friends you’ve made in taking this leap into stand-up comedy. Do you have any mentors? 

 VC: My mentors are probably my family. You know, a lot of my humor comes from my family. A lot of my humor comes from coming out of New York, you know, New York City subways. New York City has a rhythm. It has a vibe. You know, it has a frequency; it has a beat. And that beat for me happens to be comedy. I started playing to that New York beat. You know it’s a melting pot. Everyone from all over the world is in New York, so you have a lot of different flavors to pull from. It’s almost like I’m making a pot, and I’m trying to use all those flavors that all the city has to offer to make a nice little dish.  

 D.O.: Can you tell me more about your creative process?  

 VC: Inspiration comes from all over the place, man. It could be a conversation. It could be a song. It could be a movie. It could be a memory. It could be a dream. You know, it could be someone else’s conversation that you kind of overhear. It could be sitting in the doctor’s office, and the doctor made a funny remark or something like that. It could be at the barbershop, you know. As long as you’re receptive to it.  

 D.O.: Do you have a favorite joke you like to tell?  

 VC: I don’t have favorite jokes, but I have favorite themes. Like, one of my biggest themes is family. Family, friendship — self-esteem is a big theme for me. Mental health is a big thing for me. Being silly, being able to be free to be silly. These are all subtext for the joke, but I would say those things.  

 D.O.: Do you have a particularly memorable set or performance that you’ve done?  

 VC: In 2015, I did the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and I did a set for Howie Mandel and the Just For Laughs gala. That, for me, is probably my favorite set I’ve ever done, and at the end of it, Howie Mandel gave me a huge hug, which is a big deal. When Howie says something, he means it, so it was nice. 

 D.O.:  What can Syracuse University students expect when you perform?  

 VC: When I perform at Syracuse University on Thursday, students can expect just to be happy. It’s going to be a very warm atmosphere. They can expect to feel safe. I’m a very safe guy. I’m like a big ol’ comedy teddy bear. At the same time, I speak some truth though. I’m a lovable man. I try to make a warm atmosphere, but there’s a little undercurrent of truth. You’re gonna get some life lessons. You’re gonna get some tools for living. So, you’ll walk out of there with something new.  

 This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.