Portfolio: Interview with Comedian Dave Ross
- Gary Miller
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Editor's Note: This interview with comedian Dave Ross was conducted for Best Comedy Tickets. Some of the links and videos are now defunct. This is for portfolio purposes. Originally published on BestComedyTickets.com
Written by Gary Miller Jan 02, 2016
We, the site known as BestComedyTickets, love comedy. That’s our whole deal. Whether you're at a club, on your couch, or sneaking laughs at work—we want you to see good, well-produced, gut-busting comedy. And if you find yourself drifting down an internet rabbit hole today, may we point you toward the sketch group Women. Watch a few of their sketches, then come back—we’ll be right here waiting.
One of the standout voices in that group is Dave Ross, a deeply funny, vulnerable, sometimes unhinged (in the best way) comic who’s carved out a unique place in the comedy world. Dave’s been featured on WTF with Marc Maron, his own podcast Terrified, and, along with Women, has made waves on Comedy Central, IFC, and Funny or Die.
He’s a storyteller with edge—equal parts heartfelt and absurd, with a delivery that feels like a conversation with your most interesting friend. The kind that talks about his insecurities, self-destruction, and joy like they’re all guests at the same party.
The Prom Limo Origin Story
“I wanted to be a stand up, didn’t know how to, you know what I mean?”
Dave's comedy roots run deep. He and his friends were comedy nerds growing up. He recalls watching Robert Schimmel and Patton Oswalt in a prom limo, trying to laugh through the awkwardness of it all.
“Prom sucked. My high school was so white trash we had The Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang as our senior song.”
He first tried stand-up in 2006, but fear kept him from returning until life gave him a creative jolt:
“I had an awful breakup. That got me back into doing it.”
Good Heroin & Living Life
Dave runs Good Heroin, a popular LA comedy show that’s featured Maria Bamford, Eric Andre, Tom Segura, and Jerrod Carmichael. But what’s more telling than the names on the lineup is how Dave connects with both comedians and audiences.
I saw this firsthand at a Narrators storytelling show in Denver. Dave not only stuck around after his set, he listened to people. He gave his time. That generosity says a lot about who he is.
“I don’t have that ‘I wish I got into it sooner’ thing. I started when I was 26, but felt like I had life experience. I was an alcoholic and had to find myself. Stand-up helped me turn the page.”
Sketches That Twist, Stand-Up That Grounds
When it comes to sketch writing with Women, Dave says their process is collaborative and ever-evolving:
“We write sketches individually, dump them in a shared email, then group them into categories like ready to shoot, needs work, and hate it. We structure things with Pat [Bishow] and blow the original concept way out of proportion. People
think Jake [Weisman] is the weird one, but a lot of the bizarre ideas come from me.”
As for stand-up versus sketch:
“Sketch tends to be more abstract and strange. Stand-up is more straightforward and me being me. But the lines are blurring. I want my stand-up to get weirder.”
Dave Ross is still shaping his voice—but he’s already made a huge impact. He’s a creator who walks the line between personal and absurd, always with the sense that he’s letting the audience in on something real.
Go watch some Women sketches. Catch Good Heroin if you're in LA. Or just look up Dave Ross on whatever platform you find funny stuff.
You won’t regret it.
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