Felipe Esparza didn't have a Plan B. Just like when his family came to this country from the coastal village of Sinaloa, Mexico, they didn't give themselves options.

“If I didn't do comedy, I'd be homeless. Stand-up is my bread-and-butter,” he says.

Now, fortunately, Esparza doesn't need a Plan B. He is firmly entrenched in the Improv roster of strong headline comedians.

Esparza is a comedian through-and-through. He told his first joke 30 seconds into the interview. “I live in a tough neighborhood. A new restaurant just parked in front of my house.”

Esparza threw himself into comedy more than 20 years ago and was launched on a national sellout tour a little over a year and a half later with Paul Rodriguez, when he only had 10 minutes of material. Not bad for a beginner.

He is known for his good head of hair and catchphrase, “What's up, fool,” which is also the name of his popular podcast that started in April of last year. He was the winner of the 2010 “Last Comic Standing” on NBC.

“I didn't get to keep much of that money,” he says. “My baby's momma took it.”

His three children are “scattered,” he says. “After losing all that money from ‘Last Comic Standing,' I'm done with baby mommas.”

He has released a one-hour comedy special on NetFlix called, “They're Not Going to Laugh at You.” And now he comes to Pittsburgh Improv this weekend to work on a new hour of material.

“Seventy-five percent of my show is new every time I step on-stage,” he says.

Esparza reminds people of Mitch Hedberg with his joke-driven act framed by the long hair, albeit with a Latino flair. The most important lesson he learned in stand-up: “Get a deposit.”

Comedian Matt Wohlfarth is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.

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