British TV presenter Troy Hawke chatted about being an actor, comedian, and influencer in the digital age.
What inspires your comedic routine?
I created the character in 2012 and the direct influence was the British actor David Niven and specifically his interviews on an old chat show called ‘Parkinson’.
There was something otherworldly and unique about him and I wanted to recreate that ethos in a modern day stand-up character.
How does it feel to be a comedian, actor, and social influencer in the digital age?
Every comedian now has several jobs and even the most curmudgeonly old school circuit acts are finding the process impossible to ignore.
The job description now is comedian, cameraperson, editor and social media manager. I really struggle with the term ‘social influencer’ if i’m honest, I just show up.
I’m lucky enough to have an excellent videographer called Chris Presswell who does all the heavy lifting with filming and editing and so on.
In terms of the job, I have a great joy that typical industry gatekeepers have been partially superseded by the metric results of public opinion and we’re in a place now with social media where hard work and good instincts can get anyone anywhere.
What do your plans for the future include?
I feel like I’m already operating in a bonus area and I’m ridiculously grateful for the last few years but I absolutely want to evolve.
A more literal answer though is a 2026 — 2027 world tour of my new stand up show which I’m very excited to roll out.
I have “Netflix Is A Joke” coming up in May in LA and I’m going to be at the Super Bowl next weekend covering events, so look out for those upcoming shenanigans
Were there any moments in your career that have helped define you?
I had a moment before filming a video in 2022 where every part of my body was rebelling against doing it. I was in an Airbnb and for reasons I can’t really explain was desperate to cancel the shoot, stay in my pajamas and watch a movie that at the time seemed the most compelling thing in the world.
I had never felt anything like it…I had to force myself into the shower and then make my fingers text the cameraperson a time to meet.
The video (outside B&Q which is like Home Depot in America) ended up going viral, made the front page of Reddit and started the ball rolling on two world tours and built a social media following that across all platforms has garnered anywhere from four million up to 50 million views on videos.
What are some of favorite mottos to live by?
“Your thoughts control your behavior. Your behavior controls your reality. Therefore, your thoughts control your reality.”
It’s simple, concise, dead on the nose and I read it in Phil Helmuth’s book as something his mother told him which he believes was a key part in his success. Hard to argue with!
If you were to look back in a rear-view mirror over the past five years, what do you see in there?
Certainly nothing I would have expected or anticipated!
Very surreal moments including filming with the Manchester City team when they celebrated their treble win, being threatened by a boxer called Derek Chisora (who I love) or getting a minute long voicemail from The Rock a few years back which ended with the words ‘stay in touch’!
What is your advice for young and emerging comedians, actors, and social influencers?
Trust your instincts and make sure the content you make is stuff that you yourself would enjoy.
An easy mistake to make as a comedian or content creator is to make things/write bits because you think they might work well, as opposed to things you’re genuinely proud of or would personally find funny or interesting. I’ve certainly fallen into that trap myself a few times.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
It’s an interesting one…I loved Tyson Fury’s book. There’s a moment where he becomes world champion, gets everything he’s ever dreamed of and he’s at the top of the hill he’s spent his life trying to climb and he almost immediately realizes the view is exactly the same and fundamentally, nothing has changed.
This throws him into a massive depression that he’s very honest about and he only gets out of it by giving himself another hill to climb.
I would say true success to me is consistently using challenges and setbacks as fuel for continued evolution.
You either win or you learn’ may seem trite, but I think if I can keep finding it in myself to learn and grow and get better at what I’m doing that’s about the most a person could hope for.
What would you like to say to your fans?
I’m ridiculously grateful to everyone who has ever bought a ticket, sent a message, shared a video or left a comment.
Up until four years ago I was making a serviceable living as a stand-up comic on the road four nights a week and had made peace with that.
Then, I had a daft idea that snowballed and the only reason it did was because of the reaction that people gave it and that (they) completely changed my life in ways I could never have predicted. I owe fans / supporters of my comedy absolutely everything.
So, I would like to establish intense eye contact, place one hand on their shoulder, momentarily pause for gravitas then look as deep into their soul as ocularly possible and say ‘Nice one’.
To learn more about Troy Hawke, follow him on Instagram and on TikTok.
