In light of the upcoming Andrew Netto 20th anniversary comedy special, a few journalists and I were invited to have an informal conversation with him. I expected the jokes, but I did not expect the heart.
We go back to 2006, before stand-up comedy became mainstream and only a brave few were willing to go in front of a crowd to tell jokes. Andrew Netto was one of those few. Having grown up a “rather talkative boy”, as he so puts it, he decides to power that into a creative outlet. That first show was for half an hour, which was unheard of at the time, with close friends and family in attendance.
It was that show that changed his life trajectory. He was then called by the ‘Comeback Kings’ for an open mic with several up-and-coming comedians, one of them being Papi Zak. It was then when he was called by Harif Iskandar, who was in the audience at the time, and gave him an opportunity at the Actors Studio. The rest, he says, was history.
From there, he worked with a variety of comedians, many of them becoming his closest friends: Rizal Van Geyzel, Harif Iskandar (the former where they formed the KL Comedy Corner), Joanne Kam, Jason Leong, Douglas Lim, Chris McClausland, Prakash Daniel, cousin Kavin Jay. “He was the smartest in the family,” he told us. “So, when he shared that he wanted to do stand-up, I asked what was wrong with him.”
But the highlight of his career, he shares, was when he opened for Russell Peters. A fan of his, Peters was the guy that inspired him to pursue stand-up in the first place. Imagine his surprise when Peters asked him to be his opening act for his 2012 Malaysian leg. “It came as a shock. I was originally going to watch the performance. And the Russell Peters asks me to perform in front of what would be 800 people? I was nervous, but I did it anyway,” he laughs.
Where many comedians come from dark backgrounds, Netto says he’s the opposite. “I have supportive friends and family, my English teacher, Ms Revethi, attends my shows, and I’ve had the support of groups like LOL Asia on my side for 20 years.” Perhaps it’s why for his upcoming stand-up special, he’s going back to LOL Asia for support.
When asked whether he experiences stage fright, he laughs it off. “I come from a confident family. My father was a police officer, my sister was a Foundation Professor at UTAR, and my mother was very certain with her words.” That’s not to say that the “good bad boy” hasn’t gotten in trouble. He was the last comedian the night of the Crack house Comedy Club raid, but he managed to evade arrest. He then shares the words of wisdom his father shared with him: “speak the truth and the truth will set you free”.
As to what heartwarming moment he found in his years of stand-up, his answer was immediate. He was asked to perform at Sunway Medical Centre for cancer patients pro-bono. Many of them were terminal and wanted a good laugh. “I had one told me that they forgot they had cancer when I performed,” he shared, getting emotional. “When I was done, I went backstage and cried.” He calls it one of the best moments of his stand-up career, and I’m inclined to think so too.
After that, it was time for questions. One asked whether he writes his own jokes or uses a joke writer, he says he writes his own. “But mine is in point form, and I go from there,” he says. From there, we ask what we think of the state of stand-up in the age of AI. That’s what makes him think. “I fear that we might eventually see AI ‘comics’ performing on a screen, but for me, that’s not the same,” he answers. As to how to not lose out, he says that comedians would still need to keep themselves relevant.
We then turn to the core of the conversation: his 20th anniversary special, Nothing but Netto. “It’s 20 years of my stand-up career: of the highs, the lows, the romance (or lack of), all that, and more,” After all, Andrew Netto’s comedy has always been rooted in raw experiences. Whether talking about family, marriage, cultural identity, embarrassing personal disasters and misdemeanours, he turns that chaos into comedy. It was evident in our conversation with him, not scripted or PR, but something honest and real. Perhaps it is why he’s one of the many comedians most-talked-about in Malaysia.
After our conversation, we then have dinner, and we stop talking entirely. Throughout my meal, I can’t help but feel in awe, knowing that this was the same comedian I’ve watched on “Comedy Central Asia” all those years ago, but also someone real, like a good friend.
Tickets are still available for his performance here on Saturday, 24 October 2026 at the newly upgraded D’Stage Theatre, Jaya One. If this article doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.
