Ben Hurley - Funny As Interview

Stand-up comedian Ben Hurley began in the hotbed of Wellington comedy. In this Funny As interview, the former Billy T Award winner discusses those early years, and those that followed, including:

• Ditching the scatological material early on
• How TV show Pulp Comedy helped his career
• Feeling obliged to give Flight of the Conchords a “door split”, after they began drawing crowds at his comedy club 
• How self-deprecation helped, when supporting big names on the British comedy circuit
• 7 Days being turned down by funding body NZ On Air the first time, and how it later captured the mainstream
• What the future may hold for stand-up comedy

This interview was recorded for 2019 TV series Funny As: The Story of New Zealand Comedy. All audiovisual content is copyright to Augusto, and may not be reproduced. Publication of Funny As extended interviews made possible with funding from the NZ Lotteries Grants Board.