New York comedian Gianmarco Soresi 'leaning in' for third leg of his tour

(NEXSTAR) — Many of today's creators know how market themselves, but few can so perfectly encapsulate their identities in social media shares the way New York-based comedian Gianmarco Soresi does.

Recently, the comic/actor dropped a series of semi-NSFW announcements for the third leg of his "Leaning In Tour," which feature Soresi in various states of (censored) undress but with a winking off-kilter approachability. It's this charming blend of self-awareness and unassuming male energy that have made Soresi something of an internet heartthrob for countless scores of straight women and gay men.

Though his star has been on the rise for some time, the "Leaning In Tour" has coincided with some recent major industry attention for the host of "The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi" podcast. A lifelong theater lover, Soresi began as an actor, before a slight pivot in his 20s.

"I was always funny-leaning. I always enjoyed comedy and I probably thrived more in comedic roles than dramatic ones — even though deep down I always wanted to be like Daniel Day-Lewis," he says with wink. "But then, after several years in New York, of not getting that much work and struggling, I finally wrote a play for myself and it just lent itself to being comedic."

Soresi says he performed the autobiographical play at a now defunct-comedy festival and then elsewhere, as positive response to it and his comedy came in. He says he began pursuing comedy seriously at 26.

"I just got very addicted to the feedback loop of standup comedy," he says. "[In standup comedy], I immediately get to find out if something is good or bad, or how to make it better. It just sucked me in."

Earlier this month, Soresi performed as part of "Netflix is a Joke Fest," along with dozens of comedy contemporaries and legends alike. The festival is one of the latest major national outlets you might have seen him at — Soresi has already performed standup on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," on Comedy Central, and even appeared on stage in an episode of "The Real Housewives of New York City."

Acting-wise, Soresi has appeared in the 2021's comedy-drama "Here Today," directed by Billy Crystal, Netflix's "Bonding," and in the 2019 Jennifer Lopez-starring crime film "Hustlers."

All of that is aside from Soresi's social media fame.

Online, the comic's crowdwork clips, podcast quips and social media promos are hugely popular. Soresi currently has nearly 340,000 Instagram followers, 700,700 TikTok followers (and over 53 million likes), and 757,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Among Soresi's strongest comedic attributes is the loose — and cutting but kind — way the comedian navigates awkward situations that can inevitably arise at a comedy show full of drinking adults. Earlier this year, Soresi was performing at a drag bar in Ohio, performing some material about former Pres. Donald Trump's politics when a guest in the front row let her support be known.

"There's no way you're in the front row of a drag show and voting for Trump," Soresi responded before attempting to understanding what he says were "mental gymnastics" to make her actions make sense.

"I don't think it's necessarily my job to take a poll before the show, like, 'Is there anyone in the audience who is a Republican?' But you gotta acknowledge it, especially seeing as how drag queens have become the focal point for conservatives to kind of try to use hysteria to incite homophobia, et cetera. Anyway, I couldn't not [talk about it]! So I challenged her on it: 'How can you be at a drag show when the people you're voting for would — in their fantasies — ban this from happening?"

The clip, which can be found on Soresi's YouTube page, (and linked above) helps illustrate the alive in the comedian that make him such a likable figure.

Currently, Soresi is touring through Europe before returning to the U.S., and New York, for more shows. On June 3, he'll be recording a live episode of "The Downside" at Sesh Comedy on Chrystie Street. You can find tickets for this show and more at GianmarcoSoresi.com.

Gianmarco Soresi tour dates throughout the rest of 2024 include multiple shows/dates in:

• East Providence, Rhode Island (May 31-June 1)
• Lutherville Timonium, Maryland (June 6-8)
• Fort Collins, Colorado (Jun 13-15)
• Portland, Oregon (June 20-22)
• Panama City Beach, Florida (July 12-14)
• Grand Rapids, Michigan (August 22-24)
• Appleton, Wisconsin (Sept. 12-14)
• Burlington, Vermont (Sept. 19-21)
• Cleveland, Ohio (Oct. 3-5)
• Atlanta, Georgia (Oct. 10-13)
• Springfield, Missouri (Oct. 17-19)
• Raleigh, North Carolina (Nov. 1-3)
• Bloomington, Indiana (Nov. 8-9)
• Indianapolis, Indiana (Nov. 14-16)
• Washington, D.C. (Nov. 21-23)
• Lexington, Kentucky (Nov. 29-30)
• Addison, Texas (Dec. 6-8)
• Chicago, Illinois (Dec. 12-14)
• Stamford, Connecticut (Dec. 27-28)

Soresi says that while the comedy scene has changed, he still loves it and only wants to work to get better. When asked what advice he'd give to anyone just starting out in comedy, he echoes similar feelings, urging fledgling comedians to keep working at it.

"If you want to be a standup comedian, you're really just have to get up on stage and — at least in the beginning — you have to do a lot of writing. A lot of listening back to your sets. And a lot of just challenging yourself. I think all art forms require self-editing ... Even good artists will become bad once they stop that part."