• Faith: Christian
• Career: Comedian
• Birthday:  March 25, 1979

Nate Bargatze is a stand-up comedian and actor. He has been called a clean comedian, and has been noted for his deadpan, monotone delivery.

Nathanael “Nate” Bargatze was born on March 25, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee, to parents Carol and Stephen Bargatze. His father, Stephen, worked as a clown, magician, and motivational speaker, while his mother was employed at Vanderbilt University. Raised in a devout Christian household, Nate was one of three children and was involved in church life from a young age, even performing in church skits when he was about 11 years old.

Bargatze attended DuPont Elementary in Old Hickory, Tennessee until fourth grade before moving to Donelson Christian Academy, where his father taught history. He participated in track and field and tried out for basketball and golf, though he didn’t make those teams. After graduating high school in 1997, he spent a year at Volunteer State Community College before enrolling at Western Kentucky University, where he eventually dropped out. Before pursuing comedy, he worked in various jobs including construction, furniture delivery, water meter reading, and sales at a Walmart cell phone kiosk.

Bargatze began performing stand-up comedy in 2002. He first studied improv at The Second City in Chicago before focusing fully on stand-up comedy. To support himself, he worked odd jobs while performing at open mics and small clubs.

His career began to gain traction in the late 2000s with appearances on television, including “Live at Gotham” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” He also performed with the USO, entertaining American troops in places like Iraq, Kuwait, and Honduras. In 2010, he won both the New York Comedy Festival and the Boston Comedy Festival, achievements that boosted his recognition in the comedy world.

In 2011, he released a half-hour Comedy Central special, and the following year his first comedy album, “Yelled At By A Clown,” reached the Billboard comedy charts. His 2015 special, “Full Time Magic,” became a breakout success, and in 2017, his appearance on Netflix’s “The Standups” introduced him to an even wider audience.

His 2019 Netflix special, “The Tennessee Kid,” was met with critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as a clean, relatable comic. In 2023, his Amazon Prime Video special “Hello World” broke streaming records. That same year, he set an attendance record at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, performing before nearly 20,000 fans. By 2024, his tour was the highest-grossing stand-up comedy tour ever recorded, selling over a million tickets and generating more than $80 million from nearly 150 shows. He has also hosted “Saturday Night Live” and is branching into film with projects like “The Breadwinner,” scheduled for release in 2026.

Nate Bargatze married Laura Blair on October 13, 2006. The two met while working together at an Applebee’s restaurant in Nashville. They have one daughter and live together in Nashville. Family life plays a central role in Nate’s comedy, with many of his stories drawn directly from experiences with his wife and daughter.

Bargatze has been candid about his struggles with alcohol earlier in his life. In 2018, he decided to quit drinking altogether, recognizing that it was preventing him from reaching his full potential. Outside of comedy, he is passionate about golf, enjoys his hometown sports culture, and often invests in his community, including giving back to his former school.

Nate Bargatze's Religious Beliefs

Nate Bargatze’s Christian faith has shaped both his personal life and his career. Growing up in a Christian household, he was surrounded by church life, faith practices, and encouragement to live with integrity. These influences guided him toward developing a style of comedy that is clean, family-friendly, and accessible to all audiences.

He views his work in comedy as more than entertainment, describing it as a calling from God. For Bargatze, the purpose of his career is to serve others—his family, his audience, and ultimately God. He has spoken about wanting his work to reflect something bigger than himself and to bring people together, regardless of their background or beliefs.

While he openly identifies as a Christian, he is cautious about being labeled as “faith-based” because he doesn’t want audiences to assume his comedy is only for a certain group. Instead, he strives to create shows that are inclusive, uplifting, and reflective of his values. Bargatze emphasizes the importance of small, meaningful moments with family as reminders of what truly matters, and he allows these priorities to shape the way he approaches his career and faith journey.