Jim Labriola

Jim Labriola, born and raised in Queens, New York, always had a natural flair for comedy that would seep out at family gatherings. Although Jim came from a Catholic background and his family believed in God, they hardly ever attended church. At about eight years old, Jim picked up a Bible at his friends’ house and began to read it. He remembers reading that if you pray every night you will see God—and as this realization affected him deeply, he has continued to pray every night since.

During his youth, he spent hours a day listening to his favorite comedy records like Pat Cooper, George Carlin and, his personal idol, Don Rickles. As he grew older, he would go anywhere there was a chance to perform on stage, sometimes driving an hour and a half just to do a five-minute spot. Not long afterwards, Jim was given regular gigs in Brooklyn and Manhattan, then he went on the road and became a favorite in comedy clubs all around the country.

In 1989, Jim opened for Tim Allen at Governor’s comedy club on Long Island. This fortuitous meeting sparked a close friendship and a big boost for Jim’s career when he was offered a character on the hit show, Home Improvement. He soon landed guest spots for several network sitcoms and motion pictures, including Disney’s huge hit, The Santa Clause. His role on Home Improvement grew from his first guest appearance to the very popular recurring character of Benny Barony.

After marrying, Jim rededicated his life to Christ and realized the word of God was the truth and the right way to live. Jim’s style of humor had always been very “adult” in nature, but at the risk of financial ruin, Jim started performing clean comedy exclusively at local churches and charity events. Jim now travels the country speaking at business meetings and motivational seminars, and he continues to have appearances on television and film.