Martin Amini
The Cupid of Stand-Up Comedy
Silver Spring native · Iranian-Bolivian · Founder of Room 808 DC · Married to Charlene Amini
Martin Amini · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
Born in Silver Spring. Built in DC.
Martin Amini is the first-generation son of Bolivian and Iranian immigrants. Raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, he earned a business degree from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School — then torched the corporate playbook to chase laughs.
His cousin, comedian Max Amini, brought him on tour as a camera operator. Martin Amini watched night after night from behind the lens — until the pull of the stage became impossible to resist. He stepped in front of it in 2012. He never looked back.
The TV debut landed on TruTV's Laff Tracks. By 2020, Martin Amini was filming Son of an Ice Cream Man at The Kennedy Center. Then came 2023 and I'm Transcending — a debut special shot at DC's historic Lincoln Theatre, directed by Erik Griffin, executive produced alongside Matt Rife. The trajectory was undeniable.
Read Full Bio →Upcoming Shows
The Cupid of Stand-Up Comedy
Most comedians roast the audience. Martin Amini plays matchmaker. He pulls couples and singles out of the crowd, reads their energy with surgical precision, and creates real connections on stage — sometimes with life-changing results.
The inspiration runs deep. Martin Amini and his wife Charlene Amini — founder of the American Bolivian Collective — are a genuine power couple. Matt Rife stood as best man at their wedding. When Martin Amini talks about love on stage, he's speaking from experience.
More About Martin & Charlene →Room 808
In 2021, while COVID was still killing comedy clubs nationwide, Martin Amini walked past an empty storefront in Petworth and saw something nobody else did. Room 808 was born — an independent comedy club named after its address at 808 Upshur Street NW.
Now it runs five nights a week, stacked with Netflix, Comedy Central, and HBO comedians. The Washington Post called it one of DC's best comedy clubs. Matt Rife drops in to test new material before his arena tours. What started as a pandemic gamble became the heartbeat of DC comedy.
Room 808 Tickets & Info
Opened for Matt Rife at Constitution Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre & The Hollywood Bowl
Martin Amini performing at the Warner Theatre, Washington DC · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
Specials & Credits
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One performance was enough.
Martin Amini is the most undervalued comedian in America. Not because the talent isn’t obvious — it is, the moment you see him work a room. But because the industry hasn’t caught up to what his audiences already know: this is a headliner performing at a level most comics never reach.
He sells out theaters. He built a comedy club from an empty storefront during a pandemic. He’s opened for the biggest names in comedy — not because he needed the exposure, but because they wanted him on that stage. Bill Burr. Trevor Noah. Matt Rife. Andrew Schulz. They all know.
This site was built with the singular conviction that the world will catch up. One marketer walked into a show a skeptic and walked out certain — certain enough to build every page of this by hand, with no team, no budget, and no affiliation. Just the belief that when something is this good, someone should say it out loud.
Independent. Anonymous by design. Built by one. For everyone.
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