He’s animated, he speaks with conviction and he’s Whitney Cumming’s boyfriend. Well, on TV he is Cumming’s boyfriend. He is Chris D’Elia and he will be performing in the Great Hall in the MU Friday, at 11 p.m..

“I’ve always wanted to do [comedy],” D’Elia said. “When I was 25, I started doing it and it was a time in my career as a writer and as an actor I was just kind of kicking around and nothing was happening. I got on stage and since then, I’ve been on stage everyday, I love it.”

Although his first stand up was only a few years ago in 2003, it feels like it is light years away from where he is now.

“I watched the tape of my first standup a couple months ago, and I couldn’t watch it, it was so bad,” D’Elia said. “I was so uncomfortable.”

D’Elia has various influences which include Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy and some current comedians.

“I’m very animated and I got that from Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy, but I do love the stuff that Bill Burr is doing just because he takes so many risks,” D’Elia said.

Andrew Lopez of SUB is glad to see D’Elia coming to Iowa State.

“I tried to get him last year before he was even on ‘Whitney’, but I’m a big comedy fan. So I was doing research and I knew he was getting buzz and I’ve seen his work before and I knew he was going to get huge fast.”

D’Elia feels coming to Ames will be a much needed retreat.

“I feel like coming to Iowa for a night will be fun and people get to see me live,” D’Elia said. “It’s nice to go to the middle of the country where people are actually excited to see you whereas in LA, you’re just another thing for them to go to.”