SAN DIEGO - Lebanese-American comedian Nemr Abou Nassar recently returned to perform at San Diego’s famed Balboa Theater for the first time.
Nemr is known for essentially creating the stand-up comedy scene in his home country. He took 10News along as he visited his old elementary school in Del Mar, reflecting on his unique upbringing, launching a stand-up comedy career in the Middle East, and trying to bring the world together through laughter.
Nemr was born in Lebanon, but at age two, fled the country with his family when civil war broke out. They settled in Del Mar. While Nemr lived a typical American life with his friends at school, he remembers a darkness hanging over his family, due to their experiences in Lebanon. However, from an early age, he says stand-up comedy brought his parents joy.
The family returned to Lebanon when Nemr was 10, moving into a building riddled by bullets. Remembering his love of comedy, Nemr decided he wanted to be a professional stand-up comedian.
Because there were no comedy clubs in Lebanon, he began organizing, booking, and performing in shows wherever he could book space. He calls the theory of his comedy “no politics, no religion, one love”, hoping that by using humor, he can help people realize we all have more in common than we think.
