Comedian Juston McKinney’s childhood wasn’t very funny. At the age of 6, he witnessed his mother’s sudden death at a school event. He was raised by his mother’s sister and his alcoholic father who would eventually become homeless. Along with his three brothers and two cousins they found ways to make it through. Juston shares his inspiring story of overcoming adversity, following dreams, holding onto hope, and breaking the cycle.
Comedian Juston McKinney has had multiple appearances on “The Tonight Show,” two “Comedy Central” specials, and three “Amazon Prime” specials, including “Parentally Challenged” and his latest, “On the Bright Side.” His TV and movie credits include “The King of Queens,” “100 Centre Street,” “The Zoo Keeper,” and “Here Comes the Boom.” He recently wrote and starred in the short film, “Suck It Up,” which screened at the NH Film Festival where he was awarded “Best Acting Performance.” He lives on the Seacoast with his wife and two sons. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Thank you, Juston. That was wonderful. And congrats to your Dad and the whole family. ❤
Absolutely inspiring, heartfelt, and courageous. Thank you so much, Juston!
Juston…I have followed you for about 30 years since I saw you at Horsefeathers in Conway. I have heard many of these stories presented in different ways, but this is a gem. Thank you for sharing, and for helping so many people with this raw exploration. Bless you! ❤
I have no words…probably because I’ve been crying. Great job telling your story. Oh, and btw….I love happy endings! ♥
wow thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I just saw you for the first time last week in Newport. You were great! My family life is thickly coated in alcoholism, and I lost my 30 year old son this year to it. I need comedy, so thank you again.