“Germany’s Nazi past is always a good one”

From Germany’s Black Forest region, Mario Adrion (32) went to the USA at the age of 18 to work as a model and is now a successful comedian there. He is particularly known for pointing fun at his German roots. He arrives for our interview bang on time, in true German fashion. He has around two million followers on his English-language social media channels. He’ll be touring North America and Europe in 2026. 

Mario, when did you first realise that you would end up on stage one day? 

I grew up in a small village in the Black Forest and had a pretty normal childhood. I was never shy, but I wasn’t the class clown either. Just once, at my uncle’s 50th birthday, I took on the role of MC. That was the first indication that I might have some showbiz talent. Certainly I sensed at an early age that there must be more to life than the Black Forest. I wanted to see something of the world and experience as much as possible. At the age of 15, I spent a year on a student exchange in Peru, where I really developed and matured a lot. 

How did you get into modelling?  

After leaving school, I was studying international business in Berlin when my modelling career suddenly took off. I uploaded a few photos of myself on social media, which happened to be spotted by the right people - and then it really was a bit like in a bad Hollywood movie. I was invited to New York for fashion shoots. I was totally naive and set off there with 500 euros in my pocket - at first I was living off canned food. But suddenly everything started happening really quickly, I got lots of jobs and travelled the world - Singapore, Milan, London, New York, the whole shebang. 

Many people associate modelling with a glamorous lifestyle. But you also talk very openly about the flip side.  

It was a good time, but this illusory world has many downsides, especially for the models. As a model, you’re at the bottom of the pecking order, you’re just a product that needs to function. For some, you really are just a sexualised object. Paradoxically, that’s true above all of male models. While some things have shifted a bit for women thanks to the MeToo debate, the men don’t really have a lobby. 

You wanted out? 

I definitely realised that I wanted to do something else in the longer term. I started making funny videos with friends, and that worked well. But I wanted more. I did a course in stand-up comedy and was immediately hooked. I knew straightaway that that was what I wanted to do! 

Why? 

It’s just an indescribably great feeling to make other people laugh - right there, face to face. 

And then you immediately launched a career for yourself as a comedian? 

No, it was a pretty bumpy road at first. In the US, there are bars and clubs on almost every corner where you can get a spot on stage more or less round the clock. You don’t earn any money for those open mic sessions - actually you have to pay for the privilege. And in many cases the audience is made up of just a few other wannabe comedians. But it worked. People found me funny. 

How do you entertain your audiences?  

Initially I would mainly tell them absurd anecdotes from my time as a model. Then I noticed that I always got a really good response when I talked about my German roots. I play on German clichés such as punctuality, the love of order and tidiness, efficiency and so on. I exaggerate - sometimes quite drastically. 

You also address some rather controversial topics...  

Absolutely! Germany’s Nazi past is always a good one, for example. It’s pretty amazing how little most Americans know about other countries such as Germany. Almost everyone knows Adolf Hitler, but virtually no one knows Friedrich Merz. 

How do German and American humour differ? 

Americans like to joke, enjoy being silly at times and laugh at embarrassing things. Humour is more a part of daily life than it is in Germany. The US really is a great nation of comedy, with many wonderful performers. I’m sure there are some good comedians in Germany, too. But I’m no longer so much part of the scene there, as I’ve been away too long. 

Do you like living in the US?  

Yes, but I’m also in a privileged position. It’s important to stress that America is a great country if you have enough money. But if not, there really are a lot of problems. I’ve very alarmed by how things are developing under Trump. The whole country is deeply divided. I make fun of this schism in my shows and appeal for empathy. But you do have to be really careful about when and how you address political issues to ensure that no one goes ballistic. Normally I’m an optimistic person, but just now I feel that things are really escalating in the US. 

Do you sometimes miss Germany? 

I come and visit every year, sometimes several times. But yes, I do actually miss Germany in the political context. I’m told by my family that positions there are also becoming increasingly entrenched. But in Germany there is still a functioning democracy with an intact social welfare system - which is really damn important.