Claude Stuart’s comedy career started on-air, in secret.

As an unpaid intern for his college radio station, he wasn’t supposed to appear on the broadcast. But the DJ thought he was funny, so they devised a plan.

“Why don’t you go across the hall, call on the back line. Just call as some weirdo. The boss is not going to know it’s you,” Stuart remembered the DJ telling him. So he did, calling in as different characters to get some laughs, and to his surprise, a promotion.

“The boss found out it was me, and he called me to his office. I was like, ‘Oh God,’ I thought I was gonna lose my internship,” Stuart recalled. “But he goes, ‘Well, you know what happens now? Now I have to hire you to co-write and co-host the morning show.’”

Soon, he took his comedy to open mics. He’s worked in stand-up ever since. This weekend, the veteran comedian will perform at Loonees Comedy Corner alongside guest Jim Perry and host Bren McDaniel. With a comedic career spanning three decades, Stuart has made appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “Last Comic Standing.” Most recently, Stuart released two stand-up specials on Dry Bar and Tubi, and writes for the game show “Funny You Should Ask.”

Stuart had always been a self-described “class clown.” After all, it was a way to stay safe from bullies, he said, even if the teachers protested.

“I was the skinniest kid; I realized that the biggest guys in class aren’t going to pick on me if I can make them laugh,” he said.

Stuart is known for his high-energy shows, which feature larger-than-life physical humor and fast-paced improv. He calls himself a combination of Jim Carey, Don Rickles and Dennis Miller.

His hair embodies that energetic spirit, defying gravity in a gel-infused, high-rise style. He decided to change his style when his long blond hair kept getting in the way while on stage, he said.

“I would watch myself on video, and I was constantly running my hand through my hair to get it out of my eyes, or I would be blowing it out of my eyes, and that’s annoying,” he said. “So I said, ‘What, if I just get some hair gel, stick it up.’ Problem solved, right? And once I saw myself like that, I was like, well, this actually fits my persona more.”

As for his show, he has one message: Don’t take life too seriously. Oh, and don’t mind if he makes a jab here and there (especially if you’re in the first couple of rows).

“At the risk of sounding cheesy, the best thing I could hear after the show is, somebody will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I had a really hard week. I didn’t want to laugh, but you made me laugh. So thank you,’” he said. “You know, that’s probably the best thing I could hear.”

Claude Stuart’s comedy career started on-air, in secret.

As an unpaid intern for his college radio station, he wasn’t supposed to appear on the broadcast. But the DJ thought he was funny, so they devised a plan.

“Why don’t you go across the hall, call on the back line. Just call as some weirdo. The boss is not going to know it’s you,” Stuart remembered the DJ telling him. So he did, calling in as different characters to get some laughs, and to his surprise, a promotion.

“The boss found out it was me, and he called me to his office. I was like, ‘Oh God,’ I thought I was gonna lose my internship,” Stuart recalled. “But he goes, ‘Well, you know what happens now? Now I have to hire you to co-write and co-host the morning show.’”

Soon, he took his comedy to open mics. He’s worked in stand-up ever since. This weekend, the veteran comedian will perform at Loonees Comedy Corner alongside guest Jim Perry and host Bren McDaniel. With a comedic career spanning three decades, Stuart has made appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “Last Comic Standing.” Most recently, Stuart released two stand-up specials on Dry Bar and Tubi, and writes for the game show “Funny You Should Ask.”

Stuart had always been a self-described “class clown.” After all, it was a way to stay safe from bullies, he said, even if the teachers protested.

“I was the skinniest kid; I realized that the biggest guys in class aren’t going to pick on me if I can make them laugh,” he said.

Stuart is known for his high-energy shows, which feature larger-than-life physical humor and fast-paced improv. He calls himself a combination of Jim Carey, Don Rickles and Dennis Miller.

His hair embodies that energetic spirit, defying gravity in a gel-infused, high-rise style. He decided to change his style when his long blond hair kept getting in the way while on stage, he said.

“I would watch myself on video, and I was constantly running my hand through my hair to get it out of my eyes, or I would be blowing it out of my eyes, and that’s annoying,” he said. “So I said, ‘What, if I just get some hair gel, stick it up.’ Problem solved, right? And once I saw myself like that, I was like, well, this actually fits my persona more.”

As for his show, he has one message: Don’t take life too seriously. Oh, and don’t mind if he makes a jab here and there (especially if you’re in the first couple of rows).

“At the risk of sounding cheesy, the best thing I could hear after the show is, somebody will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I had a really hard week. I didn’t want to laugh, but you made me laugh. So thank you,’” he said. “You know, that’s probably the best thing I could hear.”