Early life

Diaz grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, a small dense neighborhood, directly across the Hudson river from Manhattan. His early childhood was affluent: his mother owned and operated a bar while running a successful numbers game. Diaz was three when his father died and fifteen when his mother died. He was taken in by a series of North Bergen families, including two police officers named Robert Bender and Carmine Balzano. Frequent run-ins with the law, including his involvement in fights, kept him moving among a total of four families. Diaz says a total of twenty Italian and Irish families attempted to assist him, such as local funeral home owner Anthony Vanieri. Diaz explains that their sense of humor greatly influenced his own career, which had its earliest beginnings as a student in North Bergen High School.

Career

In 1985, Diaz left the glimmering New York skyline and headed west to The Mile High State. His acceptance at the University of Colorado at Boulder and his academic life were interrupted by a short stint in prison. After his early release, Joey sold Subarus and embarked on his long comedy career, first signing-up for local open mic audiences and then bouncing from town to town, including Seattle, where he continued performing, crafting and perfecting his unique style of story-telling and visceral comedy. It was somewhere during the '20-year experience', from Rock Springs, Wyoming, to the half-time shows at Sabres games, to following Paul Mooney in The Main Room, Joey (Coco) Diaz, the underdog from Bergen County, became a premier comedian.

In 1996, Diaz accepted an offer from a CBS talent scout to work on a television pilot and moved to Los Angeles. The industry exposure gave his career a much needed boost. Eventually securing appearances on Law & Order and in films including Spider-Man 2 and the 2004 film Taxi.

Diaz's most prolific role came in the 2005 Adam Sandler film The Longest Yard.

Joey the Candy Bar Criminal was also a part he played in four 2007 episodes of My Name is Earl. That same year he also appeared as "Joey Karate", doing humorous promotions for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in California, clips of which can be found on YouTube. His subsequent roles include the 2009 TV movie The Dog Who Saved Christmas, and 2011 appearances in "Scarlet Ribbons", an episode of The Mentalist and the film Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.

Joe Rogan contributed partially to the success of Diaz and saw the raw genius. The two befriended around the time Rogan worked on Fear Factor. Both worked on the road together. In 2010, Diaz appeared with Joe Rogan on The Alex Jones Show. But Diaz's popularity really skyrocketed sometime after his explosive series of interviews on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

In 2013, he had a role in the movie Grudge Match seen alongside Robert De Niro as his coach.

Diaz and Felicia Michaels formerly co-hosted a weekly podcast named Beauty and Da Beast.

In Season 2 Episode 12 of Maron, Diaz guest starred as a semi-fictionalized version of himself.

As of 2011, Diaz was working on a documentary chronicling his life in North Bergen, and how he was influenced by the various people who took care of him following his parents' death, to whom the film is made in tribute.

The Church of What's Happening Now

As of September 2012, Diaz hosts a bi-weekly video podcast called "The Church Of What's Happening Now". With Lee Syatt "The Flying Jew".

Charity work

Diaz has performed his standup in his hometown of North Bergen for charity. On November 4, 2007, he appeared there to help raise money for North Bergen High School basketball team uniforms.

Personal life

Diaz lives in Los Angeles with his wife Terrie and daughter Mercy.

Film and television appearances

• This Is Not Happening (2015-2016) - Himself
• The Dog Who Saved Summer (2015) - Stewey McMann
• Maron (2014) - Bobby Mendez
• The Dog Who Saved Easter (2014) - Stewey McMann
• Grudge Match (2013)
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013) - Sal (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• The Dog Who Saved The Hollidays (2012) - Stewey McMann
• Kickin' It "We Are Family" (2012) TV Episode .... Meatball King (as Joey Coco Diaz)
• The Dog Who Saved Halloween (2011) - Stewey McMann
• Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
• My Dog's Christmas Miracle(2010) .... TSA Officer
• Stonerville (video) (2011) .... Johnny Scarano
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation (2010) - Stewey McMann
• The Russian (video short) (2010) .... Frank
• Stacy's Mom (video) (2010) .... Frankie the Teach (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2009)- Stewey McMann (as Joey Coco Diaz)
• The Deported (2009) .... Sheriff
• Redemption (film short) (2009) .... Ritchie
• My Life at 26 (TV movie) (2008) .... Paxon
• Boiler Maker (video) (2008) .... Enzo
• Wizards of Waverly Place (TV series) (2008) "The Supernatural" .... Newsstand Guy (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• One Hogan Place (TV movie) (2008) .... Vinnie Books
• The Dark Knight (2008) Special Features.... Restaurant owner
• Frank TV (2007) "Ballpark Frank" (2007) .... Defendant
• My Name Is Earl (2007) .... Joey the prisoner (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz) (3 Episodes)
  • "Our Other Cops Is On!: Part 1" (2007)
  • "Our Other Cops Is On!: Part 2" (2007)
  • "My Name Is Inmate #28301-016: Part 1" (2007)
• White Pants (video short) (2007) .... Coach Larkin
• Alive N' Kickin' (TV movie) (2007) .... Joey
• Murder 101: College Can Be Murder (2007) .... Herbie Saxe
• "Smiley Face" (2007) .... Security Guard
• "My Life at 26' Shortoon" (video short) (2007) .... voice
• Everybody hates Chris "Everybody Hates Promises" (2006) .... Restaurant owner
• How I Met Your Mother Where Were We?" (2006) … Angry New Yorker
• 18 Fingers of Death! (2006) .... Sammy Delassandro
• A Fine Line (2006) .... Bruno Scalise
• The Longest Yard (2005) .... Anthony "Big Tony" Cobianco
• Accidentally on Purpose (film) (2005) .... Geraldo
• Break a Leg (2005) .... Large Producer
• Endings (2005)
• The Mafia Type (2004) .... Big Al
• Taxi (2004) .... Freddy (as Joey Coco Diaz)
• Spider-Man 2 (2004) .... Train Passenger (as Joey Coco Diaz)
• Back by Midnight (2004) .... Jojo (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit "Criminal" (2004) .... Elijah Coney
• Cold Case "Disco Inferno (2004) .... Ken Mazzacone (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• ER "The Greater Good" (2003).... Grocery Store Clerk
• Karen Sisco "Dear Derwood..." (2003) .... Paulie
• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) .... Emmanuel's Entourage
• "The Mezzos" (short) (2003) .... Joey Mezzo
• Analyze That (2002).... Ducks
• Another Bobby O'Hara Story (2002) .... Tommy Brando
• NYPD Blue
  • "Death by Cycle" (2002) .... Manny Mankiewicz
  • "Women vs. Men" (2002) (TV) .... Goon
• The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002)....Pizza Deliver Bodyguard (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
• American Gun (2002) .... Gun Smuggler
• You Got Nothin' (2002) .... Charlie
• Back by Midnight (2002) .... Jojo
• BASEketball (1998) .... Referee
• Mad TV (????) Sopranos parody

Stand Up Comedy Albums

• Savage Dad (2015)
• You Can't Eat Pussy With Asthma (2013)
• Testicle Testaments 5: Crimes Against Myself (2013)
• Testicle Testaments 4: How I Got Into Comedy (2013)
• The Blue Album (2013)
• Testicle Testaments 3: The Person Who Made Me A Man (2012)
• Testicle Testaments 2: Crime Stories (2012)
• Testicle Testaments 1: The Worst & Best Day Of My Life (2012)
• It's Either You or The Priest (2012)
• Live at the 3 Clubs in Hollywood (2011)

Writer

• 1st Amendment Stand Up (TV series) "Joey Diaz/Melanie Comarcho/Lavell Crawford" (2007) (writer)
• BET's ComicView "ComicView: New Orleans Party Gras" (2000) (writer)

Self

• Where I Got My Balls From (Documentary) (2012) .... Himself
• Inside MMA "Episode #2.17" (2008) … Guest
• The Payaso Comedy Slam (TV movie) (2007) .... Himself
• 1st Amendment Stand Up (TV series) "Joey Diaz/Melanie Comarcho/Lavell Crawford" (2007) .... Himself - Comedian
• Inside Joke (TV series) (2004) .... Himself
• National Lampoon Live: New Faces
• The History of Choking (documentary short) (2002) .... Himself
• BET's Comicview "ComicView: New Orleans Party Gras" (2000) .... Himself - Comedian (as Coco)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]