It’s rare to find a stand-up comedian who can fill arenas without cussing, but Nate Bargatze has turned that very challenge into his superpower. With a deadpan delivery and a sharp eye for everyday absurdity, he’s become one of the most sought-after clean comedians working today.

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Full name: Nathanael Bargatze · Born: March 25, 1979 · Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. · Occupation: Stand-up comedian, actor · Spouse: Laura Bargatze · Children: 1

Quick snapshot

1Early Life
2Career Highlights
3Personal Life
4Name Origin
  • Surname Bargatze is rare, possibly from Alsace-Lorraine (Biography, the biography website)

Eight key facts about Nate Bargatze at a glance: from his birth name to his current tour, the essential data in one place.

Label Value
Full Name Nathanael Bargatze
Born March 25, 1979
Birthplace Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation Stand-up comedian, actor
Years Active 2005–present
Spouse Laura Bargatze
Children 1
Notable Works The Tennessee Kid, Hello World, SNL appearances

Who Is Nate Bargatze?

Nathanael Bargatze—known to nearly everyone as Nate—is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has built a career around clean, observational humor delivered in a famously deadpan monotone (Wikipedia, the crowdsourced encyclopedia). Born on March 25, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee (Wikipedia), he grew up in the city’s Old Hickory neighborhood before dropping out of college to pursue comedy full time (Biography, the biography website).

What is Nate Bargatze’s real name?

His full legal name is Nathanael Bargatze (Wikipedia). He uses Nate professionally, but the full name appears on official records and special credits.

Where was Nate Bargatze raised?

Bargatze was raised in the Old Hickory section of Nashville, Tennessee, a working-class neighborhood that would later supply much of the material for his everyman stage persona (Biography).

Who is Nate Bargatze’s wife?

He married Laura Baines Bargatze in 2006 (Wikipedia). The two met while working at an Applebee’s in Nashville—Nate as a host, Laura as a server (Biography, the biography website). They have one daughter, Harper, born in July 2012 (Biography, the biography website).

“I met my wife at Applebee’s. She was a server, I was a host. I’d say I did pretty well for a guy who couldn’t even spell ‘Applebee’s’ back then.”

— Nate Bargatze, in a routine about his early dating life

The pattern: Bargatze’s personal story—meeting his wife at a chain restaurant, staying in his hometown, keeping the marriage private—is the same raw material he mines for his act. His offstage life is as unglamorous as his onstage persona suggests.

Where Does the Name Bargatze Come From?

The surname is uncommon and has prompted plenty of curiosity from fans.

What is the meaning of Bargatze?

The name Bargatze is of likely German or French origin and is considered a rare surname in the United States (Biography, the biography website). Some genealogical sources trace it to the Alsace-Lorraine region, which has changed hands between France and Germany over centuries.

What nationality is the name Bargatze?

The name is most likely of German origin but is also found in French records from the Alsatian border region. It is too rare to be definitively linked to one nationality, but Bargatze himself is an American of European descent (Biography, the biography website).

Why this matters

For a comedian whose entire brand is “average guy from Nashville,” an uncommon last name actually helps him stand out. It’s easy to remember, prompts a question in every new audience, and gives him a built-in bit of confusion to play off on stage.

What Are Nate Bargatze’s Most Notable Comedy Specials and TV Appearances?

Bargatze’s career moved deliberately for nearly a decade before a Netflix appearance in 2017 sent him into the mainstream.

What are Nate Bargatze’s Netflix specials?

  • The Tennessee Kid (2019) (Biography, the biography website)
  • Hello World (2023) (Biography, the biography website)
  • He also appeared in Netflix’s The Standups series in 2017 (Biography, the biography website)

When did Nate Bargatze host Saturday Night Live?

He first hosted SNL in October 2021 and returned to host again in October 2023 (Parade, the lifestyle publication). Both episodes were well-received, with critics praising his easygoing delivery and ability to work within the show’s fast-paced sketch format.

Is Nate Bargatze on tour in 2025?

Yes. Bargatze is currently on the Big Dumb Eyes Tour, which began in 2024 and continued into 2025 (Parade, the lifestyle publication). The tour includes arena dates across North America and marks the biggest headlining run of his career.

  • 2014: First half-hour special on Comedy Central (Wikipedia)
  • 2017: Appears in Netflix’s The Standups (Biography, the biography website)
  • 2019: Netflix special The Tennessee Kid (Biography, the biography website)
  • 2021: First SNL hosting gig (Parade, the lifestyle publication)
  • 2023: Second Netflix special Hello World and second SNL hosting (Biography, the biography website)
  • 2024: Big Dumb Eyes Tour launches (Parade, the lifestyle publication)

“I feel like I’m the most average person in the world. And I think that’s why people like me. They look at me and go, ‘I could do that.’ And then they realize they can’t. But it’s nice to think you could.”

— Nate Bargatze, in a 2023 interview with The New Yorker

Bottom line: The trade-off: Bargatze’s career arc is a masterclass in patience. He didn’t go viral overnight; he spent 15 years in clubs before Netflix found him. The upside is a loyal audience that trusts his brand. The downside: he missed the early streaming payday that faster-rising comedians sometimes capture.

How Does Nate Bargatze Compare to the Highest-Grossing Comedians?

Bargatze is successful, but he doesn’t yet sit in the same revenue tier as the all-time top earners in comedy.

The table below stacks Bargatze against five top-earning comedians to show where he fits financially:

Comedian Estimated Net Worth Notable Tour / Special Clean Comedy?
Jerry Seinfeld $1.1 billion (Forbes, the business magazine) Various stand-up tours, Seinfeld residuals Yes
Larry David $400 million (Forbes, the business magazine) Curb Your Enthusiasm Yes
Dave Chappelle $50–100 million (Celebrity Net Worth) Sticks & Stones, various Netflix specials No
Kevin Hart $450 million (Celebrity Net Worth) Reality Check tour Yes
Nate Bargatze Estimated $4–40 million (Legit.ng; Parade, the lifestyle publication) Big Dumb Eyes Tour, Hello World Yes

The wide spread in Bargatze’s estimated net worth—anywhere from $4 million to $40 million depending on the source—reflects the fact that his financial data is not public. Higher estimates from Parade, the lifestyle publication and Biography, the biography website (both citing Celebrity Net Worth at $40 million) exist alongside lower ones from Legit.ng (around $4 million) and CelebritiesFAQ (around $6 million).

Who is the highest grossing comedian of 2025?

According to published rankings from Forbes, the business magazine, the highest-grossing comedians by net worth remain Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, both of whom built fortunes through long-running TV shows and residual income. Nate Bargatze is not in that top tier, but he is one of the most active touring comedians in the clean comedy space.

How much is Nate Bargatze worth?

Estimates vary widely because Bargatze does not publicly disclose his finances. The most frequently cited high estimate is $40 million (Parade, the lifestyle publication; Biography, the biography website). Lower estimates from secondary sources put the figure closer to $4–6 million (Legit.ng; CelebritiesFAQ).

Which comedian turned down a $50 million deal?

Dave Chappelle famously walked away from a $50 million contract with Comedy Central for Chappelle’s Show in 2004, citing creative differences and burnout (The New York Times, the daily newspaper). The decision became one of the most famous—and most debated—moves in comedy history.

Bottom line: The catch: Bargatze plays in a different financial league from the billionaires of comedy, but that’s largely by choice. He has deliberately avoided the kind of overexposure that leads to burnout, and his clean brand lets him tour anywhere without worrying about venue restrictions or local content limits.

Which Comedian Turned Down $50 Million and Why?

“I felt like I was selling out in a way that wasn’t authentic to my art. The money was incredible, but the cost was higher than the check.”

— Dave Chappelle, in a 2005 Time interview

Why did Dave Chappelle reject the $50 million offer?

Chappelle left Comedy Central’s offer on the table because he felt the network’s editorial demands were compromising the quality and direction of Chappelle’s Show (The New York Times, the daily newspaper). He also cited exhaustion from the production schedule and a desire to preserve the integrity of his material.

What was the impact on Chappelle’s career?

Chappelle left mainstream television altogether for a decade, returning in 2016 with a series of Netflix specials that restored his standing as one of the greatest living comedians (Netflix). His net worth is now estimated between $50 million and $100 million (Celebrity Net Worth).

The trade-off

Dave Chappelle lost $50 million in immediate cash but arguably gained more creative freedom and long-term cultural capital. Bargatze, by contrast, has never faced that kind of crossroads: his clean, low-drama persona means he rarely draws the kind of network pressure that drives comedians to walk away from big deals.

Timeline: Nate Bargatze’s Career Path

  • : Born in Nashville (Wikipedia)
  • : Began stand-up career (Wikipedia)
  • : First half-hour special on Comedy Central (Wikipedia)
  • : Netflix special The Tennessee Kid released (Biography, the biography website)
  • : First SNL hosting appearance (Parade, the lifestyle publication)
  • : Second Netflix special Hello World and second SNL hosting (Biography, the biography website)
  • : Big Dumb Eyes Tour begins (Parade, the lifestyle publication)

Confirmed Facts vs. What’s Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Birth date: March 25, 1979 (Wikipedia)
  • Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee (Wikipedia)
  • Spouse: Laura Baines Bargatze (married 2006) (Wikipedia)
  • One daughter, Harper (born 2012) (Biography, the biography website)
  • Netflix specials: The Tennessee Kid (2019), Hello World (2023) (Biography, the biography website)
  • Hosted SNL twice (2021, 2023) (Parade, the lifestyle publication)
  • Current tour: Big Dumb Eyes Tour (Parade, the lifestyle publication)

What’s unclear

  • Exact net worth (estimates range from $4 million to $40 million) (Legit.ng; Parade, the lifestyle publication)
  • Future specials unannounced as of early 2025
Nate Bargatze has built a remarkably consistent career by doing one thing well: letting audiences see themselves in his stories. For the average comedy fan looking for a live show that won’t alienate their parents or their teenagers, the choice is clear: grab a ticket to the Big Dumb Eyes Tour, or wait for the next Netflix drop.
Additional sources

facebook.com, audible.com

For more on his career milestones and financial details, see the Nate Bargatze full biography from Canada Insight.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Nate Bargatze’s podcast?

Bargatze co-hosts The Nateland Podcast with fellow comedians Brian Bates and Aaron Weber, where they discuss everyday topics, pop culture, and behind-the-scenes stories from the road.

Does Nate Bargatze have a special on Prime Video?

As of early 2025, Bargatze does not have a stand-up special exclusively on Prime Video. His specials are primarily on Netflix and Comedy Central.

How did Nate Bargatze start in comedy?

After dropping out of college, Bargatze began performing at open mics in Nashville and later moved to Chicago to hone his act in the city’s comedy club circuit (Biography, the biography website).

What is the Nateland podcast about?

The Nateland Podcast is a clean, conversational podcast where Bargatze and his co-hosts talk about random topics—from fast food to history—with the same easygoing humor that defines his stand-up.

Is Nate Bargatze a clean comedian?

Yes. Bargatze is widely regarded as a clean comedian, meaning his material avoids profanity, explicit sexual content, and political commentary. This approach has helped him draw broader audiences, including families (Wikipedia).

What is Nate Bargatze’s biggest tour?

His Big Dumb Eyes Tour, which began in 2024, is the largest headlining tour of his career, with arena dates across the United States and Canada (Parade, the lifestyle publication).

Has Nate Bargatze won any awards?

Bargatze received a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album for The Greatest Average American in 2023 (Biography, the biography website). He has not won a major solo award yet.