Stavros Halkias

Stavros Halkias
Σταύρος Χαλκιάς
Halkias in 2024
Born
Stavros Emmanuel Halkias[1]

(1989-02-11) February 11, 1989[2][3]
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County
Comedy career
Years active2012–present
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • Podcast
Genres
Websitestavvy.biz

Stavros Emmanuel Halkias (/ˈstɑːvroʊs ˈhælkiəs/; Greek: Σταύρος Χαλκιάς;[1] born February 11, 1989) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. Active since the early 2010s, he is a nationally touring comic who came to prominence as a founding co-host of the podcast Cum Town.[4] He broke through in the 2020s with the release of popular back-to-back stand up specials, Live at the Lodge Room (2022) and Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal, released by Netflix in 2023. Since 2024, he has also performed as an actor, including supporting roles in the Netflix comedy series Tires (2024–present),[5] the Yorgos Lanthimos film Bugonia,[6] and the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony.

Early life

Halkias was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland,[7] to Greek immigrant parents: a Macedonian mother and Athenian[8] contractor father. He has publicly spoken about being bullied for his weight as a child.[9] Later, Halkias attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, a public high school where he played football.[8] He attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), working for Marc Steiner's Center for Emerging Media as an intern.[10] He stated on the podcast Digression Sessions that he was a few credits short of graduating.[11]

Career

2008–2022: Emergence and podcasting

Halkias began performing comedy at age 19 while attending UMBC, at which he hosted a monthly comedy showcase.[12][13][11] During this period, he was active in the greater Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia area and, in 2012, was named Baltimore's New Comedian of the Year.[11]

He later moved to New York City, where he steadily made numerous radio and podcast guest appearances, as well as writing for and performing on Adult Swim, IFC, and MSG Network's People Talking Sports and Other Stuff (2017).[13] During this period, he performed at venues like the New York Comedy Festival and opened for acts including Wham City, Tom Papa, and Robert Kelly.[13][14] In 2019, he appeared in the Comedy Central stand-up series Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring, Life Fails, and Sex Fails.

Halkias came to prominence as a co-host of the cult-favorite comedy podcast Cum Town, which he co-hosted with Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland from 2016 until his departure in June 2022.[15][16] The podcast had a cult-following and includes a large legacy fanbase.

An avid sports fan, he co-hosted the comedy podcast he co-hosted White Chocolate NBA Pipecast with Adam Friedland during the 2017–2018 NBA season.[17] From 2019 to 2022, he subsequently co-hosted the basketball podcast Pod Don't Lie with Sam Morril.[18] Starting in 2020, he hosted a Twitch series Stavvy Solves Your Problems;[19] in 2022, this series evolved into the podcast Stavvy's World.

2022–present: Breakthrough and acting

In 2022, Halkias released his first comedy special, Live At The Lodge Room, on his YouTube channel, which reached 2 million views in three weeks.[20] In January 2023, Halkias modeled and performed at a menswear and comedy show organized by designer Colm Dillane, also known as KidSuper, at the Casino de Paris.[21]

His second special, Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal, was released on Netflix in December 2023.[22]

Halkias has become well known for his crowd work, often engaging actively with the audience and riffing on their stories and anecdotes.[23] Many of his stand-up clips on his YouTube channel feature this practice.[24] In 2023, he released a half-hour crowd-work-only comedy special, Four Nights In NYC.[25]

In 2024, Halkias appeared in the Netflix series Tires.[5] That same year, he had a minor role in the film Sweethearts, which was released on Max. He also made an appearance on the talk show John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA.[26] Additionally, he starred in the independent comedy film Let's Start a Cult, which he co-wrote with director Ben Kitnick and co-star Wes Haney.[27][28]

In 2025, Halkias appeared as Officer Casey Boyd in Yorgos Lanthimos' film Bugonia. The film, also starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, received several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.[6]

Personal life

Halkias retains a close connection to Baltimore. He splits his time between there and New York City, keeping a home in Batimore's Canton neighborhood.[29] His tour manager and podcast producer is his childhood best friend, Eldis Sula.[9]

Halkias is a Baltimore Ravens[30] and Olympiacos[31] fan.

Halkias cites his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic as inspiration for his efforts at weight loss.[9]

Political views

Since Cum Town, Halkias' humor and general content have marked him as having leftist beliefs.[9] In the early 2020s, Halkias' involvement with Cum Town occasionally caused controversy, with criticism levied at the podcast's association with the dirtbag left.[32][33] In 2025, Halkias appeared in a video with Zohran Mamdani to promote the latter's campaign in the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary, which Mamdani later won.[34]

In 2025, Halkias declined performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.[35]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 Call Girl of Cthulhu Gill Waters [36]
2024 Let's Start a Cult Chip Harper Also co-writer [27]
Sweethearts Airpods Guy [37]
2025 Bugonia Officer Casey Boyd [16]
Dance Freak Megaman [38]
2026 Tony Stavros [39]
2027 The Comeback King † TBA Filming [40]
TBA Thumb † TBA Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2022 Pause with Sam Jay Party Guest 1 episode
2023 Command Z Baz Diamandis 1 episode
2024 John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA Himself 1 episode
2024–present Tires Dave Main cast

Comedy

Year Title Notes
2022 Live at the Lodge Room stand-up special
2023 Four Nights In NYC half-hour stand-up special
Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal stand-up special

Podcasts

Year Title Notes
2016–2022 Cum Town [16]
2017–2018 White Chocolate NBA Pipecast
2019–2022 Pod Don't Lie
2022–present Stavvy's World

References

  1. 1 2 Esquire Editors (August 29, 2025). Ποιος είναι ο Σταύρος Χαλκιάς, ο Έλληνας που παίζει στη νέα ταινία του Γιώργου Λάνθιμου [Who is Stavros Halkias, the Greek who stars in Yorgos Lanthimos' new film?]. Esquire Greece. Archived from the original on January 18, 2026. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  2. ↑ @stavvybaby (February 11, 2019). "I'm 30 today and I just want to say thank u to everyone that comes to see me do standup and listens to the dumb podcast I do w/my friends. You make my tracksuit budget possible and that's truly the best bday present of all" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ @AdamFriedland (February 11, 2020). "I'm 30 today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ B, Rishabh (January 14, 2022). ""Trumped me with death": Slime and stavvybaby have a hilarious back-and-forth on AustinShow's 'Love or Host'". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Sledge, Philip (March 28, 2024). "Shane Gillis's Tires: Premiere Date and Other Things We Know About the Netflix Sitcom". Cinema Blend. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 1, 2025). "Emma Stone & Jesse Plemons Movie 'Bugonia' From Yorgos Lanthimos Sets Fall Release". Deadline. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  7. ↑ Conarck, Ben (October 13, 2023). "Stavros Halkias on his hometown shows, Baltimore's grit and those dang Ravens". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "More from Poly's Nick Halkias". Baltimore Sun. October 1, 2008. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Crosbie, Jack (September 10, 2025). "Dirtbags Made Comedian Stavros Halkias Famous. Now He's Helping Them Remake Their Lives". gq.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "Change We Cannot Quit On by Stavros Halkias". SteinerShow.org. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 The Digression Sessions (January 2013). Ep. 62 - Stavros Halkias! (podcast). Spotify. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022. Episode Description: ...And Mr. Halkias recently won Baltimore's New Comedian of the year for 2012 contest at Magooby's Joke House. Performing regularly in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area, Stav is constantly on the grind, brah. He also produces and hosts monthly showcases at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and co-hosts the Super Comedy show every third Friday at Dionysus in Mount Vernon, Baltimore.
  12. ↑ Halkias, Stavros. "A Tragic Mistake at One of Baltimore's Best High Schools". Marc Steiner and the Center for Emerging Media. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2021. CEM intern Stavros Halkias is an alumnus of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute... Halkias, Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar at UMBC & CEM Intern
  13. 1 2 3 "Stavros Halkias | Comedians". The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ "The Lincoln Lodge Presents: Stavros Halkias". www.brownpapertickets.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  15. ↑ Stavros Halkias [@stavvybaby2]; (June 26, 2022). "We had a good run" – via Instagram.
  16. 1 2 3 Brooks, Dan (October 23, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Wants a Career. Will His Fans Let Him Have One?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  17. ↑ "White Chocolate NBA Pipecast". Podchaser. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Pod Don't Lie". Podchaser. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ stavvybaby - Twitch, archived from the original on May 5, 2022, retrieved July 13, 2021
  20. ↑ Kleinschmidt, Matt (June 1, 2022). "Stavros Halkias' debut stand-up special, "Live At The Lodge Room" premieres June 5th". The Laugh Button. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ Leitch, Luke (January 21, 2023). "KidSuper Fall 2023 Menswear Collection". Vogue. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Comedian Stavros Halkias Talks Riding "Weird Wave" Of Internet Fame To First Netflix Special 'Fat Rascal' & Becoming "CEO" Of His Own Small Media Empire". Deadline. December 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Inside the Debate of Stand-up Comedy Crowd-Work Clips". Vulture.com. October 31, 2022. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  24. ↑ Stavros Halkias's channel on YouTube
  25. ↑ Alter, Rebecca; Clark, Anne Victoria; Fox, Jesse David; Frank, Jason P.; Kroeger, Jake; Pandya, Hershal; VanArendonk, Kathryn (October 2, 2023). "The Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2023". Vulture. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  26. ↑ Schimkowitz, Matt (April 30, 2024). "Here's who John Mulaney means by Everybody's In L.A." AV Club. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  27. 1 2 Wiseman, Andreas (September 27, 2024). "Stavros Halkias In 'Let's Start A Cult': First Trailer For Comedy Also Featuring CM Punk". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  28. ↑ Pandya, Hershal (October 28, 2024). "Stavros Halkias Has Star Power". Vulture. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  29. ↑ Unger, Mike (September 17, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Goes to Hollywood". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  30. ↑ Unger, Mike (October 9, 2023). "Stavros Halkias is Much More Humble and Serene Than His Ravens Superfan Alter Ego". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Episode 192 - Phased". Cum Town. 30 January 2020
  32. ↑ Marantz, Andrew (July 23, 2021). "The Post-Dirtbag Left". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  33. ↑ North, Anna (October 24, 2017). "Listen to what socialist women are saying about misogyny on the left". Vox. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  34. ↑ Winkie, Luke (June 26, 2025). "Zohran Mamdani Cracked a Code That's Long Baffled Democrats". Slate. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  35. ↑ Parkinson, Hannah Jane (October 9, 2025). "'Amoral, evil': vitriolic backlash builds against comics who played Riyadh festival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Call Girl of Cthulhu". TV Guide. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  37. ↑ Soares, Isabella (November 29, 2024). ""This Whole Movie Is Very Clever": 'Sweethearts' Cast Discuss Their MAX Rom-Com with 'Superbad' Vibes". Collider. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  38. ↑ Worthington, Clint (July 21, 2026). "Fantasia 2026: Our Effed Up World, Zsazsa Zaturnnah, Dance Freak". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  39. ↑ Rooney, David (July 29, 2026). "'Tony' Review: Dominic Sessa Finds Ideal Balance Between Cocky and Lost in Tender Coming-of-Age Portrait of a Young Anthony Bourdain". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  40. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (March 19, 2026). "Stavros Halkias Joins Glen Powell's Country Music Comedy From Judd Apatow (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
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