TikTok Star Zach Margolin brings his viral comedy to Pittsburgh stage
'Bringing joy and laughter is everything I ever wanted. I'm so grateful to be in this position'
Comedian Zach Margolin has amassed 6.5 million likes on TikTok by impersonating El Al workers, playing the part of the Gvinch who stole Chanukah, and cheerfully depicting himself on fictional dates with hilarious and uninterested women.
Having developed a cadre of familiar and clickworthy bits, Margolin, 31, isn’t sure which of the characters he’ll tap when performing in Pittsburgh. More certain, however, is that attendees of the May 5 event at City Winery will leave laughing, joyful and familiar with one of the newest and funniest voices in the Jewish world.
Speaking with the Chronicle by phone from Las Vegas, the British-born comic described his childhood as “pretty sheltered.”
Growing up in northwest London, “I never really met Jews from anywhere else,” he said. About twice a year Margolin traveled to Israel, but even there “I’d be with my friends and family from northwest London.”
Visits to the United States were similar, he continued. “We would just be with family.”
As Margolin’s popularity rose, his worldview expanded. The virality of his posts led to invitations abroad, and in the years since COVID — when Margolin first started releasing content — the comic has performed in New York, Miami, Vienna, Johannesburg, Paris and Amsterdam.
His Pittsburgh visit is part of a three-week U.S. tour titled “Zach’s Back,” referencing the major back surgery Margolin underwent last summer.
“My nerves were just so compressed and I was getting so much pain in my leg,” he said. “It was a problem I had for years, actually, and I was managing it for so long, and then it got so bad that the surgeon basically told me, ‘If you don’t have surgery, then you’re at a severe risk of losing the use of your right foot.’”
After surgery and eight months of intensive recovery, Margolin is back and eager to delight via impersonations and off-the-cuff remarks. The latter, which have become a hallmark of his shows, are a testament to the comic’s acuity and timing. During a European performance, Margolin made a surprising discovery during crowdwork. The individual seated in the front row was the head of the Viennese Jewish community, and seated next to that man was his ex-wife.
After pausing, and asking the crowd whether to proceed, Margolin pounced.
While pretending to be an El Al security agent, the comic asked, “So, you’re single?” then followed with a slew of questions regarding the duo’s situation and seat choices: “You are still friends? You sit together? Or you bought the tickets a long time ago? A Jewish couple, we should go, we spent the money … ”
Reflecting on that performance, Margolin told the Chronicle, “I couldn’t have written that if I tried.”
There’s an assumption, he said, that when someone garners a “big following on social media, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to be a good stand-up comedian, and I understand that, but I really do believe that I am. I love it. I actually love doing stand-up.”
Margolin maintains he’s always been quick-witted. What’s changed, he said, is that he started treating his mind like a muscle.
“When I first started doing it, I was very rushed. I would quickly try and get a laugh and then move on,” he said. “I’ve learned to relax a little bit more.”
Patience has its payoffs, he continued. “Things just happen.”
The perspective shows a maturity where punchlines aren’t simple zingers but critical narrative pieces. Margolin, whose Vegas visit was scheduled to align with WrestleMania 42, sees comedy through the prism of storytelling and sports entertainment as an instructive vehicle.
“Wrestling is some of the greatest storytelling ever,” he said. “I loved it as a kid. I never lost that love of escapism, of just going to a big event and watching it and experiencing that story.”
Fueled by drama, promos and personalities, “some of wrestling is the funniest stuff I’ve ever seen,” he continued. “My friends still laugh today about things that we used to watch.”
Peers who serve as comedic barometers are part of why Margolin is at this stage of his life.
Before becoming a viral sensation with nearly 300,000 Instagram followers, Margolin, who goes by Zach Margs online, had regular employment in London.
“I was working in a real estate job that I hated, in a dark office, 9-to-5,” he said.
During a trip to Israel, Margolin was sitting on a Tel Aviv beach with his friends. The group had been served by a particularly rude waiter. Margolin impersonated the Israeli. Margolin’s friends started rolling with laughter and told him they were going to record it. The video took off. Margolin, who had dabbled in TikTok videos during the pandemic, made more. His content, which ranged from riffing on Israeli-alpha males to poking fun at Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, reflected a love of Judaism and the Jewish state.
With guidance from his older sister, a British television producer, Margolin quickly learned the nuances of influencing and entertainment.
“When I started getting into this world of comedy and social media, instantly she was like, ‘All right, I’m gonna help you through this.’ And she now essentially is my manager or agent, so everything that I do — any bookings or tours or shows — she is the producer and she negotiates all the contracts,” he said. “She’s been an incredible sense of support and help to me. I probably wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am without her. So yeah, super grateful for her.”
He extended similar praise to other family members.
“I’m blessed, absolutely blessed, to have the most supportive family, a loving family. I couldn’t ask for more,” he said. “I absolutely love what I’m doing, and I hope that comes across.”
Before the call with the Chronicle ended — and he headed off to lay tefillin with a rabbi in Sin City — Margolin stressed that his comedy isn’t measured by views but purpose.
“I’m so blessed and feel so honored and proud to do what I do. It’s given me a whole new lease on life,” he said. “I’m traveling the world, meeting different communities and being a voice for my people. Bringing joy and laughter is everything I ever wanted. I’m so grateful to be in this position.”
Tickets for “Zach’s Back” — which promoters are also billing as “Laugh Through The Heartbreak presents: Zach Margs, also starring Menachem Silverstein and Erez Safar” — are available at citywinery.com. Code “swu” from promotional partner StandWithUs saves purchasers 15%.
Julie Paris, Mid-Atlantic regional director of StandWithUs, said she hopes to “see the community come out in full force to support Zach for a fantastic night of comedy.”
Additionally, in observance of the laws of kashrut, food will not be served at the event, Paris continued. “A selection of kosher wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Also, as is standard for City Winery events, there is a two-drink — including coffee, tea, wine, soft drinks — minimum per patron.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
comments