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Local stand-up comic to appear on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

MAYFIELD, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A stand-up comedian with roots in Northeastern Pennsylvania will be performing on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Samantha Ruddy, 30, originally of Mayfield, attended Holy Cross High School when it was known as Bishop O’Hara, where she graduated in 2010. After high school, she attended and graduated from Syracuse University.

Ruddy says she started doing stand-up comedy in February 2013 and in December of the same year she graduated a semester early and moved to New York City.

Ruddy was performing all over New York City and even appeared on The Colbert Show in 2019 until the pandemic hit. When the COVID pandemic took over the nation, Ruddy took a break from performing.

However, since then, she is a Digital Producer for Samantha Bee’s show Full Frontal and she is back performing her stand-up comedy, which will be featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Wednesday night.

Eyewitness News asked Ruddy how she came to be on the show and she said it’s a bit of a lengthy process.

I sent them the jokes I wanted to perform and they liked them, so then I sent in a tape of me performing the jokes. Then the next day my manager let me know that the show called and they wanted me to perform. It felt so amazing especially after the pandemic break, it was definitely a back to normal moment for me.”

Samantha Ruddy – Stand-Up Comedian

Ruddy explained that the whole process took about five months so that she could really refine her act and get it down perfectly. Even though the process took a while, Ruddy said it was worth it because she was so prepared she could’ve performed her set in her sleep.

“Jimmy is so nice and so sweet, it felt like one big party. I got to bring my closest friends, it was really incredible.

Eyewitness News asked what was in store next for the stand-up comedian to which she replied,

“I just want to savor this moment because they are few and far between and take a while to happen so I’m just going to take time to enjoy it.

Viewers can catch Samantha Ruddy performing her stand-up routine on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Wednesday at 11:35 p.m. on WBRE