“She’s so important to my infrastructure,” Matt Rife says of his girlfriend Jessica Lord, 25. The 28-year-old comedian caught PEOPLE backstage at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday. Rife explains that he usually prefers to keep his relationship with the English actress and dancer under wraps, saying: “She’s newer, but I think I prefer to keep it on the more private side. Just because, I think, people are literally crazy,” he laughs. But still he scatters a little, he is delighted when he mentions how the Lord helps him stay grounded.
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“She makes me take time for myself, obviously, and I love that. Whenever she says, ‘Can we have tomorrow to ourselves?’ I said, ‘Thank you. I would love to have that.’ ”Personal time is something Rife sees very little of these days as his star continues to rise. He describes his busy schedule as “a nightmare in the best possible way.” In just one year, the comics and TikTok giant – with 17 million followers on the platform – has landed on Forbes’ list of top content creators, after quickly selling out his world tour ProbleMATTic, with a total of more than 750,000 tickets sold. This amazing year for Rife is a real leap from the year before.
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“Last July, I was really thinking about quitting comedy, going back to Ohio and getting a normal job…” Rife said on stage at the Cleveland Public Auditorium on Tuesday. While he admits he’s hesitant to slow down with all his attention, he does his best to follow the wisdom of one of his comedy heroes, Dave Chappelle. “Dave Chappelle actually gave me this advice, he said, on this tour, ‘Make sure you still find time to live your life. Because that’s where the material comes from.’ — Rife explains that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the business side of your rising career. “It’s wonderful to be able to think about work. But you have to create; you still have to have your personal life.”
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Matt Rife is seen in Midtown on August 17, 2023 in New York City.
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Rife’s massive popularity among his Gen Z followers is reminiscent of Dane Cook. Rife says people often mention this career comparison to him. “So many other people bring it to my attention…” “That’s someone who’s reached the pinnacle of comedy success, isn’t he?” Rife says of Cook, “Imagine how many people loved him, right? Think how many people hate him. So as much as people love me right now, just as many people hate me.”
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However, he has a formula that helps him focus on his fans instead of the negativity. “Don’t worry about the things you do that people don’t like. Focus on the things you do that people like and make more of those things for them. Because these are the people who bless you with a career.” He adds that the Lord is key to his finding balance. “She is most worried about my sleeping problem. She always makes sure I eat that day and makes sure I get my work done so I have free time.”
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Although Rife doesn’t release any of her material for Lorde, she says she likes to make fun of her on stage. “But she loves it,” he adds. “She’s British, so she has the best sense of humour.” The comic also touches on the sense of spirituality he manages to maintain through his busy lifestyle. “I don’t want to stop working. But yes, I think there has to be a level of spirituality, and it can be as simple as gratitude. You can be proud of yourself…” “It doesn’t have to be anything incredibly spiritual, just some kind of awareness of where you are and what you’ve done to get here and what you have to do to stay here.”
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Source: HIS Education