Dan Soder: From Stand-Up Comedy To Billions And Beyond
Discover the journey of Dan Soder—from his early days in Colorado to starring in Showtime’s Billions, hosting hit radio shows, and releasing top comedy specials. Learn how he became one of today’s most relatable and versatile comedians.
Jul 30, 202555.3K Shares738.1K Views
Dan Soderis a well-known stand-up comedian and actor who has gained popularity for his sharp humor and laid-back style. Many fans recognize him from his role as Mafee on the hit Showtime series Billions. He has also been a regular voice on radio, co-hosting The Bonfireon SiriusXM with fellow comedian Big Jay Oakerson. With a strong presence in both comedy clubs and on screen, Soder has built a solid career through his honest, relatable jokes and quick wit. His work continues to draw attention from both comedy fans and TV audiences.
Early Life
Dan Soder was born on June 24, 1983 in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up in Aurora, Colorado. He comes from a mixed heritage of Irish and Swedish roots. While he was in high school, his father passed away after a long illness, and two years later his sister died in a car accident. He attended Smoky Hill High School and became friends with Mike McDaniel, who later became an NFL head coach. After high school, Dan went on to study at the University of Arizona, earning degrees in journalism and political science in 2005. It was during college that he first tried stand-up comedy. A year after graduating, he moved to New York City to pursue his comedy career.
Career
Dan Soder started appearing on comedy television, including Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, Conan, MTV2’s Guy Code and Guy Court, Opie and Anthony, The Anthony Cumia Show, and Fox Sports 1’s Garbage Time with Katie Nolan. He also appeared on podcasts like You Know What Dude! with Robert Kelly and was a frequent guest on Opie with Jim Norton, often called their “third mic”.
On July 27, 2015, he began co‑hosting a live radio talk show, The Bonfire, with comedian Big Jay Oakerson on SiriusXM’s Comedy Central Radio. It aired Monday through Thursday, first from 6 pm to 8 pm Eastern Time. In March 2021, the show moved to Faction Talk and changed time to 5–7 pm Eastern after Comedy Central Radio shut down its talk shows. Dan left The Bonfire in February 2023, and comedian Robert Kelly replaced him. In November 2023, he started his own podcast called Soder, and in 2024 he also helped launch The Regz, a podcast with Luis J. Gomez, Joe List, and Robert Kelly.
He made multiple guest episodes on Inside Amy Schumer starting in 2014, and he had a small part in Amy Schumer’s film Trainwreck (2015). On March 19, 2016, he appeared on the wrestling podcast Wrestling Soup. He’s a big wrestling fan and is known for his impression of “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
In 2016, he released his first full-length stand‑up special, Not Special, on Comedy Central. Later that year, he began a recurring role on the Showtime series Billions, playing Dudley “Mafee” in many seasons, and was cast in the comedy movie Drunk Parents (released in 2019) with Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek.
In July 2017, Netflix featured him in their new stand‑up series The Standups, where he performed a 30‑minute set near the end of season one. His HBO special Son of a Gary premiered on December 7, 2019. In more recent years, he appeared in the Showtime series Flatbush Misdemeanors (2022), and he has also voiced a character in Paradise PD, and released a YouTube special called On the Road (2024).
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