What was Matt Rife’s first viral TikTok video and how did it go viral?

Matt Rife might just be the next big thing in comedy.

The 28-year-old funnyman has only been on the scene for a few years, but that dark, wry Millennial sense of humor is already making waves. The release of his three self-produced comedy specials rocketed Rife to fame, and gave the comedian space to release 2021’s OnlyFans, and 2023’s Matthew Steven Rife and Walking Red Flag. Each of the specials has helped Rife’s star rise higher, and they’re slowly cementing him as a comedian to watch.

All Rife’s growing fame started on a little video sharing app we know well, by now. TikTok has made many stars in its time, but few of them went on to become successful comedians. Sure, the D’Amelios’ show is still going strong, but they’re not slaying audiences with a quick wit and dry delivery. Rife is, only years after properly launching his comedy career, and it all started with a TikTok.

Matt Rife’s first viral TikTok

The TikTok that helped launch Rife‘s career hit the video sharing app in July of 2022, and almost instantly became a viral sensation. The video, posted to Rife’s page, is two and a half minutes long, and contains a small portion of an early-career stand up performance. The video, now broadly referred to as “the Lazy Hero,” shows as Rife trades words with an audience member and jokes about an exes’ career in the Emergency Department.

Its a great bit, and a perfect example of the kind of humor that earned Rife so many fans. Its quippy, a bit biting, but perpetually real, and it feels like you’re simply joking with a friend. Its a big part of Rife’s appeal, and — according to the star — he almost didn’t post it to TikTok. He was feeling down on his career in summer of 2022, and was starting to give up on a future in comedy. As he was set to perform on a stage that only begrudgingly invited him along, Rife was feeling hopeless about his prospects. He made the decision not to post the “Lazy Hero” TikTok because, at that point, he figured it wouldn’t make a difference.

Thankfully, one of Rife’s friends convinced him to post the video to TikTok, and the rest, as they say, is history. The video caught the attention of the web, went promptly viral — thanks to its cutting back and forth — and soon elevated Rife to full-blown stardom. He’s on a sharp rise in the world of comedy, these days, and — as it turns out — he’s got TikTok to thank for his newfound fame.