Bio — Up Late with Johnny Potenza

A WHOLE NEW SHOW

Following a successful ten-year run on LATE NIGHT WITH JOHNNY P, "Kings of Staten Island" 2018 Award-winner Johnny Potenza is back with a new late-night talk show, UP LATE WITH JOHNNY POTENZA! Produced by Johnny Potenza, early eps of the "Rat Pack"-style Variety show have featured guests from the worlds of television, film, rock-and-roll, stand-up comedy and pro sports.

For the series premiere, in December 2019, Potenza welcomed one of the all-time legendary late-night guests, "The Amazing Kreskin," who the world came to know thanks to The Tonight Show and Johnny Carson. From there Up Late's early slate of guests has grown to include professional athletes like New York Giant's tight end Scott Simonson and the WBA's 2009 super welterweight champ Yuri Foreman, along with screen actors Lenny Venito (God's Pocket, Men in Black 3, and the Bill Murray dramedy St. Vincent) and Garry Pastore, whose lengthy list of credits reads like a who's-who of high-end films: Do the Right Thing, Goodfellas, Cop Land and, more recently, Martin Scorcese's Oscar-nominated picture The Irishman, starring Robert DeNiro. Also in The Irishman – Potenza himself! Having been spotted on Late Night with Johnny P by top New York casting director Ellen Lewis, Up Late's host appears prominently, if fleetingly, in the wedding scene late into Scorcese's Netflix masterpiece.

Separating itself from the previous show, Up Late with Johnny Potenza promises a bit more comedy and a (slightly) more mature host. While stand-ups like Tara Cannistraci and Mike Marino continue to represent a staple of the late night format, the new show will add a wrinkle, featuring comedy sketch segments.

THE SAME OLD HOST:

Somehow it feels "right" that jack-of-all-trades Johnny Potenza grew up the son of a firefighter-slash-old-time plasterer. After all, this Brooklyn-born and Staten Island-raised Renaissance Man has spent his life pursuing multiple paths, too, logging time as a musician, a TV producer and an on-camera talent. As if that wasn’t enough, along the way he carried on the family tradition of plastering – as his on-again, off-again “survival” job. Indeed, Johnny Potenza is nothing if not a survivor.

An accomplished drummer from the age of twelve, Johnny studied under multiple professional drummers, including the great Frank Bellucci and Jim Chapin, father of famed '70s singer-songwriter Harry Chapin. And the lessons paid off – Potenza was out playing the bar scene before his 16th birthday, like a Bada Bing-style Justin Bieber.

Johnny kicked off those early bar playing days with the group The Same, hooking on later with another New York-based band, Barrage. From there, and to this day, Johnny plays with NYB "None of Your Business," which has served as the opening act for members of such iconic bands as KISS, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Twisted Sister.

Always at home behind the drums, Johnny found a home for himself at Staten Island Community Television, where he has worked steadily – both behind and in front of the camera – for two decades. He got his start at CTV working on a show that is absolutely classic Johnny P: The Gangsters of Rock. That program – think Wayne's World meets Goodfellas – compiled rock-and-roll footage from both local and national acts and mixed it with scenes from iconic mob movies like The Godfather, A Bronx Tale and Donnie Brasco. In fact, it was on Gangsters of Rock that Johnny earned his first industry nickname – "The Wiseguy of Rock and Roll" – as well as two NOVA Awards. More recently, Johnny won the "Kings of Staten Island" Award for Best Entertainment Show.

Over the years, Johnny also managed to carve out a niche for himself as a character actor in independent film. He appeared in Fish (Hoboken Film Festival) and Jersey Shore Massacre, which landed at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and at the Melbourne Film Festival, winning Best Horror Thriller. But the role he was born to play came as host of that NOVA AWARD-winning talk show, Late Night with Johnny P. During the ten-year run of that show, Johnny served as producer, editor and host, and found himself interviewing – among countless others – legendary TV personality JOE FRANKLIN, Sopranos regular VINCENT "Big Pussy" PASTORE and the late, great "Big Ang" of Mob Wives. More recently, on his new show, Up Late with Johnny Potenza, the charismatic host welcomed "The Amazing Kreskin," best known for his hilarious appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Behind the mic and in front of the camera, Johnny Potenza's persona resides somewhere in the sweet spot of lovable goodfella and a local sort of Regis. Glass-is-half-full and chock full of the funny – even when he doesn't mean to be, especially then – his is a relentless, off-beat brand of charming naiveté; an odd blend of edgy good guy and unvarnished everyman. And clearly it's working – on top of 100-plus episodes of Late Night with Johnny P., audiences are all-in on the newest venture from Potenza and his crew, Up Late with Johnny Potenza.

Watchable, root-able and undeniably charismatic, the best part of Johnny Potenza may actually be something he lacks – an edit button. Yes, what you see is – hysterically and always – what you get. Despite those years of struggle and hard work, this talented survivor has only just begun. He's ready for what comes next; ready to put his face, and his show, into the homes of the American public. Johnny Potenza has become a household name in his neck of the woods; now it's damn well time he branched out!

Staten Island's very own, Johnny Potenza.

Written By John Cockrell Writer/ Producer