- Robby Hoffman says 2025 was her breakout year but rejects the “overnight success” label.
- Her first Netflix stand-up special, Wake Up, was directed by John Mulaney.
- Hoffman built her career over a decade through writing and stand-up before the special.
H2: From steady work to a breakout year
Comedian Robby Hoffman told the Los Angeles Times that while 2025 felt like a pivotal year, she has never considered herself an overnight success. Hoffman’s first Netflix stand-up special, Wake Up, directed by John Mulaney, arrived after years of steady work writing and performing — a trajectory she says explains why the sudden spotlight feels earned rather than accidental.
H3: The Netflix moment: Wake Up
Wake Up is Hoffman’s debut stand-up special on Netflix and has become the centerpiece of a busy year for the comic. The special, produced and released in 2025, introduced Hoffman’s voice to a much larger audience and helped elevate her profile across late-night, streaming and festival circuits.
H4: A decade of building craft
Hoffman emphasized that the success of this year grew out of a long stretch of writing, testing material in clubs and contributing to various projects behind the scenes. Rather than a single breakthrough, she frames 2025 as the culmination of roughly a decade of hard work that laid the groundwork for wider recognition.
H3: Collaboration with John Mulaney
One headline-making detail of Hoffman’s rise is the involvement of John Mulaney as director of Wake Up. That collaboration drew attention both for Mulaney’s established name in comedy and for how it showcases Hoffman’s material on a larger stage. The pairing became a talking point in coverage of the special and the many interviews Hoffman gave after its release.
H4: What comes next
With the Netflix special expanding her audience, Hoffman is positioned to pursue new opportunities in stand-up, writing and television. She has spoken about continuing to hone material on stage and remaining rooted in the long-term work that produced this moment.
H2: Watch and follow
The Los Angeles Times interview and coverage placed Hoffman’s 2025 rise in context, underscoring that her profile was built incrementally. For video coverage from the Times, see their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/losangelestimes
By Leila Jordan | Dec. 17, 2025
(Photo credit: Aaron Wynia)
This article focuses on Hoffman’s reflection that a headline-making year does not erase the years of craft and grind that led to it. Her message — steady work matters — is one comedians and fans have echoed as her profile grows.
Image Referance: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-12-17/2025-was-robby-hoffmans-year-but-dont-call-her-overnight-success
