Meet Rob Wentz, a local stand-up comedian and actor. He grew up in New Orleans, where he was a child actor and featured in Spike Lee’s "Miracle at St. Anna." He moved to Sandpoint at 13 and, after graduating high school, decided to try stand-up — and fell in love with it.

Generation: I describe myself as a millennial raised by boomers, so I look young but I like Cheerios and Fox News.

Career and community involvement: I put on a few local shows here and there. My plan is to put on more shows in the area and donate the proceeds to a charitable organization to fight homelessness.

Parental status: My parents are still alive and married, surprisingly.

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1. Why did you pursue stand-up comedy as your line of work?

I grew up loving to make people laugh, at first because of the instant reward of getting attention. As I grew older I realized it is a good way to get a point across. I woke up one day and just decided to start doing what I want to do before it was too late.

2. What do you think makes someone funny?

The things that make people funny are timing and energy. If you have good comedic timing and have the right amount of energy for your material, it should work. Also as a general rule, tragedy + time = comedy.

3. Who are a few of your biggest comedic idols?

Bill Burr, Sam Kinison, Chris Farley, Mark Normand, Joe Rogan and Dave Chapelle, just to name a few. These guys all bring a certain energy to the stage I really like, as well as saying things that are meaningful and relatable on stage.

4. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I run a mile in under six minutes.

5. What are the toughest and most rewarding aspects of stand-up?

The toughest aspect is learning how to rewrite a joke that has promise but isn’t quite working because you don’t know what you need to do to make it work. The most rewarding aspect is when those jokes work.