Robby Hoffman Calls Her Comedy Rise 'a Miracle': Inside Her Path from a 'Chaotic' Childhood to Emmy Nomination (Exclusive)

Brianne TracyThu, June 4, 2026 at 6:39 PM UTC

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Robby HoffmanCredit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic -

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Robby Hoffman reflects on her journey from a Hasidic Jewish upbringing in Montreal to Emmy-nominated success

She credits years of hard work in stand-up and writing for her career-defining roles and Netflix comedy special

Hoffman shares insights on her marriage to Gabby Windey and her upcoming HBO projects, including Unentitled

Robby Hoffman wears many hats — actor, writer, comedian — and when she pops onto Zoom for her PEOPLE interview, she's literally wearing one that reads "Main Character."

The label feels especially fitting for her these days, though she insists the style choice wasn't intentional.

"I really didn't care what this hat said on it — it's just that it was small enough to fit my head," she says in her thick Brooklyn accent. "Then I read it, and I was like, 'Oh, okay. I'm not mad at that at all.' "

It's certainly been a banner year for Hoffman, 39. Since being nominated for an Emmy for her recurring role as Randi on HBO Max's Hacksin 2025, she's gone on to debut a Netflix comedy special, Wake Up, score a role alongside Steve Carell on HBO's Rooster and launch a comedy tour across North America.

"I don't want to jinx anything, but it's pretty good to be me right now," admits Hoffman, who adds she's thankful her career-defining stretch came after years of grinding in television writing and the stand-up circuit.

This level of success "out of the blue wouldn't feel manageable," she explains. "What's happening with the Heated Rivalry boys — that feels like there's no on-ramp. We've been revving up to highway speed for a while."

Lauren Tsai and Robby Hoffman in 'Rooster'Credit: Katrina Marcinowski/HBO

Part of Hoffman's comedic appeal is that her jokes remain rooted in the raw realities of her life: Her marriage to former Bachelorette Gabby Windey, along with her upbringing in a Hasidic Jewish household as one of 10 children, is a frequent source of inspiration.

"I'm mining my life for stories every night," she says. "How convenient is that?"

Born in Brooklyn, Hoffman moved as a kid with her mother and siblings to an Orthodox community in Montreal after her parents divorced in the '90s. She remembers crying "every day" as a child while sharing tight quarters with five brothers and four sisters.

"It was the chaos," she says. "We were poor and it was very hard and I was always fighting with my brothers. I would just be on the floor crying with so much frustration. Then I moved out on my own and it was just quiet. I just stopped crying."

While studying accounting in college, she scored free tickets to Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival, and a light bulb went off. "I was just like, 'Oh, I could do that.' But I still didn't know it was a career."

After graduating, Hoffman accepted a job at an accounting firm, but on the first day of grad school for her CPA certificate, she dropped out to pursue comedy. While growing her name in stand-up, she began working as a writers' assistant on the PBS children's show Odd Squad in 2015.

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Robby Hoffman performing in FebruaryCredit: Michael S. Schwartz/Getty

Four years later she won a Daytime Emmy for her writing on the live-action series and released her first stand-up special. She also caught the attention of comedian John Mulaney, who directed Wake Up.

"He's like a knight in shining armor," Hoffman says. "He was pivotal in going, 'I want everyone to know about her.' It feels like Batman and Robin — and my name's Robby."

Recently, Hoffman says Mulaney proved his chivalry, too.

"We went for dinner after a show we did, and I'm freezing cold," she says. "They're blasting the AC. And Mulaney leaves the table. I don't know why. He comes back five minutes later with a jacket for me. As the boy in my relationship, this doesn't happen to me too often."

Now one-half of one of the Internet's most beloved couples, Hoffman met Windey, 35, outside of a bar in Los Angeles in 2023, before Windey had come out publicly.

"I thought she was gorgeous," Hoffman recalls. "Somebody spotted me from my stand-up, which was tremendous because it got me an in with her."

Just 13 days into dating, Hoffman told Windey she loved her. "I was very honest about my intentions and how I felt. I'm pretty decisive."

Robby Hoffman and wife Gabby Windey in FebruaryCredit: Amy Sussman/Getty

To prove her point, Hoffman compares the relationship to her 12-year commitment to the same eyeglass style.

"They were on a teddy bear in a window of an optometrist, and I thought, 'They look small enough for me,'" she says, before circling back to Windey. "I always tell Gabby, 'I need at least 50 years with you. Give me 50 years, and then make a decision.'"

As for what comes next, she's trying not to box herself in. In addition to touring and a second season of Rooster, she's developing the HBO comedy Unentitled, which she'll cowrite and star in.

"I don't limit dreams—I don't limit anything," she says. "Every day that I do what I love is a miracle."

For more from Robby Hoffman, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE on stands Friday.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”