Trevor Noah is a top standup comedian and the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. He has achieved a lot, however he attributes much of his success to his mother, Patricia Noah, praising her strength and resilience.
When Trevor Noah wrote his book, Born a Crime, he wanted to present himself as a hero. But during the writing process, he discovered that honour went to his mother.
“I thought that I was the hero of my story, [but] in writing it I came to realise over time that my mom was the hero,” Trevor said in 2016. “I was lucky enough to be in the shadow of a giant.”
Patricia Noah grew up when South Africa was under the racial legislation of Apartheid—a system of segregation that lasted 50 years. Under Apartheid, Patricia risked imprisonment by giving birth to Trevor, whose father was white. The possibility of imprisonment forced her to raise Trevor in partial secrecy.
“My grandmother kept me locked in the house when I was staying with the family in Soweto,” said Trevor.
He explained that Patricia often had to pretend they weren’t related when in public, lest she be arrested.
To cope with her tough life, Patricia not relied on humour.
“My mom was the first true comedian I ever saw,” said Trevor. “She’s like a clown when you talk to her. She’s very animated. She pulls faces. She changes her voice. Physically, she could do funny things. She’s comfortable with mime. She thinks like a standup without realising it… These were just natural talents that she possessed and she passed them down to me.”
“We’ve overcome a lot because of laughter,” said Trevor. “I think that’s why I love comedy so much, it’s because it’s the thing that has kept my family going through every single type of adversity.”
Happy Mother’s Day.