
BIO
An international award winning performer, Sam Malcolm has combined natural talent and a desire to entertain and make people laugh with hard work and dedication to his craft. With his athleticism and interest in the ridiculous, it’s no wonder Sam has become one of the world’s top jugglers. His skeptical and curious nature combined with his sarcastic and witty sens of humor have also made him an innovative and original stand-up comic. Pairing his jaw-dropping juggling proficiency with comedic cleverness, Sam performs with heart and does whatever it takes to make each show he performs engaging and extraordinary.
A man of many talents, Sam does more than impress or get a laugh. He uses his abilities to connect others from all walks of life through a unique blend of honesty, humility, compassion, and of course, humor. This directness this has created between him and his audiences has allowed Sam to speak about issues which he has experienced first hand or seen within his community and the world at large.
Sam’s warmhearted nature has been with him his whole life. Born May 10, 1990, Sam is originally from the Stillwater Paiute-Shoshone Reservation. Growing up on the reservation, he experienced and witnessed the struggles of discrimination, racism, poverty, and substance abuse on his community. His passion for connecting through performance stems from his desire to alleviate the pain of these realities from those around him. Sam aims to use his success as an entertainer as a way to inspire and educate youth from his community as well as those from similar paths. His love for his community and pride in his culture have been a constant motivation for him to be a positive example for the next generation.
Since a young age, Sam has taken part or shown interest in all forms of sports and display of human physical ability. Learning how to juggle shortly before graduating from High School in 2008, his natural propensity for the skill drove his interest forward. This eventually resulted in Sam moving to Denver, Colorado to explore more opportunities for training and still forming career. With ambitions of pushing himself to new levels, Sam’s work ethic and focus allowed him to make a name for himself in a few short years as one of the world’s top jugglers. In 2013, Sam took home his first gold medal from the International Jugglers’ Association Numbers Championship. He has since won several awards related to his juggling, including the Boulder Circus Arts Award, X Juggling Awards, and was a finalist at the 2016 IJA Stage Championships.
With so many accomplishments as a juggler, it’s no surprise that Sam spent several years performing his 8 minute solo act in circuses. But even with so much success, he felt he was missing something he loved his whole life; comedy. He began working his way through local open-mics, making a name for himself as a stand-up comedian. But he soon became frustrated at the lack of time he could devote to juggling in his performance. This lead him to shift his focus from the standard venues and explore more modest avenues of performance to connect with people. Sam began street performing, showcasing his juggling skills while working towards making strangers laugh. He quickly developed a show which displays world-class juggling, stand-up and physical comedy, and his passion for connecting with people from all walks of life. He has translated this into shows he can perform in outdoor venues such as fairs and festivals, as well as theatres, colleges, comedy clubs, and corporate events.
The exciting and raw nature of Sam’s show has made him a hit with audiences and won him countless awards, such as the San Diego Busker’s Festival People’s Choice Award, Best Outdoor Show at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, and he was recently asked to open for 30 Seconds to Mars by Denver radio station 93.3 KTCL.
Today, while focusing on performing the best show possible, Sam devotes time and energy into giving back to his community. He is vocal about educating youth, overcoming stereotypes and aims to be a positive role model with strong cultural values and principles. Sam also works to bring awareness to issues within Native communities through performance and programs with various tribes.
AWARDS
Sam has won the following awards:
International Jugglers' Association 2013 Numbers Champion - Gold Medal
International Jugglers' Association 2014 Numbers Champion - Silver Medal
Butterfly Man International Busking Competition 2014 - Bronze Medal
2015 Bentonville International Street Performers Festival - 1st Place
Xtreme Juggling 2014 - 7 Ball Champion
2014 Cleveland Circus Festival Award Winner
2016 Boulder Circus Arts Award Winner
San Diego Busker Festival People's Choice Award Winner 2018
Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival Best Outdoor Show 2018
Michigan Busker Festival Funniest Comedy Act 2019