Samuel Waxman Matteo Lane's new Hulu comedy special,The Al Dente Special,is now available for streaming Before becoming a comedian, Lane worked as a storyboard artist and was trained classically in opera "When I'm writing jokes, my brain's back to being a sponge, absorbing everything around me, like 'Oh, that might be a funny idea,' or 'That could work,'" Lane says about coming up with ideas for the special When he wasn't working as a storyboard artist, training classically in opera, or painting in Italy, Matteo Lane was searching for that elusive "something" missing in his life. "Even when I was four, I said I wanted to be a famous comedic actor likeJim Carrey. I knew I had something," the 38-year-old comedian tells PEOPLE. "It was always the feeling of something else is waiting for me. And once I found standup, that feeling left me. I thought, 'This is my goal in life. I'm doing this forever.' It's kind of felt like a calling." Now, Lane is drawing from his diverse past and Italian-Mexican heritage to bring his story to life in the new Hulu comedy special,The Al Dente Special, which is now streaming. "There have been moments where I can pull those sort of 'past lives' into my current life because standup is so sponge-like, where you can just kind of fit yourself anywhere in any situation," he says. Related:Gayle King Quotes Gay Slur While Retelling Standup Joke on Live TV: 'I Hope I Don't Get in Trouble' Lane's turning point came at 21 while watchingJoan Riversperform. "I thought my whole life was just going to be art, but I always kind of felt like I belonged on stage, and something about Joan unlocked it for me," he says. "That changed the game. When I saw Joan, I felt like that's what I want to do." Related:Melissa Rivers and Other Comics Strike a Pose with Joan Rivers' Ashes to Celebrate Upcoming Tribute Show (Exclusive) Although he began his comedy career in 2009, Lane says he didn't truly "make it" until 2021. "That was when I was posting my own stuff online," he recalls. "Networks like Netflix and HBO — the gatekeepers — had an idea of what a gay person was supposed to be. They didn't see the value in gay men just being funny. So I did it on my own, and it turns out, there was an audience for me." Whether he was performing for a seven-person crowd in Ohio or selling out shows in New York City, Lane says the comedy community and his fans have always lifted him up. "I thought it was a good experience for me for years and years to do shows for people who don't know gay people, or don't have the same perspective on the world that I do," he explains. Christopher Willard/Disney "I really enjoyed that challenge because I try to be an optimist, and I think we all have more in common than we think. A lot of other people are telling us we don't have something in common. So if someone has a negative idea about a gay person, and they see me and they laugh, maybe in the future they'll think of that. I'm not curing cancer, but I think little by little, we have to find a common ground. And I think humor's a great way to do that." In his new Hulu special, Lane continues to find fresh ways to make people laugh. He credits a mix of improv and being "a sponge" for how the material comes together. "When I'm writing jokes, my brain's back to being a sponge, absorbing everything around me, like 'Oh, that might be a funny idea,' or 'That could work,'" he says. "It just happens. I was walking to the gym, I was on 3rd and McDougall, and these three white women walked by, having this funny conversation, and it hit me. I wrote it down, did it at the Comedy Cellar that night and it worked — so I kept it." Of course, it wouldn't be a Lane special without some good-natured self-deprecation, too. "The older I got, the more I wanted to find a way to make the stories from my Mexican side palatable for an audience and funny for me," he explains. "I talk about being Italian all the time, because I grew up mainly with Italian culture, but this was the first time I really dove into my Mexican heritage — the culture and the drama." Dia Dipasupil/Getty Related:Netflix Adds to Comedy Festival Lineup with Shows from John Mulaney, Snoop Dogg and Bill Burr Now that the special has aired, Lane is ready to do absolutely nothing. "I've done enough. I am taking the summer off," he tells PEOPLE. "I'll be writing new jokes, but I haven't taken a proper vacation in so long, so I'm going to Thailand and Cambodia with friends to see another part of the world." Still, taking a break doesn't mean putting his dreams on hold. "I would play Fanny Brice inFunny Girl," he says of a role he's always wanted. "Maybe one day, before my voice gives out." The Al Dente Specialis now streaming on Hulu. Read the original article onPeople