Comedian Robby Hoffman has recently gained widespread recognition, notably for her roles in the HBO comedy “Rooster” and the critically acclaimed series “Hacks,” in which she portrays a former Hasidic Jew from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, who navigates the complexities of Hollywood life. Her performances draw heavily on her personal background, having grown up in a large, ultra-Orthodox Hasidic family as the seventh of ten children in Crown Heights. Hoffman's upbringing in a low-income household profoundly shapes both her comedic style and perspective on fame and fortune.

Hoffman has spoken candidly about her early life, describing it as challenging and at times tumultuous. She recalls enduring summers without air conditioning and living in an environment marked by hardship and fear. Her father, she said, was physically abusive toward her mother, a reality that left a lasting impact. Although she acknowledges the pressures her parents faced at a young age—her father was 35 and her mother 30 when they had their large family—Hoffman does not excuse the abuse but tries to contextualize it within the constraints of their religious and social framework.

Growing up in poverty left a lasting imprint on Hoffman’s worldview. She describes her current experiences with wealth and fame as “tremendous” but not fundamentally transformative in terms of how she sees the world. Observing affluent circles, she notes a different kind of social dynamic—one she characterizes as “rich weird,” marked by a lack of generosity and an unfamiliar sense of detachment. In contrast, she finds that generosity is far more common in poorer households, where people are more willing to share despite having less material wealth.

Hoffman’s comedy reflects much of her history. Her bluntness and unfiltered approach often come from her attempts as a teenager to fit in and hide aspects of her identity, including her socioeconomic background and her sexuality, which she eventually could no longer suppress after being outed. Humor, she explains, was a tool for coping with difficulties, deeply embedded in her family culture, where laughter was often rough and raw but ever-present.

Her recent Netflix special, “Wake Up,” along with her ongoing tour, continue to draw from these personal experiences, blending candid social commentary with her unique comedic voice. Despite her rising success, Hoffman emphasizes that she remains grounded in the realities of her upbringing, maintaining a complex relationship with the idea of wealth and comfort, and displaying a comfort with being uncomfortable both on stage and in life.