A chat with comedian, golfer and actor in Farrelly Brothers films “There’s Something about Mary” and “Me, Myself and Irene”

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Stand-up comedian Jackie Flynn has an instinct when it comes to comedy.

"As a comic, there are those 'aha' moments for when you know what's funny," said Flynn, who has been on the comedy circuit for more than 30 years.

He's been on stages at Comedy Store and Laugh Factory, has headlined in Las Vegas. After being discovered by the Farrelly Brothers, he starred in television shows such as "The King of Queens" and films such as "King Pin," "There's Something About Mary," "Me, Myself and Irene," "Stuck on You," “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and 2012’s “The Three Stooges.”

On Saturday, he will make his way to Steamboat Springs for the first time. Beginning at 8 p.m., he and his opening act, Kevin Fitzgerald, a familiar face in Denver's comedy scene, will take the Chief Theater stage.

Flynn has parlayed his success as a stand-up comedian with what he describes as sarcastic observational humor of wit and rapid-fire delivery of punch lines.

"We are all human and share the same emotions or have similar things that happen to us," he said. "If you're successful, the standup material will resonate with the crowd, somehow."

Originally from Boston, Flynn, in his early days, shared the comedy circuit with the likes of Joe Rogan, Nick Dipaolo, Jackie Flynn, Louis C.K., Dane Cook and Bill Burr.

"My dad was a pretty funny guy who was always telling jokes and always had a love for comedy," Flynn said. "I guess that was where it started, and I just remember listening to a lot of comedy albums, like George Carlin and Cheech & Chong, memorizing jokes, then trying them out on friends."

After going to school for theater, he started doing standup shortly after and, in 1995, was discovered by the Farrelly Brothers during a standup show he was performing at for a benefit event. In addition to numerous film roles, he's also had a hand in punch up writing the scripts to add a bit of extra humor.

"The thing about stand up is that it's my voice, and you get that instant gratification," he said. "With acting, you have to wait until it goes through the editing process, where, with stand-up, I say the joke and, Boom — you get that automatic feedback of hopefully making someone laugh. It's more personal than someone else's jokes or lines in a film."

Material for his standup, Flynn said, comes from everyday life, his wife and children or things he's experience.

"There really no set way or formula to do it," he said. "Sometimes, it just takes writing a joke out, then trying it at open mic nights to work out all of the kinks. Inspiration comes when you least expect it, and I'll even have a pen and paper with me on stage if something comes to mind."

Though he doesn't include a lot of golf material, Flynn said that, when he’s not acting or doing stand-up, he's out on the golf course. He’s so good that he's been invited to play in celebrity golf tournaments by the likes of, Clint Eastwood, who invited him several times to play the annual AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm Golf Tournament in Monterey.

"There's a thrill to comedy, and that's what I love about it," Flynn said. "It's like in your own life, when you tell someone a funny story, there's the gratification and thrill of having the ability to make someone laugh."