Zachariah Porter chats with PEOPLE about his character costume closet and why he's partnered with Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Zachariah Porter talks to PEOPLE about outfitting his many TikTok characters
- Porter is partnered with Baileys Irish Cream liqueur for St. Patrick’s Day
- The comedian also chats about pulling from his real life to come up with fun characters for his popular TikTok videos
You might not recognize Zachariah Porter without one of his 50-plus wigs on. There's the long blonde one he pulled out for a Mrs. Claus series over the holiday season; a short-spiky pixie cut that's a repeat performer; and a brunette shoulder-length bob that is mostly deployed for "mom" content.
But Porter's 4.3M TikTok followers are certainly familiar with his slice of life skits and stand-up bits.
"I had 75 wigs, but I did a deep Christmas cleanse this year, and now I'm down to 53," Porter, 31, tells PEOPLE in March while chatting about his partnership with Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur ahead of St. Patrick's Day.
Porter, whose characters have earned him millions of views, says he pieces together his looks from thrift stores and online retailers.
"It was a really sad farewell to those other wigs, but those were beyond repair," he admits. "I have an entire costume character room in my house that I get to pull from. When I do content like this with Baileys, it's just fun to be like, 'Okay, what character am I doing today?' So, it's all down there. It's actually nicely displayed for the first time in the seven years I've done this."
Of course, Porter's characters don't come out of thin air — there's truth to the people he plays vertically. "Everything I do is really related to the people that I grew up around," he tells PEOPLE.
Still, though, "my mom says [my mom character is] not her," Porter laughs, adding later, "Her favorite character should be 'mom' because, 'Your father's is p—-d,' that is a direct quote from her venting on the phone. That is her, but I think it's too close to home for her to admit it."
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Porter, a Massachusetts native, says he comes from a "very blue-collar background." His father and brothers work in construction; his mom in the food service industry. They're "super supportive," he says, though, of course, content creation opportunities were "not even a thing when I was a kid."
"No one could ever anticipate this would be a job, but everyone's along for the ride now and they have a lot of fun with me," Porter adds.
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The comedian is currently finishing up his Big Back Behavior Tour, an experience he's relished. "There's nothing like it," he says. "A comment is hysterical, but seeing people laugh in a real room is otherworldly for me. And I'm learning so much how to be a stronger performer. I didn't come from this background and I'm learning on the fly."
It hasn't all been smooth sailing. "Anyone who came to Las Vegas show in September [2025]" would know, he laughs. " 'Wow, you did something new and was experimental and didn't work.' "
But "oh my God, you just have to keep it going," he tells PEOPLE of moving through the real-life bombs, the un-deletable misses. "The bomb is inevitable and you're going to have days where it doesn't feel as great as you wanted to, but you have to let it go because there's another day."
Through it all, Porter has found connection, which he values so deeply. "The best thing I hear from people is the escapism that I can give them," Porter says. "I'm trying so hard to keep all these plates spinning in the air, with a podcast, with a tour, with making content, and just trying to keep my dreams unfolding."
He knows he has become "a moment of reprieve" for so many people — millions of them.
But what about Porter's own reprieve? Well, presently, he will be imbibing on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17.
"My schedule's a little different from other people, okay? I can go out on a Tuesday," he laughs. "My best friend is a bartender, she's also off. So, we are going to go to one of our favorite bars that is Irish to really get in the mood. And you know what I'm going to start with? I am going to start with a Baileys Mini G Shot, because it's a nice thing to sip on."
Porter appreciates that Baileys has just let him do what he does best for their collaboration, thus far. " I hope there's a long partnership ahead with brands like Baileys, because you can make enjoyable content for brands. You just got to think about your audience first and how to make them laugh."
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