Comedian Liam Nelson, who has been part of the Marfan Foundation family since his early teens, is making sure his first set on Netflix’s revival of Star Search isn’t just hilarious, but that it also brings Marfan awareness to the biggest audience possible.
“If I get one chance, I want to make sure Marfan is in there,” said Nelson – who talked to the Foundation from Los Angeles where he’s getting ready to compete this week on the reboot.
“I share a lot of facets of who I am. They didn’t book me because I have Marfan,” said Liam. “There’s a million reasons that they got me on the show, Marfan just happens to be the thing I’m starting with.”
As a professional comedian, Liam is “excited” to bring his work to a larger platform. He said that over one million people from more than 160 countries vote on every episode of Star Search.
“It’s cool. It’s an opportunity to get my comedy out to a worldwide audience,” said Liam. “For anyone who wouldn’t happen to stumble on my stuff online, this will hopefully help bridge that gap.”
Liam already made it through performances last week, bringing him to this week’s round in the competition. He’ll have to win in head-to-head competition several times over the next three weeks – each with a chance of being eliminated – in order to progress on the show, potentially leading to a win.
Liam joked that since he doesn’t win prize money unless he keeps progressing in the competition, “Marfan people, they get how we don’t like the cold. Help sponsor a Marfan boy’s stay in L.A.” by voting for him, rather than sending him back to the eastern cold snap.
To support Liam this week, you can:
- Watch Star Search live on Netflix, this Wednesday 1/28 6 p.m. PT 9 p.m. ET
- Vote for him with a 5-star-rating during the one-minute window that follows his set
According to USA Today, “To vote, viewers will have to be using a supported device, which includes most newer smart TVs, streaming devices and mobile apps. Voting is not available on web browsers, per Netflix. When it’s time to vote, fans can follow the on screen prompts, which will direct them to give a 1-5 star rating for each of the performers. Viewers can submit one rating per Netflix profile per performance, but voting does happen multiple times per episode. Votes can’t be changed once submitted, and results are revealed live during the episode.”
Liam hosts a podcast For Those Who Get It w/Liam Nelson, available on YouTube. He bills the podcast as “not just about disabled people, but for disabled people.”
As is the case for many stand-up comics, Liam’s work is based on his personal lived experiences, and he says, “The people who get it get it. I’m not worrying about making able-bodied people comfortable.”
At the same time, Liam finds the universal nature of his sets makes his comedy relatable broadly. His hits on topics that many people “have something that’s made them feel a similar way. At its core it’s about human experience but it just happens to be through the lens of someone with Marfan syndrome.”
In a time when well-known comics across genres often face criticism for tackling whatever edgy topics and issues they choose, Liam says he typically doesn’t get pushback on his comedic style from within the Marfan and related conditions community, but more often from people who aren’t living with the condition or similar.
“I’m joking about me. But I’m not allowed to joke about me because I have a disability?” said Nelson – rejecting the inherently ableist notion that somehow he should shy away from his own personal stories given they sometimes happen to be related to Marfan and living life in a 7-foot-tall body.
He’s particularly gratified when Marfan community members turn up in his audiences. “People like light up visibly in the audience and say things like ‘I’ve never heard someone make a joke about Marfan.’ It’s a comforting experience for people,” said Liam.
Liam, who performed his stand-up at the 2023 Marfan Foundation Conference in Chicago and in a private show in Atlanta during the same time as the Foundation’s 2025 Conference, appreciates the support of the genetic aortic and vascular conditions community.
“I’m excited, I think it will be a fun time. The further I make it, the more awareness I raise. I think it’s a fun group project,” he said.
The Marfan Foundation drives research, education and support – and builds community – to improve outcomes, save lives and empower all people to thrive who are living with Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, and related genetic aortic and vascular conditions. For media inquiries regarding Marfan syndrome or the Foundation’s work, email brandcomms@marfan.org
April Dawn Shinske is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for The Marfan Foundation. She is proud to lead a stellar integrated marketing and communications team and honored to help tell the amazing stories of our community members.