From JR’s comedy club at the old Marie Callender’s to center stage at America’s Got Talent, a Santa Clarita comedian is taking his home-ground stand-up act on a nationally televised debut next week. 

Santa Clarita comedian, Don McMillan, is taking center stage at America’s Got Talent next Tuesday – an opportunity he describes as “two and a half minutes to change your life.”

“When you’re waiting backstage, and you hear the buzzers… your heart sinks,” McMillan said. “But the minute I had my first laugh, I was floating on air.”

While McMillan has already faced the three judges and 3,000 audience members in an opportunity of a lifetime, his America’s Got Talent segment is expected to air on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC. 

“I’ve never been exposed to a national audience, and when I received a call to go on the show, I was thrilled,” McMillan said. “I just can’t wait to see the reaction.”

From an engineer to a comedian, McMillan has uniquely intertwined his two passions to unite both the serious and silly aspects of his life.

“While I was living and working in the Silicon Valley, and while I was young and naive, I signed up for open mic,” McMillan said. ”I approached it like engineers do. I recorded it, optimized the jokes and kept refining in my comedy lab. I still close the door and nerd out. I still have that engineer in me.”

Having performed in and around the Santa Clarita Valley for more than 25 years, his opportunity on America’s Got Talent came at the perfect time, according to McMillan.

“My son Garrett, a fellow nerd, just became a freshman at Oregon State University, so I’m glad to see he’s not falling far from the nerd tree,” McMillan said. “But I was always a family man. I wanted to see my son grow up, and I got the call right when my son went off to college, right when I’m free to pursue this. It’s like an answer from above.”

Heavily involved in charity events throughout the valley, McMillan is excited to bring his local act to a national scale, and is proudly representing Santa Clarita. 

“This is my hometown, and I am proud to represent it,” McMillan said. “I’ve been playing up here for so long, and there’s so many great supporters of mine. And as I like to say, ‘I’ve lived in Newhall, Valencia and Santa Clarita and never left my house,’ and only people from Santa Clarita would get that.”

With the opportunity of his act reaching millions on America’s Got Talent, McMillan is most excited for his wife to finally see his performance. 

“My wife Laura, she’s been my biggest support,” McMillan said. “I met her when she was a comedy booker and when she became my agent’s assistant, and we just hit it off. She hasn’t seen the edited show yet, and I’m just so excited to see it with her.”

The show is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. on Tuesday on NBC. 

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