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Troy Hendrickson as "Aunt Mary Pat DiSabatino"//Photo by Luigi Ciuffetelli
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Comedian Troy Hendrickson of Wilmington has made quite a name for himself. Strangely, though, that name is “Aunt Mary Pat DiSabatino.” The character started as a loving yet hilarious tribute to his mother, Susan. Hendrickson drummed up the idea when he called her after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. The animated, sometimes naughty-mouthed character with a heavy Delaware County accent (think Acme grocery store only say Ack-a-mee) and even heavier lipstick and eye shadow, started as a Facebook sensation and soon may be coming to a venue near youse.
It seems we have the Eagles to thank for your popular character.
It started right after the Super Bowl. I called my mom. She said, ‘I’m at Modell’s. I’m buying up all of the gear. I’ll wear it to work tomorrow. I’m so excited.’ I thought, Oh, my god. So I got into character the next day with a wig and made a video that’s actually making fun of my mom.
How did your mom react?
She called me up with all these Aunt Mary Pat catch phrases: “You’re a friggin’ ***hole for putting that on there. I can’t believe you. I know you’re making fun of me.” But as it grew and grew, she got excited at the fact that she was the inspiration for this character.
It seemed to take off very quickly.
The first video got up to 100,000 views. Then I created the dedicated Facebook page for the character and started making more videos. Then it got to 10,000 likes, then up to 30,000 likes. Now it’s up to 50,000 likes on Facebook and 20,000 on Instagram.
Are you getting more than your 15 minutes of fame?
I hope so. I’ve done this for a while. I’m a graduate of Cab Calloway High School, so I’ve always kind of dabbled in arts and performing. And I do drag locally with my character Miss Troy. And I’ve dabbled in videos.
But now you’re dedicated to performing?
I left my job in April to do this full-time and I go to Wilmington University for video game design. I went to college for film and television in Chicago.
Has this always been a goal?
I’ve always dreamed of being on “Saturday Night Live” and being amongst those people. It would be nice to follow in the footsteps of Aubrey Plaza.
What else are you up to?
I’m working to get a 30-minute web series off the ground. I just finished my first tour. I’ll be doing a few events during the Eagles’ season and we have a Christmas tour planned together.
Do you think Aunt Mary Pat would translate beyond the region?
People message me every day. There’s a girl in Austria who follows it and she messaged me and said, “I don’t get what all the unique shout-outs are, but it’s funny to me.” People in Canada follow the page, a girl in Guam, people in California.
So your mom is cool with the act now?
She loves it. She is such a ham. Every time she’s at an event, she just laps up all of the attention. She’s my No. 1 supporter.
Has she asked you for any royalties?
No. However, it is the understanding that I will take excellent care of her once this goes a little bit further. I love her. She’s always there.
