But if you delve a little deeper, you’ll soon find many similarities between the two, among them, food and family.

As part of this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, celebrated comedians Gabriel Rossi and Hung Le will touch on these topics in their latest show, ‘Spaghetti Eastern’.

It’s not the first time the hilarious duo have collaborated, but this time they’ll be introducing Singaporean newcomer Wei in a show featuring stand-up comedy, music and sketches. 

Of Italian and Vietnamese backgrounds respectively, Mr Rossi and Mr Le have over 50 years’ combined experience in comedy, and both of their work is heavily influenced by their heritage.

In a compelling 90-minute show, the pair will celebrate their trademark ethnic humour by exploring European and Asian perspectives on Aussie life. 

Both of them will touch on their respective cuisines - an integral part of their culture and identity - and how they contrast with Australian food traditions.

As one of the first Vietnamese boat people to land in Australia, Mr Le will recall how bewildered he and his family were by the unfamiliar food on offer when they arrived in their new home.

“They didn’t understand cornflakes, for example,” Mr Rossi said on behalf of his friend.

Though he admitted the show won’t be entirely “PC”, Mr Rossi added that most good comedy isn’t.

“In this era, all I want as a comedian is for people to not be afraid to laugh about certain things,” he said.

“We seem to be getting increasingly afraid to look at the funny side of cultural things because the label ‘racist’ comes out. If you live in a society like Australia and you can’t reference multiculturalism then where does that leave us?”

Through his work, the internationally acclaimed comedian strives to help people see the funny side to what might otherwise be confronting and uncomfortable issues.

The son of a post-war migrant, Mr Rossi draws on his own upbringing and experiences – the good and the bad – in his comedy.

What many may not know is that the comedian’s full name is actually Gabriel Rossignolo.

“I shortened it to make it easier for Aussies to pronounce,” he laughed.

“The Rossignolo clan has been in Australia since as far back as the 1930s.”

Mr Rossi’s father, Luigi, hails from the Calabrian town of Altomonte and came to Australia with his family in 1948 at the age of 12.

The family soon settled in Orbost, in the far east of Victoria.

When he was older, Luigi was put in touch with a 17-year-old girl from back in Calabria, in the village of Acquaro.

They began penning letters to each other and built a strong bond regardless of the distance between them.

In 1961, Luigi hopped on a ship and headed back to his homeland to meet his future wife, Fortunata.

The pair got married in Acquaro and spent a few months together in Italy before boarding a ship for Australia.

Before the newlyweds had reached Australian shores, Fortunata was already pregnant with their first child.

Once the young family was settled in Orbost, Mr Rossi was born.

He spent his first year of life there before the family moved to Melbourne, settling in Glenroy, in the house in which Luigi still lives today.

Though Fortunata passed away around 13 years ago, her legacy lives on through her family and her son can see many parts of her in him.

“Mum’s idea of a quiet conversation was yelling the roof off,” he fondly recalled.

“She was very loud and outspoken and she taught me to be very blunt and speak my mind. We wear our heart on our sleeves.”

These traits shine through in Mr Rossi’s work and charismatic and open nature.

The talented comedian claimed that he will always remember the words he said to his mother before she passed away.

“I told her I was going to raise my kids the way she raised me,” he said.

“She asked me what I meant by that and I responded that at no stage did I ever feel unloved or invalidated.”

It seems that all of the values Mr Rossi was raised on are now being passed on through the generations, along with the Italian culture, which features so prominently in his comedy.

“It’s a ridiculously strong culture that’s very hard to shake,” he said.

“I’ve got children of my own now and while we’re all Australian to the core, there’s always that underlying Italian quality there.”

Catch Mr Rossi performing with Hung Le in their new show at The Comic’s Lounge on April 8, 15 and 22, 2018.