Wyatt Cenac has stretched himself about as much as any comedian has over the last decade-plus. Cenac is an accomplished standup, having written, directed, and performed his Netflix special Brooklyn, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2016. As an actor, he has a starring role on TBS’s People of Earth. As a writer, he worked on King of the […]
Continue ReadingWelcome to our series On the Verge, where our contributors highlight comedians they feel are ready for their next big break. Whether they’re already working in television or still waiting to land their breakout gig, these are just some of the comedians we’d like to see more of over the coming years — ideally with a show, film, or […]
Continue ReadingWhen Jordan Klepper made his debut on The Daily Show in 2014, it was clear that he had a little Stephen Colbert in him. Or, to be more specific, a little “Stephen Colbert.” He was perfect at being the guy who was arguing for the wrong things for the express purpose of showing how wrong […]
Continue ReadingMatt Besser has done all there is to do in comedy, but ask him and he’ll tell you about a life that could have been as a musician. In Stolen Idea, a new punk rock comedy musical that Besser co-created for Stitcher Premium, he gets the chance to live out that fantasy and continue to […]
Continue ReadingJanelle James is in too deep. Eight years ago she started down the difficult and objectively foolish path of standup comedy, and now it’s too late to turn back. “It’s the dumbest thing. It’s a needle-in-a-haystack-ass career. And I’m a woman. And I’m black. What? But I like it so much.” Comedy appears to be […]
Continue ReadingSaturday Night Live began its 43rd season with a silly, silly show for a decidedly un-silly time. Puerto Rico continues to suffer through the aftereffects of a hurricane without federal aid. The president continues to wage war on professional athletes who oppose police brutality, and millions of poor children just lost their health coverage. SNL touched […]
Continue ReadingJo Firestone spent the day before her Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (her episode premieres tonight at 12:30) taping sitting by the pool doing Sudoku. “I like to be alone. I have some people here, so I might push them away. That’s my style, to push people away.” Alone time is important since the behind-the-scenes at […]
Continue ReadingIrving Ruan is a writer and performer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s written for McSweeney’s, Funny or Die, and other places on the internet (more info can be found on his website). He performs with his troupe Comfort Zone despite the fact that he still sometimes feels uncomfortable on stage. Ruan also loves […]
Continue ReadingLooking at animated versions of middle schoolers’ penises and vaginas would typically get someone put on a watch list, but prepare for it to be the talk of the TV comedy world pretty soon. Netflix’s Big Mouth, starring, co-created, and executive produced by Nick Kroll (The League, Kroll Show), centers around a group of middle […]
Continue ReadingYou know those talented, hilarious actors that constantly pop up in so many of your favorite comedies? The ones where you go, “Man, where else do I know them from?” Edi Patterson is one of those actors and she’s moving closer and closer to broader recognition. Over the years she’s brought her strong improv background […]
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