"Some people think that they can stand up in front of a room full of people, say something, and make them laugh. They hope they're right."
Stand-up comics frequently say that this form of entertainment is both the most difficult to perform and the most rewarding. Even if certain comics make it into mainstream television and movies, they will often return to the stand-up circuit.
Comedians:
- Dave Allen: Irish comedian active throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties. Known for his apparently laid back style (one of the world's few sit-down comedians, he would appear sitting on a bar stool drinking from a glass of whisky and, up until the early eighties, smoking a cigarette) concealed an incisive and sharp edged style of material. He was known particularly for his attacks on organised religion and authority, as well as for his observational material.
- Tim Allen: Observational comedy from a hypermasculine viewpoint, with a routine on do-it-yourself home improvement concerning his efforts to make things around the house better, with the catchphrase "So I rewired it!" His shows also covered adult topics, but the success of Home Improvement led to him becoming more family friendly due to the growing number of children in his audience.
- Woody Allen: Most famous for his film career, he started out as a stand-up comic in the early '60s.
- Cristela Alonzo: An American comic, actress, and TV personality. Her comedy primarily revolves around observational humor and finding the funny side of her traumatic upbringing. She's also notable for being the first Latina to headline a sitcom (Cristela) on American network TV.
- Louie Anderson: A stand-up comedian and occasional actor noted for his self-deprecating observational style, Anderson also created and starred in the Emmy-winning animated series Life with Louie, drawn on material from his own childhood.
- Eric André
- Aziz Ansari: A stand-up comedian and comedic actor whose style of comedy focuses on his love of fashion, hip-hop and food as well as commentary on dating and relationships. Best known for TV work on Parks and Recreation and the MTV sketch show Human Giant, his first solo project is the Netflix sitcom Master of None, in which he plays a fictionalized version of himself.
- Bill Bailey: British comedian and musician, known for his musical routines as well as his surreal humour delivered in a rambling style. He's also a fixture in film and TV, starring in Black Books, Nevermind The Buzzcocks and QI and appearing in Spaced and Hot Fuzz.
- Maria Bamford: A comedian known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy in the weirdest ways imaginable, as well as the many different voices she uses. Auditioned to be a Saturday Night Live cast member during the 2003-2004 season, but was passed up in favor of Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson. Also shows up on Adventure Time as the voice of most of the minor female characters.
- Lucille Ball
- Ramzy Bedia: French comedian, who formed the successful duo "Éric & Ramzy" with Éric Judor.
- Tone Bell
- Richard Belzer: Was a writer during the early days of Saturday Night Live (and once stood in for Chevy Chase on Weekend Update when Chase was out for injuring his groin during a political sketch). A staple of comedy clubs throughout the 80s and into the 90s until he was cast as Detective John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and he suddenly became better-known for drama.
- Kate Berlant
- Shelley Berman
- Lewis Black: A comedian with No Indoor Voice, he usually rants about what he hates in politics and life in general, with the recurring segment "Back in Black" on The Daily Show. Did voicework on the short-lived Cartoon Network show Robotomy as the Gore-Ax (a.k.a The Scrap Metal Spirit of Insanus) as well as Mr. E on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and appropriately enough, Anger in the Pixar film Inside Out.
- Bob & Ray
- Victor Borge: a comedian who dual-classed in concert piano.
- Jim Bowen: Northern English comic who became a household name as the host of Bullseye (UK), which got a Colbert Bump from Peter Kay.
- Frankie Boyle: Despite doing a lot of TV—particularly Mock the Week—he never left the stand-up circuit. Famous for his very dark, cynical, crude and often offensive material.
- Joey Bragg
- Jo Brand: British comedienne who was initially part of the alternative comedy movement. Known for her deadpan delivery. Makes frequent appearances on TV.
- Russell Brand: Famous for his bohemian style of clothing, controversial behavior, and love of women. His stand-up frequently focuses on his personal shame, and often included bits where he reads from and comments on newspapers. Was married to pop singer Katy Perry, making all the things he said about her being his life and his reason for living Harsher in Hindsight. Brand now hosts the FX channel's answer to The Daily Show called Brand X with Russell Brand.
- Marcus Brigstocke: British comedian who does a lot of work on television.
- Brother Theodore: Called his material stand up tragedy due to its grim and surreal content. Appeared in Joe Dante's The 'Burbs.
- Roy Chubby Brown: Britain's bluest comedian. So rude, he isn't allowed on television. Stage attire consists of a colourful patchwork suit, a pilot's headgear and goggles. The audience chants "You fat bastard" as he comes onstage.
- Lenny Bruce: Not as famous as some of the comics whom he inspired, but his vulgarity and willingness to mock religious and social institutions in a time when such topics were off-limits helped make stand-up comedy what it is today.
- Bo Burnham: Famous for heavily satirical and offensive stand-up and music.
- Hannibal Buress
- Bill Burr: Short tempered man who riffs on the limitations imposed by masculinity and frequently mocks Closer to Earth and related Double Standard tropes.
- Brett Butler
- Nicole Byer
- Ed Byrne: Irish comedian and frequent guest on Mock the Week, who is a self-professed nerd and generally self-deprecating.
- Phil Cool: British comedian and impressionist, known for his incredibly flexible face which allowed him to look like as well as sound like his targets. Now retired
- Drew Carey: Started out in stand-up comedy and well-known for his off-color jokes. Otherwise best-known for hosting the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Price Is Right
- George Carlin: A comedian famous for his dirty mouth, he was actually jailed because of his routine in the '70s. His routine also frequently takes shots at organized religion and drugs. His acting roles include Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Dogma, not to mention Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station. He's the creator of the Seven Dirty Words routine, and was the very first host on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. Carlin also hosted an episode on the show's tenth season [1984-1985] and, unlike his first time hosting, actually participated in sketches. Carlin was such a huge part of SNL's history that the very first episode reran following his death in June 2008). His later work (starting with What Am I Doing in New Jersey?) tended to be scathing socio-political commentary, and apart from the Seven Dirty Words routine, this is arguably what he is best known for today; Carlin himself regarded his later work as his best.
- Jerrod Carmichael: Comedian and creator of The Carmichael Show.
- Adam Carolla: Famous co-host of The Man Show and The Adam Carolla Show podcast. His ability to do off-the-cuff improvisation is among some of the best in the business, and his brand of observational humor (mostly complaining) has earned him the most downloaded podcast in the world.
- Jimmy Carr: British comedian known for his black and blue humour, unique laugh, a love for swearing and deadpan delivery. He also does a lot of TV work, such as being the presenter of 8 Out of 10 Cats.
- Jim Carrey: He began his career in the late 1970s as a stand-up comic, often performing in a banana-yellow jacket made by his mother (which is why The Mask wears a yellow zoot suit). Initially his specialty was celebrity impressions, but seeing that as a potential career dead end, in the mid-'80s he became more experimental and observational, setting the stage for his breakout success on In Living Color! and later movies.
- Jasper Carrott: Long-running British comic from Birmingham, known for his schtick of finishing shows by reading out absurd insurance claim forms.
- Frank Carson: Irish comic who became a popular face on British television for a long time. Known for his Catch Phrases "It's a cracker" and "It's the way I tell 'em".
- Jack Carter
- Dave Chappelle: Together with Chris Rock, probably the most prominent black comedian/actor of his generation. He created Chappelle's Show. His career abruptly ended when he realized that Celebrity Is Overrated and many of his fans only loved him for his stupid catchphrases ("I'm Rick James, bitch!" being the most popular). He has appeared on stand up stages, talk shows, and occasional independent projects, but he has had no desire to reclaim the fame he walked away from at its height.
- Cheech & Chong: stand-up comedians and actors known for their stoner comedy; recorded a string of successful albums and followed with a string of successful movies in the 1970s to early 1980s before breaking up; reunited in 2008.
- Margaret Cho: Korean-American whose comedy focuses largely on the differences between Korean and American culture, and dealing with her sometimes-overbearing(but well-meaning) mom.
- Louis C.K.: His work mostly centers around rather dark comedy, which is mostly based on his own life. He used to make jokes (and a TV-Show) about how shitty his marriage was, got divorced, and now he makes jokes (and a TV-show) about how shitty it is to be a single father in his forties.
- Les Dawson: British comedian known for his comedy revolving around domestic material (he was a master of the mother-in-law joke) as well as his speciality of playing the piano so badly in a way that took more skill than actually playing it well.
- Andrew "Dice" Clay: Controversial stand-up comedian and star of films. Known for his brand of insult humor. The man behind the persona, Andrew Silverstein, has more recently begun to distance himself from "The Diceman", citing people's conflation of the act with his actual self.
- Coluche: late French comedian-actor known for his irreverent attitude towards French politicians and establishment of The '70s and the early '80s.
- Billy Connolly: Scottish folk musician, stand-up and actor, commonly known as "The Big Yin". Does a great deal of material about sex, religion and Scotland (obviously).
- Dane Cook: The first comedian made by the Internet, Cook became one of the most successful comedians of the 2000s by promoting himself through Myspace and touring on the college circuit. He's known for his energetic and physical style of comedy, which often has him running back and forth around the stage as he acts out scenarios. He's also known for the significant Hype Backlash he suffered at the end of the 2000s, spurred in large part by the derision he receives from fellow comedians for the substandard quality of his actual material as well as accusations of joke theft.
- Tommy Cooper: A beloved English magician and comedian. He started out as a serious magician, but after a disastrous show where every trick went wrong, he changed his act to being a deliberately terrible magician. Wore a fez.
- Lee Cornes
- Bill Cosby: Unique in that he mainly performed sitting down, which helped him alternate between laid back and intense simply by leaning back or hunching forward. His family-friendly tales of childhood and parenthood became the basis for several TV shows, including the animated Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and the biggest sitcom of The '80s, The Cosby Show. While he had other shows and films to his credit prior to these [such as I Spy], it's his '80s work, including copious commercial endorsements, that looks to be his biggest legacy beyond his original stand-up. Was also on the educational show The Electric Company (1971) along with a then-unknown Morgan Freeman (though he didn't stay on the show as long as Freeman did, and unlike Freeman, Cosby doesn't regret being on the show).
- David Cross: Bald, bespectacled actor and comedian known for his incredibly dark, ironic sense of humor. Is known for his acting work on Arrested Development (as Tobias), the Alvin and the Chipmunks films and the HBO sketch series Mr. Show. He had a feud at one point with Larry the Cable Guy.
- Seán Cullen: Known for his comedic songs and stream-of-consciousness style.
- Rodney Dangerfield: Known for his self-deprecating one-liners and stories about how he couldn't "get no respect."
- Rhys Darby: New Zealand comedian and actor known for sound effects and physical comedy.
- Larry David: Most famous for being the co-creator and showrunner on Seinfeld and the creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, he started out as a stand-up comedian.
- Jim Davidson: English comedian known for his foul-mouthed un-PC jokes about women, ethnic minorities, gay people and disabled people. Had success as a television personality in The '90s as the host of The Generation Game and the snooker based game show Big Break (1991). He also made pantomimes geared towards adults, such as Sinderella and Boobs In The Woods and has done charity work for Britain's armed forces (he runs the charity Care After Combat). He infamously had a West-Indian character in his set called Chalky White.
- Tommy Davidson
- Les Dawson: British stand-up comedian and sketch actor who was known for his dead-pan approach, his mastery of the mother-in-law joke, his love of language and his deliberately poor piano playing.
- Jamel Debbouze: French-Moroccan comedian whos succeess started in the early 2000s. He founded the Jamel Comedy Club, which aims at discovering the French stand-up comedy talents of tomorrow.
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Phyllis Diller
- Ken Dodd: British entertainer known for his lengthy performances, long-running career, "tickling stick" (feather duster), unconventional looks, one-liners, and surreal / silly / mildly saucy humour.
- Doug Anthony All Stars- Australian Black Comedy Musical trio.
- Jeff Dunham: A ventriloquist who uses a cast of puppets with myriad quirky personalities. Despite ventriloquism being a traditionally family friendly comedic skill, he should not be considered a kid friendly performer, although he is not overly vulgar.
- Gad Elmaleh: Moroccan-French-Canadian comedian and actor best known for his stage personas such as Drag Queen Chouchou and Nouveau Riche Coco, as well as satire stage shows such as La Vie normale.
- Bill Engvall: One of the Blue Collar comics, though his act contains very little material about Southern life. He is the creator of the famous "Here's Your Sign" routine, in which he proposes that stupid people should be given signs so that the non-stupid can easily identify them.
- Lee Evans: British comedian who rose to fame in the nineties with his physical, observational comedy. Known for swearing a lot, performing sound effects, and sweating profusely during performances (requiring intermissions so he can change). Also the first comic to consistently sell out large arenas, earning himself a couple of Guinness World Records for largest comedy-show audiences. Has also acted in a few films.
- Randy Feltface: A purple puppet — performed by Heath McIvor — who specializes in observational comedy. Also engages in musical comedy when paired with Sammy J. His routines alternate between maintaining the illusion that he's a fully formed character and lampshading that he's a puppet that only exists from the torso up.
- Craig Ferguson: Was Mr. Wick on The Drew Carey Show and was also the host of The Late Late Show.
- Jeff Foxworthy: The most famous of the Blue Collar comics, and the creator of "You Might Be a Redneck". Sales of his various comedy records since the late 1980s has made him one of the best-selling comedy performers of all time.
- Jamie Foxx: Originally better known as a stand-up and sketch comedian before shifting to focus more on serious music and drama.
- Redd Foxx: Well-known for playing Grumpy Old Man Fred Sanford on Sanford and Son, his infamously raunchy "party records" were a huge influence on Richard Pryor and many others.
- Stan Freberg: Also a voice actor for the original Looney Tunes cartoon series. He was the voice of Pete Puma from "Rabbit's Kin" and the dopey Baby Bear on Chuck Jones's short-lived Three Bears series, featuring a Dysfunctional Family of bears (the father has a short temper and would hit a cub and the mama bear is too passive to protect her son from her husband's wrath).
- Omaha! (1958)
- Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America (1961) (1996)
- John Fugelsang: Actor, political comedian, and TV commentator.
- Jim Gaffigan: Well-known for his bits about food, particularly his Hot Pockets routine, as well as numerous jokes making fun of himself, especially his pale skin. A gimmick of his act is that he will frequently follow up his jokes with disapproving comments about them in a different voice, as if to suggest that is what the audience is thinking.
- Gallagher: Eighties prop comic famous for smashing produce, most notably watermelons.
- Janeane Garofalo: Stand-up comedienne who worked with Ben Stiller on The Ben Stiller Show and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live during its 20th season (1994-1995). Her time there was described once as "...being the Indian given the smallpox-infested blankets by the white settlers." note
- Greg Giraldo: Best known for the Comedy Central roasts, he was also a judge on Last Comic Standing.
- Donald Glover: Probably better known as his rapper alter ego Childish Gambino and for his role as Troy on Community, he also does stand-up and did a Comedy Central special in 2011.
- Whoopi Goldberg: Got her start in stand-up before turning to serious monologues. She then became a critically acclaimed actor (until Theodore Rex, at least) and now leads the panel on The View. Also well-known for playing Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Bobcat Goldthwait: A stand-up comedian and stage performer who made it big in the 1980s with a comedy persona of speaking in a combination of gravely mumbles and high-pitched shrieks.
- Gilbert Gottfried: Screechy- voiced, squinty, and obnoxious comedian and occasional kids' show voice actor (he's Iago in the Aladdin movies, was the first voice of Dr. Bender on The Fairly Oddparents, and the voice of the child-hating Tickle-Me-Psycho doll on Robotomy, among other roles) known for thinking the concept of Dude, Not Funny! is for other people no matter how badly it affects his career, being a staple of Friars' Club Roasts, and for popularizing The Aristocrats. Like Eddie Murphy, Gottfried was also an SNL cast member during its troubled sixth season, worth noting because Gottfried back then didn't squint, had a full head of black hair, and actually had an indoor voice.
- Dick Gregory: Legendary African-American comedian who later became a social activist.
- Kathy Griffin: Her stand-up concentrates on her experiences with celebrities to the point that some stars actively avoid her for fear of becoming part of her act while others flock to her because they think she's funny. She had a long-running Reality Show called My Life on the D List which showed her attempts to build her career. Her mom has become a star in her own right thanks to her swearing and love of boxed wine.
- Andy Griffith: While he started out in standup, he soon moved to acting, both comic and dramatic, finding fame with The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock.
- Buddy Hackett: Known for his Borscht Belt style of Comedy.
- Tiffany Haddish
- Neil Hamburger: Actually the Anti-Humor persona of musician Gregg Turkington.
- Tony Hancock: One of the pioneers of post-war British sitcom-formatted comedy on radio and TV.
- Mike Harding: Mancunian comedian of a piece with Billy Connolly and Jasper Carrott, performing observational Northern humour alternating with folk music. Also an author and radio presenter.
- Kevin Hart: Similar to Steve Harvey below, started out with fame in the African-American community before crossing over to the mainstream.
- Miranda Hart: Creator and star of the BBC sitcom Miranda (2009).
- Steve Harvey: A very popular comedian in the black community but not as popular in the mainstream. He had a sitcom, The Steve Harvey Show, and was in The Original Kings of Comedy. He now has hit it big, writing a book (Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man), having his own radio show, his own dating site (despite, or maybe because of the fact that he is on his third marriage), a televised talk show, and is the current (as of 2/4/11) host of Family Feud.
- Hattie Hayridge
- Mitch Hedberg: Combined observational humor with bizarre non-sequiturs. Famous for his laid back persona, he has been described as a stoner version of Steven Wright. Died of a drug overdose, turning some of his drug-related jokes Harsher in Hindsight.
- Richard Herring: Started out as one half of the comedy duo Lee and Herring, he went on to be a pioneer of using the internet for comedy. Has blogged EVERY DAY since 2003, and is particularly well known for his podcasts As It Occurs To Me and The Collings & Herrin Podcast. Is particularly fond of turning all his shows into Acronyms - so that As It Occurs To Me becomes 'AIOTM' (aiotm).
- Bill Hicks: Best known for his scathing socio-political commentary in the 1980s, very much ahead of his time during his heyday in the 1980s before his tragic early demise from cancer, making all of his routines about smoking and death even darker.
- Joel Hodgson: Started out in the '80s as a stand-up and prop comic, appearing on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman before becoming the creator and original host of Mystery Science Theater 3000. After leaving the show he worked as a writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and an occasional actor on Freaks and Geeks before returning to movie riffing with Cinematic Titanic and the 2017 revival of MST3K. He also starred in Other Space, lent his voice to Steven Universe, and appeared as a guest on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
- Pete Holmes: A veteran stand up comedian, former late night host , actor, voice actor and host of the podcast You Made It Weird. Raised religious, he has become more spiritual due to a divorce in his 20s. He is a close friend of many of his contemporaries including John Mulaney , T.J. Miller, and Mike Birbiglia. Like many comics he is from Boston , Born 1979 and began doing stand up in 2000. He was the voice of the E trade baby and is known for his jovial demeanor and “fun Dad” persona (before he ever became a father). A dynamic ace at word play, impressions and voices, observational as well as a background in improv. His influences include the likes of Sinbad, Steve Martin, Seinfeld, Brian Regan, Conan O’Brien, Chris Farley, Dane Cook and Ray Romano.
- Russell Howard: British comedian who has a generally optimistic view, and especially loves nostalgic stories about childhood and his crazy family. Appeared on Mock the Week and hosted Russell Howard's Good News.
- Frankie Howerd: British comedian who appeared in comedy films and did lots of stand-up. Was famous enough to become a Special Guest in sitcoms and often still acted as the Straight Man Meta Guy that was still performing on stage (as a Rule of Funny).
- Lil Rel Howery
- D.L. Hughley
- Jessica Hynes
- Gabriel Iglesias: Known for his loud, boisterous style with exaggerated vocal impersonations. Prefers to tell funny, real life stories and usually refuses to do political or social commentary jokes. Known for his love of chocolate cake and being "fluffy." Was a cast member on All That when they revamped the cast in 2000 and was part of the first group of comedians in Last Comic Standing.
- The Tenderloins, a comedy group who have come to be known as the Impractical Jokers on truTV's reality TV show.
- Robin Ince: British comedian known for his highly cerebral style of comedy; his routines revolving either around the wonders of science or the horrors of bad books.
- Eddie Izzard: Responsible for translating the surreal style of humour of Monty Python into something you could do as stand-up, resulting in a definite shift in British comedy. Was also known as a proud transvestite (crossdresser) before coming out as gender fluidnote .
- Sammy J: An Australian musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter.
- Janelle James
- The Jerky Boys: Prank Call legends that enjoyed a good run through the 90's.
- Jim Jefferies: An Australian stand-up comedian, known for his off-color humor and political commentary. He's also known for starring in the TV series Legit (2013) and hosting the late-night talk show The Jim Jefferies Show.
- Richard Jeni: Appeared more than any other comedian on The Tonight Show other than its hosts.
- Jethro: Cornwall-based comedian whose shtick consists of him playing a yokel farmer character and specialises in telling long, rambling stories.
- Anjelah Johnson
- Leslie Jones
- Milton Jones: British comedian whose style is characterized by clever one-liners and often features truly magnificent puns.
- Orlando Jones: Did stand-up comedy before he got into acting.
- Jamie Kaler
- Andy Kaufman: A pioneer of Anti-Humor, he found comedy clubs the most receptive venues for acts which were closer to experimental theater than stand-up. His Mighty Mouse routine was one of the highlights of the very first Saturday Night Live broadcast. He was a frequent guest performer there as well as Fridays, and his stage persona of "Foreign Man" was retooled into his regular fan-favorite role as Latka on Taxi. He is best known for pranking audiences and keeping them guessing about what is real and what is staged, such as his on-air brawl with Michael Richards on Fridays, and his stint as a heel wrestler in Memphis, Tennessee, one taken to national television via his fight with Jerry Lawler on Late Night with David Letterman. He also manufactured a completely separate comedic persona, lounge lizard Tony Clifton, and caused as much confusion as possible over whether he and Clifton were the same person.
- Peter Kay: Observational comedy drawing on the distinctive culture of the north-west of England, with Memetic Mutation by the truckload. Wrote and starred many times over in Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere.
- Martha Kelly
- Sam Kinison: A bitter, bitter man (especially towards women) with No Indoor Voice. Did guest appearances on Saturday Night Live during its 11th season (and hosted during its 12th season, which was one of three episodes that had to be put on a five-second delay out of fear of foul language and controversial statements, joining Richard Pryor and Andrew "Dice" Clay). Was considered for the role of Al Bundy on Married... with Children (with Roseanne Barr as Peg).
- Robert Klein
- Jon Lajoie: Though he does more parodies than actual comedy routines.
- Steve Landesberg
- Artie Lange: A Joisey blue-collar comedian most famous for his time on The Howard Stern Show.
- Larry the Cable Guy: Git-r-done! Another Blue Collar comic. Known to younger generations as the voice of Mater in the Cars films. Has quite a big Hatedom, many of whom are unaware that Larry is actually an Affectionate Parody comedy character performed by comedian Daniel Whitney.
- Martin Lawrence: Manic black comedian who had his own show, Martin, on Fox (it was canceled after the actress who played Martin's girlfriend, Gina, accused Lawrence of sexually harassing her) and was banned from ever hosting Saturday Night Live again after launching into a particularly disgusting monologue about women's hygiene.
- Denis Leary: A mixture of critiquing current culture and joking about his family and past, Leary is extremely fond of profanity. Many of his jokes are slanted towards Black Comedy.
- Stewart Lee: A favourite among other comedians, he is a Brit with a slow deadpan delivery who does long, rambling routines in a self-referential style.
- Natasha Leggero
- John Leguizamo: While now known primarily as an actor, Leguizamo got his start in stand-up comedy and in one-man shows with a comedic bend.
- Valérie Lemercier: French comedian and actress. She's performed five solo shows since 1989.
- Jay Leno: A successful stand-up comedian before succeeding Johnny Carson as host of ''The Tonight Show'. He continues to do hundreds of stand-up shows a a year (even while hosting a nightly talk show), but refuses to do taped specials out of the belief comedy is best experienced live and that a recording will strip some of the situational nuance from his performances.
- David Letterman: Did some stand-up early in his career before finding his niche as host of Late Night and then The Late Show with David Letterman.
- Richard Lewis
- Rich Little: Canadian comedian and celebrity mimic.
- Sean Lock: British comedian who mixed observational humor with surrealism. Known for appearing on many panel shows and for writing material for other popular comedians.
- George Lopez
- Los Rayos Gamma (Puerto Rican comedy group)
- Norman Lovett
- Stephen Lynch: Most famous for being vulgar and taking Refuge in Audacity.
- Norm Macdonald: Famous for his ability to make the most mundane statements hilarious with his unique delivery. For the ultimate Norm MacDonald routine, see his performance at the Bob Saget roast. Was a Weekend Update anchor on SNL during its 20th season (making that the only reason anyone ever really watched that season back in 1994), but got fired in the late-1990s by NBC executive Don Ohlymeier for allegedly "...not being funny." Returned to host SNL on its 25th season (1999-2000) and claimed that the reason why he's so "Goddamn funny" is because the show has gotten worse since he left.
- Lee Mack: Stand-up comic and comedic actor best known for his role on Not Going Out and as a team captain on British panel show Would I Lie to You? opposite David Mitchell. Northern, and slightly bitter about it.
- Kathleen Madigan: A St. Louis-born observational comedian who freely admits to being a lazy and hedonistic lady, and whose comedy is largely a snarky take on her day-to-day life, including growing up in a large, Catholic, Irish family, complete with her interactions with her zany parents.
"People sometimes ask me, 'How do you write a joke?' And I tell them, 'most of the time, I don't. I just call home. And I repeat what they've said to me and I make money.'"
- Al Madrigal
- Bill Maher: Known for his caustic criticism of politics and religion and his darkly sarcastic tone, as well as hosting the political talk shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher.
- Howie Mandel: A Canadian-born American stand-up comedian. He is voice of Bobby and his father: Mr. Howie Generic on the television series: Bobby's World. He is also the host of Deal or No Deal.
- Jason Manford: Northern England comedian who is a regular on Would I Lie to You?.
- Bernard Manning: A working men's club comic from Manchester who specialised in very un-PC jokes involving race, sex and religion. His act was very popular in The '70s, but was labelled as racist, although it's been argued as to whether he actually was in Real Life. He was the first British comedian to play Las Vegas in 1978 and ran The World Famous Embassy Club in Manchester.
- Demetri Martin: An extremely intellectual comedian who does a lot of one-liners, and also heavily features drawings and musical accompaniment in his stand-up shows. Also had a TV show called Important Things with Demetri Martin and is a law school dropout (according to the UK comedy special If I...).
- Steve Martin: The king of goofiness. He merged his stand up routine with other performance art including musical numbers, skits and props. Known for his perpetually white hair since the 70's. Was once Saturday Night Live's most frequent guest host — to the point that many people mistook him for one of the "Not Ready for Primetime" regulars — and tied with Alec Baldwin until Baldwin broke his own record by hosting the first episode of season 37 note . Has had a successful string of film roles, often playing The Everyman.
- Jackie Mason: Jewish comedian. Is the voice of Krusty the Clown's rabbi father on The Simpsons (as seen on such episodes as "Like Father, Like Clown", "Today I Am a Clown", and "Once Upon a Time in Springfield", among others)
- Anders Matthesen: Danish comedian, radio host, actor, musician and film director.
- Melissa McCarthy
- Joel McHale
- Michael McIntyre: Hyperactive British observational comedian, frequent panel show guest. Broke through into the public eye in a big way after his appearance in a Royal Variety Performance. Responsible for two of the fastest-selling standup comedy DVD's of all time.
- Kevin Meaney: A comedian who often made fun of his mom, sings songs, and uses the phrase "That's not right!" a lot. He's also an actor, appearing on Uncle Buck, The Nightmare Room, the movie Big, The Day My Parents Ran Away, and even Garfield and Friends and Rocko's Modern Life.
- Carlos Mencia: A comedian popular during the mid-to-late 2000's, whose style of comedy tended towards insulting anecdotes, both at himself and the people he interacts with.
- Roy D. Mercer: A fictional character created by radio hosts Brent Douglas and Phil Stone for the purpose of a prank call show, which was also released on CD for many years.
- Seth Meyers
- Dennis Miller: Notorious for his obscure historical and pop culture references as well as having a loquacious, yet vulgar vocabulary. Was a long-term host of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live before getting his own short-lived talk show. At the end of its run, he gained recognition for his epic rants about social and political issues, which he spun into a second talk show on HBO and eventually became a Fox News commentator, but does do the occasional stand-up special.
- Hasan Minhaj was recruited from the stand-up comedy circuit by Jon Stewart to be a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He then went on to continue the Daily Show correspondent tradition of hosting the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2017. After his Net Flix comedy special Homecoming King won a Peabody award, he went on to host Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj - which also won a Peabody.
- Mo'Nique
- Bob Monkhouse
- Monty Python
- Dylan Moran: Poetic drunken Irishman with a similar style to Eddie Izzard. Also visible in TV and film, as the central character of Black Books and a role in Shaun of the Dead.
- John Mulaney: Comedy writer who got his big break writing for Saturday Night Live, but is most popular for his stand-up comedy, for which he demonstrates a real knack for storytelling and deadpan snark galore.
- Charlie Murphy: Eddie's older brother; who initially got his start doing minor roles in his brother's movies, before breaking out years later with a now memorable stint on Dave Chappelle's Chappelle's Show as a writer and featured player, and as the voice of Ed Wuncler III in The Boondocks.
- Eddie Murphy: Began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager, skipping school to do sonote . He quickly achieved stardrom on Saturday Night Live (in the early 1980s when the show was floundering after the remnants of the original cast left and a new, not-necessarily-better cast was hired in its place). During this time, he filmed two acclaimed specials, Delirious and Raw, with the latter becoming a theatrical hit. He branched into film with the Beverly Hills Cop movies in the 80's and The Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle films in the 90's. Besides voicing Donkey in the Shrek films, his more recent films have mostly been looked down upon, though his role in the film Dreamgirls received an Oscar nomination.
- Al Murray: Primarily known for performing as the Pub Landlord, through which he parodies working-class England while delivering pointed social commentary. He occasionally performs out of character. Also a history buff, particularly of the Second World War, and has presented sincere documentaries about the war and how it's portrayed in fiction. Appeared in Series 3 of Taskmaster and has been angling to find a way back ever since.
- Mike Myers
- Aparna Nancherla
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Nigel Ng: A Malaysian stand-up comic best known for his Uncle Roger character, who reviews cooking videos and berates those who do a bad job.
- Bob Newhart: His signature stand-up routines were his "telephone conversations", in which the audience only heard his character's side of the conversation. He later headlined several successful sitcoms: Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show. He is the uncle of short-lived Saturday Night Live cast member Paul Brittain.
- Nichols and May (Mike Nichols and Elaine May): A highly influential improvisational comedy team from the late 1950s.
- Trevor Noah
- Ross Noble: The king of improv, he often creates an entire show out of the tiniest of comments or actions from the audience, as his surreal imagination jumps from one topic to another at lightning speed.
- Jim Norton: A comic who specializes in Black Comedy. He is best known as the third mic on the Opie & Anthony radio show.
- Tig Notaro
- Dara Ó Briain: Irish standup who's best known as the presenter of Mock the Week.
- Conan O'Brien
- Michael O Connel: Wheelchair-bound observational comedian with Muscular Dystrophy, who bases a lot of his comedy on how people in wheelchairs are treated by people not in wheelchairs. His catchphrase is "First, I'd like to object to the use of the phrase Stand-Up comedy..."
- Nick Offerman
- Ardal O'Hanlon
- Patton Oswalt: A sort of geek-philosopher, who often uses pop-culture examples to give his take on real events.
- Palmashow
- Martin Pearson
- Eddie Pepitone
- Chelsea Peretti
- Russell Peters: Famous Canadian stand up comedian of Indian descent.
- Emo Philips: A comedian very committed to his stage persona (typically he only gives interviews as this character) as a Psychopathic Man Child twisting straightforward observations into the contorted perspective of his character.
- John Pinette: French-Irish comedian (his stomach is Italian). His jokes center on his life, his travels, and food. Especially food. Also a talented singer. And for all that, he's probably best known as the carjacked fat guy in the final Seinfeld episode.
- Aubrey Plaza
- Brian Posehn
- Paula Poundstone: An observational comedienne and regular panelist on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, Poundstone has a particular knack for identifying and lampshading the comedy we often overlook in everyday life. Was the original voice of Brendon's mom on Home Movies during its short run on UPN.
- Greg Proops: Improvisational comedian, known for Whose Line Is It Anyway? and his podcast The Smartest Man in the World
- Richard Pryor: Considered the godfather of stand-up comedy (next to George Carlin). He talked a lot about growing up in the slums and drug abuse (as his mom was a hooker, his father was her pimp, and his grandmother ran a whorehouse). Was the first black celebrity to host Saturday Night Live and the one whose appearance cemented SNL's reputation as the edgy, late-night sketch show that wasn't afraid of making fun of touchy subject matter (in this case, racism), as proven with the "Racist Word Association" sketch and a multi-part sketch where a black man is picked out of a police line-up for crimes he didn't commit.
- Mary Lynn Rajskub
- Mike Reid: Gravel-voiced Cockney comedian best known for playing Frank Butcher on EastEnders. Cath Phrases included "Terrific" (pronounced with the emphasis on each syllable), "Turn It In" and "Move Yer Arris". Was also a singer, stunt-man/extra, gameshow host (he hosted the children's gameshow Runaround) and occasional dramatic actor (he played Doug the Head in Snatch.).
- Brian Regan: A clean comic; he takes many of the oldest routines people have ever considered and works to make them funny again. Part of the humor comes from his general deprecation of himself, a sort of Obfuscating Stupidity that makes the material funny again.
- Paul Reiser
- Caroline Rhea
- Jeff Richards
- Michael Richards: Best known as Kramer in Seinfeld.
- Don Rickles: (a.k.a. Mr. Warmth, The Merchant of Venom, The Czar of the Zinger); Don Rickles was one of the 20th Century's most famous funny men and one of the great masters of insult comedy. Unlike many insult comics who only find short-lived success, Rickles has enjoyed a sustained career in insult performance. For more than 55 years he appeared in top showrooms in Atlantic City, Reno Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. He was a frequent guest of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson; Johnny was the one who made famous Rickles' entrance theme, La Virgen de la Macarena which is played to this day whenever Rickles comes out. He has won two Emmys for a documentary about his life and career as a stand up comedian, Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. Was good friends with the late Frank Sinatra, the late Dean Martin, and Bob Newhart. For the younger generation he is more famous as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story films.
- Joan Rivers: American standup comedienne and talk show host. She often said outrageous things, but she was a pioneer for women in comedy. Without her contribution, there would be no Roseanne Barr, no Tina Fey, and so on.
- Chris Rock: Started out as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s, but quit that show due to Creative Differences and lack of good roles. Has done stand-up ever since, mainly focusing on racial differences and relationships.
- Joe Rogan
- Will Rogers
- Ray Romano
- George Roper: A Liverpool comic. With his portly figure, bejewelled fingers, deadpan style and a laid back microphone technique he began to draw sizeable audiences as a stand-up comic on the booming club and casino scene of Manchester.
- Jerry Sadowitz: Scots-Jewish comedian known for the utterly shocking and depraved nature of his material based on a view of total misanthropy (he hates everyone regardless of race, religion or sex) and his incredible skills as a magician. A very prescient routine about Jimmy Savile is currently circulating the internet.
- Bob Saget: He worked "blue" prior to and after his work on the family-friendly Dom Com Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos. Until his passing in 2022, his work was angled towards shocking people by being far removed from the squeaky clean Danny Tanner. Was also the uncredited narrator for How I Met Your Mother.
- Mort Sahl: One of the first standup comics to deal in topical, political humor, Sahl was also the first to perform on college campuses and the first to hit on the idea of recording and releasing his performances on albums.
- Alexei Sayle: Liverpudlian comedian and self-professed 'fat bastard' known for his loud aggressive performances and being a pioneer of 'alternative comedy' in the UK. Best known for playing the members of the Balowski family on The Young Ones.
- Kristen Schaal
- Robert Schimmel: Blue humor at its finest. His sex jokes and bathroom humor frequently trod over the line. Everything about himself was fodder for his stand-up—including his heart attack and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Sadly, he died in 2010 of injuries sustained in a car accident.
- Amy Schumer: Popular comedian known for her liberal, feminist views. A long-time cult icon thanks to her show Inside Amy Schumer she became a mainstream phenomenon after her near-universally praised stint in hosting the 2015 MTV Movie Awards and her sleeper hit film Trainwreck (which gave her tons of publicity in a very bittersweet way as there was a shooting at the movie's premiere in a Louisiana movie theater. Since then, she's been a prominent voice for gun control — it helps that she is related to well-known Democratic Senator and gun control advocate Chuck Schumer).
- Jerry Seinfeld: Observational humor taken to its apex with his own wildly successful self-titled sitcom. After that series ended, he turned his focus back to his two passions: stand-up comedy and classic cars. He eventually combined the two into Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.
- Garry Shandling
- Allan Sherman
- Iliza Shlesinger
- Pauly Shore
- Sarah Silverman: Imagine Redd Foxx was reincarnated as a Jewish princess, and you've got the idea of what her humor is like. Was a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live for its 19th (1993–94) season, but wasn't given a lot of screen time, had all of her sketches banished to dress rehearsal, and ended up getting fired via fax. Has done voicework on The Simpsons (as a fourth grade girl named Nikki who has a crush on Bart, but can't decide whether to kiss him or beat him up), Bob's Burgers (as one half of the Pesto brothers. Her sister, Laura, plays the other half), and the movie Wreck-It Ralph (in one of the few things she's done that doesn't require her to be vulgar and politically incorrect). Besides her sister Laura—an actress in her own right, who's worked with her on a number of projects—Sarah also has another sister named Jodyne (who's a screenwriter) and another sister named Susan, who lives in Israel and is a rabbi.
- The Sklar Brothers (Randy and Jason): Twin brothers who do stand-up comedy together. Also known for their various skit-works on ESPN, playing twin Dumbass DJs on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and voicing conjoined twin brothers, Biff and Chip, on The Oblongs. Kids may know them best for their recurring role on Disney's sitcom Mighty Med.
- J.B. Smoove
- Diane Spencer: A Fiery Redhead comic from Somerset, England, whose approach to humor can be summed up as "What line?"
- Doug Stanhope: Extremely dark and pessimistic humor. Has an almost professional affinity for hardcore drugs and alcohol and will typically drink or smoke on-stage, if not both. His risqué style has often led to audience-walkouts and rants from Moral Guardians.
- Jon Stewart: Got his start in stand-up before hosting The Daily Show, and returned to it after his retirement. Lots of jokes about politics and being Jewish. Contrast Stephen Colbert, who's an improv comedian.
- Fred Stoller
- Wanda Sykes
- Robin Thede
- Alan Thicke
- Josh Thomas: Australian comedian who specializes in self-deprecating sex comedy.
- Christopher Titus: Explicitly calls his routine "Therapeutic Stand Up." Bases most of his comedy on his extremely dysfunctional life, featuring a judgmental, hypocritical, functioning alcoholic father who married and divorced five times, a manipulative, manic-depressive mother who had a 180 IQ, was a concert pianist, spoke four languages, and was in so many beauty pageants in the 1960s that she qualified for Miss California, a string of relationships with abusive women (one of which was his own wife, Erin), a brother who smokes weed, a sister who was raised by his mentally deranged mother and ultimately killed herself after her boyfriend left her again, and a Mormon uncle. Had his own show on FOX (Titus) based on his stand-up special Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, but it got axed due to its dark humor and Executive Meddling.
- Lily Tomlin: Started out in both stand-up and sketch comedy. Since becoming famous on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, she’s also recorded several comedy albums and has had a long career in film and television and on stage.
- Daniel Tosh: Host of the unexpectedly successful (at least to the network) Comedy Central show Tosh.0 where he rips on various internet videos. No one is sure if he's gay or straight, and has come under fire for his misogynistic remarks (such as suggesting that a female rape victim deserved what she got).
- Robert Townsend
- Arnaud Tsamere: A French surrealist comedian who has worked in television and on stage.
- The Umbilical Brothers: Comedians and actors Shane Dundas and David Collins of Australia.
- Uncle Yo: a staple of the American convention circuit, he specializes in fandom comedy. Definitely One of Us.
- Melissa Villaseñor: American comedian known for her celebrity impressions, she first came to prominence as a finalist on America's Got Talent before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2016.
- Tim Vine: British comedian known for being a Hurricane of Puns in human form.
- Vacanta Mare: Romanian comedy group
- Vice Ganda: A Filipino comedy club veteran turned film and television actor and host who made it big in 2009 when he became one of the main hosts of It's Showtime and starred in a string of box-office comedies in the 2010s.
- The Wayans Family:
- George Wallace
- Henning Wehn
- Ron White: The fourth and most vulgar of the Blue Collar comics, and the only one not to be a regular on the troupe's television series. Three fuckin' guesses why.
- Charlie Williams: Britain's first prominent black footballer turned Britain's first well-known black comic. The novel combination of a black man with a Yorkshire accent and his first-hand experience of life in the British working class made him unmistakable.
- Jessica Williams
- Kenneth Williams
- Robin Williams: Frantic, motor-mouth style comedy that doesn't let up. He calmed down a touch after he quit cocaine. He had a varied career, ranging from comedies and dramas in movies as well as the television sitcom that made him a star, Mork & Mindy. Won an Oscar playing a psychiatrist in the film Good Will Hunting.
- Larry Wilmore: Comedian and writer, recurring contributor to The Daily Show where he discusses race relations. Briefly had his own Daily Show spinoff The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
- Tim Wilson: Comedian-singer from the South.
- Yvette Wilson
- Jonathan Winters: One of the pioneers of improvisation, his act has influenced many other comics including Robin Williams, which earned him a guest spot,and then a regular role, on Mork & Mindy. In some instances he is able to go on for hours about any particular subject, switching between different characters and different topics on the same subject. Has had several other television and movie roles.
- Michael Winslow: The guy who makes noises in the Police Academy movies.
- Victoria Wood: One of the first English woman stand-up comedians to make it big, although she had a lot of other talents as well.
- Ali Wong
- Steven Wright: Known for his deadpan delivery and surreal stories with their own weird internal logic: "One time I parked my car in a tow-away zone. When I came back, the entire area was gone."
- Dolph Ziggler: Occasionally does live comedy and even writes sketches for both himself and other comedians.
- Drew Lynch
- Shayne Smith: A comedian with internet fame from Dry Bar Comedy, famous for his tattoos.
Comedy Works:
- Bert and I...
- Colin Quinn Long Story Short
- The Dangerous Brothers
- Modern Life Is Goodish
- Peacock And Gamble Podcast
- Ome Henk
- A Prairie Home Companion
- Blue Collar Comedy
- The Further Adventures of Nick Danger
- I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus
Stand-up Comedy tropes:
Tropes
- Acting for Two: Out of necessity in trying to depict a variety of characters by yourself
- Awful Wedded Life
- Borscht Belt
- Collective Groan
- Is This Thing On?
- Rimshot
- Tough Room
- Vaudeville Hook
