Jerrod Carmichael

Rothaniel Jerrod Carmichael ( ; born April 6, 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and filmmaker. He has released three stand-up comedy specials on HBO: Love at the Store (2014), 8 (2017), and Rothaniel (2022). He also co-created, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the semi autobiographical NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show (2015–2017). Carmichael directed, produced, and starred in On the Count of Three (2021). In 2022, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for writing Rothaniel and was nominated for guest hosting Saturday Night Live that same year. Early life Jerrod Carmichael was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on April 6, 1987. He has an older brother named Joe. Jerrod Carmichael grew up poor, which is a frequent topic in his stand-up comedy. In fifth grade, he hosted a morning news show on his elementary school's local access channel. In 2005, he graduated from Robert B. Glenn High School in Kernersville, North Carolina. His early comedic influences were George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and Sinbad. Career Carmichael moved to Los Angeles at the age of 20 to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian although he had never performed comedy. His first time doing stand-up was at an open mic night at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. Working his way up through the clubs he appeared in the "New Faces" showcase at the 2011 Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. He appeared on the show The Goodwin Games (2013) and had his breakout role as an actor in the film Neighbors in 2014. His first HBO stand-up comedy special, Love at the Store (2014), was directed by filmmaker Spike Lee and filmed at The Comedy Store. Carmichael's second stand-up comedy special, 8 (2017), was directed by comedian Bo Burnham and filmed in the Grand Lodge Room of New York's Masonic Hall. Carmichael next co-created, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the semi-biographical NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show (2015–2017) which was well-received and was notable for pushing the envelope broaching topics including the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBT issues, gun rights, politics, and the reality of being black in America. He also served as an executive producer for the Fox sitcom Rel (2018–2019) and directed Drew Michael's stand-up comedy special Drew Michael in 2018 which was acclaimed for its unusual style.