Jerrod Carmichael

Rothaniel Jerrod Carmichael (/dʒəˈrɒd/ jə-ROD; born April 7, 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, 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-biographical NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show (2015–2017).

Rothaniel Jerrod Carmichael was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on April 7, 1987. He has an older brother named Joe. 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.

At the age of 20, Carmichael moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian, despite never having tried it before. His first time doing stand-up was 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. His breakout role as an actor was in the film Neighbors (2014). He was also on the TV show The Goodwin Games.

Carmichael 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 its envelope-pushing approach to topical subjects such as the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBT issues, gun rights, politics, and the reality of being black in America.

Carmichael's first HBO stand-up comedy special, Love at the Store (2014), was directed by Spike Lee and filmed at The Comedy Store. His second, 8 (2017), was directed by Bo Burnham and filmed in the Grand Lodge Room of New York's Masonic Hall. Carmichael served as an executive producer for the sitcom Rel, which was picked up by Fox in May 2018 and cancelled after one season. He made an appearance on Tyler, The Creator's 2019 album IGOR, narrating the album as it progresses and speaking short lines to make sense of Tyler's (and the title character Igor's) state of mind. Later that year, he was hired by Quentin Tarantino to co-write a film adaptation based on the Django/Zorro crossover comic book series.

Carmichael directed and starred in the comedy thriller film On the Count of Three (2021). His third HBO special, Rothaniel (2022), was also directed by Burnham.

Having discussed his relationships with both men and women during his documentary series Home Videos (2019), Carmichael came out as gay in Rothaniel (2022). Carmichael lives in New York City.

Film

Television

Music videos