2023 Comedy Impact Report: Hasan Minhaj, Natasha Lyonne, and More

Quinta Brunson
Creator, executive producer, actor

Randall Einhorn
Executive producer, director

Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker
Executive producers

The first season of Brunson’s mockumentary sitcom about an underfunded public school in Philadelphia won three Emmys and was nominated for four more, an exceptionally strong showing for a new broadcast offering, and its second season just received eight noms. Brunson, daughter of a kindergarten teacher who first drew attention for creating popular Instagram memes, won a statuette for writing the ABC comedy in September, and Einhorn praises her as “a student of comedy,” noting “Abbott’’ is a “tribute to first and foremost comedy, but also to her mom.” Brunson says she was inspired by classic network sitcoms including “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Bob Newhart Show” while creating the series, while co-showrunners Schumacker and Halpern pulled from “Seinfeld,” as well as “The Office.”

Talent agent
UTA

Alpert helped “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder renegotiate a new deal for the half-hour Max comedy, got co-star Megan Stalter a juicy role in Sony’s upcoming “My Ex-Friend’s Wedding” and helped sell the Andy Samberg-led romcom “42.6 Years” to Amazon. “The most impactful comedies have breakout moments for the next generation of amazing voices because they’ll be calling the shots in 10 years,” she says. It’s long been difficult to get comic films greenlit, so Alpert’s goal for 2023 is also her biggest challenge. “I have many clients with incredible comedy feature scripts,” she says. “I want to put a lot of energy into getting them made.”

Chris Storer
Creator

Joanna Calo, Hiro Murai, Josh Senior
Executive producers

Matt Matheson
Executive producer and actor

It’s the dramedy that’s got everyone saying “Yes, chef!” In its sophomore season, FX and Hulu’s “The Bear” has turned up the heat in the kitchen and in Chicago. While shooting Season 2, the cast got the occasional “hey, cuz!” or an invite into a restaurant’s kitchen. “The fact that Chicago has welcomed us from a production standpoint is so amazing,” says Senior. Matheson, exec producer and actor on the show — and a real-life chef — says the show’s humor stems from the characters’ differences: “It’s a good mix of stupidity, trying hard and always putting your foot in your mouth. Just classic comedy cues.”

Actor
“Peacemaker”

James Gunn cast the Emmy- and Tony-nominated Brooks in “Peacemaker,” a Max spin-off of 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” after seeing her work on “Orange Is the New Black.” Entering the DC universe was an inspiring experience for the actor. “I rarely get to see someone like myself get to play a part like this — a plus-size, dark-skinned woman getting to step into an action project.” For any comedic role, Brooks enjoys tapping into her inner child and “bringing little Danielle into a room and just playing.” This December, Brooks will reprise her Broadway role of Sophia for the film version of “The Color Purple.” Promises Brooks: “The audience is waiting for a moment of lightheartedness and people are definitely going to find that with Sophia.”

Co-head, comedy touring
IGA

Burgos first spotted “Daily Show” star Ronny Chieng at his client Eddie Izzard’s Just for Laughs gala and recently helped him nab a breakout role in the horror hit “M3GAN.” He’s brought in four new comedy agents this past year to IGA, the ten-percentery formed with the June merger of APA and AGI. “As someone who was a comedy manager for 10 years, I felt uniquely equipped to figure out where agencies were lacking, and able to represent comedians holistically,” says Burgos. “Our department represents them in all aspects of their career.”

Comedian
“Rothaniel”

Carmichael revels in delivering comedy that most may avoid, as his stint hosting the Golden Globes in January attests. He won a writing Emmy for his HBO special, “Rothaniel,” in 2022 and in 2021 made his feature film directing debut with “On the Count of Three.” Carmichael has also served as exec producer on shows including “Ramy” and “Kate Berlant: Cinnamon in the Wind.” The sharp-witted comic invites audiences to take a front seat to his personal explorations into his mental health struggles, reckoning with his queer identity, as well as his astute observations on societal issues.

Stand-up booker
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Being “The Tonight Show’s” stand-up comedy booker has “always been a dream” for Cox, who got his start in the mailroom at APA. He now puts comedians like Nikki Glaser on Fallon’s stage, saying she “has gotten better and evolved” with each appearance. Cox is with comedians each step of the way, fine-tuning their joke delivery and stage presence before the big day comes, always focused on delivering laughter to the venerable NBC late-night program. “Jimmy has always told me he just wants it to be as funny as possible,” says Cox.

Exec VP, comedy development
Universal Television

Since his first job as a Club Med windsurfing instructor, it’s been smooth sailing for Donnelly, who rode a wave from ICM to CAA to Warner Bros.’ drama department before jumping to comedy development at CBS TV Studios and then Universal in 2015. After shepherding “Hacks,” “Russian Doll,” “Young Rock” and “Schmigadoon!,” he scored spring hits with Peacock’s “Bupkis” and Amazon Freevee’s “Primo.” His secret? “Finding surprising, unique storytelling and humor with people you want to spend time with.” Working with creators like Tina Fey, “it’s our job to protect their vision and give them info they need to succeed,” he says, “while finding projects the right home for long-term success and cultural impact.”

Music and comedy touring department
CAA

“I started my career as a P.A., learning to trust my gut from the founder of Spanx,” jokes CAA’s Doyle, who has learned to quip from the best. As the agency’s first marketer specializing in comedy and podcasts, Doyle helped fill 2022 arena shows for talents like Trevor Noah and Jeff Dunham. In March, the “SmartLess” podcast, co-hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes and which she helped sign, became a Max docuseries about their tour. “It’s easy to measure success based on ticket sales,” she says. “It’s more about maintaining the longevity of a comedian’s career.” 

Creator
“The Rehearsal”

The creator and star of Comedy Central’s “Nathan for You” somehow managed to outdo himself with HBO’s “The Rehearsal,” a docuseries showing him help others prepare for pivotal life moments. In an era of binging content, “The Rehearsal” let anticipation (and theories) build from week to week. Fielder also co-created and co-wrote the upcoming Showtime series “The Curse” with Benny Safdie, starring in it with Emma Stone, and is an exec producer on HBO’s “How to With John Wilson,” which will start its third and final season July 28.

Comedian
“Something Special”

Gadsby is all about taking risks. Five years after the trauma-inspired special “Nanette,” the comedian is back on Netflix with “Something Special.” And spoiler alert – it’s surprisingly joyful! “It made sense when I started to feel joy in my actual life that I should share that on stage,” explains Gadsby. Their involvement with the Brooklyn Museum’s “It’s Pablo-matic” exhibit (which explores Picasso’s complex legacy through a feminist lens) has received a fair amount of negative press. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the backlash,” Gadsby says, unfazed. “It’s important – and interesting – for someone in my position to take risks and move beyond the feedback loop that success tends to create.”

Exec VP, HBO Programming
Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series

Gravitt’s award-winning roster showcases groundbreaking comedy brimming with distinctive voices and diverse perspectives. Current HBO series include Emmy-winning “Barry,” “The Rehearsal,” “The Righteous Gemstones,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Somebody Somewhere,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and “How to With John Wilson.” Upcoming projects include a series from Jerrod Carmichael, as well as the Sam Mendes, Jon Brown and Armando Iannucci pilot “The Franchise,” and pilot “The Chair Company,” from Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin. “The slate is a team effort,” Gravitt says. “At HBO and Max, we have such a talented group of executives who are all true comedy people.” 

Co-creator, exec producer, director, writer, actor
“Barry”

After four seasons of “Barry,” the HBO show’s co-creator, writer, producer, director and star is wrestling with the “weird form of grief” that comes with its conclusion. “What we tried to do was to see if you could play the right amount of levity and the right amount of, well, what would these characters do,” Hader says. “It’s nice to be able to have the opportunity to make a thing that can hold the emotions, hold the reality, hold the insanity, and still be funny.” Hader plans to continue a hands-on approach with future projects, sharing “The idea of writing and directing is really nice, because you can just have a little bit more control over the thing.”

Kevin Hart
Founder and chairman, Hartbeat

Thai Randolph
CEO, Hartbeat

Randolph and Hart have accomplished a staggering amount in a short amount of time: merging his two entertainment companies HartBeat Productions and Laugh Out Loud Productions; raising $100 million in capital; releasing more than 20 film, TV and audio projects; and revamping his three-day Las Vegas music, comedy and high-stakes poker event HartBeat Weekend, now in its fourth year. “We want to keep bringing diverse cross sections of people, diverse perspectives, giving them a reason to drop their shoulders,” says Randolph. The famously diminutive comedian’s other big achievement? Growing to 5’4” from his previously recorded height of 5 feet two inches — or so he says. “But don’t fact-check that, please.”

Director
“Poker Face,” “Glass Onion”

Johnson’s “Glass Onion” received Netflix’s biggest North American theatrical release late last year, and the “Knives Out” sequel broke the company’s record for the most-streamed film when it debuted on the service before Christmas. He also created and exec produces Peacock’s “Poker Face,” starring Natasha Lyonne as a woman who spots bullshit whether she wants to or not. Comedy has always been at the heart of Johnson’s work, from his first film, the teenager gangster noir “Brick,” to the quirky shenanigans of “The Brothers Bloom.” In the works: more “Knives Out” and “Poker Face” adventures.

Agent
WME

Lewis works with major comedic talent, including powerhouse multi-hyphenate John Mulaney; “Joy Ride” breakout star Sabrina Wu; podcaster and writer-actor Tom Segura; Margaret Cho (Hulu’s “Fire Island” and the upcoming season of “Life & Beth”); Emmy-nominated comedienne Nicole Byer (“Grand Crew”), “SNL” cast members Michael Longfellow, Punkie Johnson and Devon Walker; and Alex Edelman, who is taking his hit one-man show, “Just for Us,” to Broadway this summer. “My clients are hilarious, and my goal is to make sure their stories are told, their standup is seen, and their projects are watched and re-watched and quoted long after the fact.”

Executive producer, writer, actor
“Poker Face”

Once best-known for her idiosyncratic presence on-screen, Lyonne has become increasingly powerful behind the scenes in the past few years, co-creating and starring in Netflix’s “Russian Doll” before exec producing, writing and starring in Peacock’s “Poker Face” earlier this year. She credits “Poker Face” creator Rian Johnson for the latest surge in her career, recently noting, “Rian was the only person who came to me saying, ‘I really want to come up with something for us to do together’ — and then he followed through.” Lyonne directed an episode of “Poker Face” and now has her sights on a feature. In the meantime, a second season of the murder mystery is in the works.

Comedian
“From Bleak to Dark”

“I don’t want to be negative. But yeah, I don’t think anything’s ever gonna get better ever again.” Such is the opener of Maron’s HBO standup special, “From Bleak to Dark,” a wry, heartbreaking, comedically high-wire expose on grief, parental relationships and antisemitism in America. “As a Jew, and with that strange kind of slightly condescending, snarky tone, I really like poking at antisemites,” says Maron. “As someone who identifies as being Jewish, it makes it worse if you try to hide. I think now is the time, no matter what degree or wherever you fall on the spectrum of Jewishness, to stand up.”

Actor
“Jury Duty”

The actor landed the role of a lifetime when he signed up to play a version of himself on Amazon Freevee’s “Jury Duty.” Marsden says the response was immediate — and overwhelming. “On Friday evening, it felt like no one in the world knew about it,” says Marsden. “And then TikTok grabbed it, shot it out of a cannon and Saturday morning I was being stopped on the street by every other person walking past.” Citing Gene Wilder, Eddie Murphy and Christopher Guest among his influences, Marsden says he once dreamed of being a regular on “Saturday Night Live.” While that opportunity may have passed, Marsden has proved he’d make an excellent host.

Comedian
“Feel Good”

“Comedy’s not the same as therapy,” Martin says. But that hasn’t stopped them from unpacking their struggles with identity and addiction on-screen with wonderful results. BAFTA-nominated for their Netflix series “Feel Good,” which they wrote and starred in, the Canadian comic’s latest stand-up special “Sap” (a word they use to identify the many joys in their life) has solidified their stature as an artist who isn’t just looking for laughs, but revels in the energetic catharsis that’s shared with their audience. “When I hear that me being transparent about things I’m grappling with has helped other people,” Martin says, “that makes it
all worthwhile.”

Co-hosts
“UNHhhh”

Eight seasons and counting, “UNHhhh” hosts and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova have brought laughs, tiffs and fantastic tangents to their WOW Presents+ show. They recently embarked on the largest drag tour in history, selling out New York’s Radio City Music Hall, but Mattel considers her major success this year to be “learning how to self-tan without turning my palms and finger crevices orange. I exfoliate my hands and moisturize BEFORE I apply.” Despite all their success, there’s one thing Zamolodchikova desires — to be run over by Deborah Vance’s Rolls Royce in “Hacks.”

Comedian
“Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester”

“The best comedy is the art of confession,” Minhaj explains, which is exactly what he offers in his latest Netflix stand-up special “The King’s Jester.” Minhaj used the comedy project to open up about fertility, fatherhood and freedom of speech. “Everything you’re too afraid to talk about on stage is EXACTLY what you should be talking about on stage,” he tells Variety. Minhaj is co-writing “Best of the Best” with “Patriot Act” co-creator Prashanth Venkataramanujam and will star in the film for Amazon. “It’s a comedy about the competitive world of collegiate Bollywood dance that’s based on painfully true events from my life.”

Mo Amer
Co-creator, exec producer, actor

Ramy Youssef
Co-creator, exec producer

Amer and Youssef have taken their culturally distinct characters and brought them to the forefront of modern comedy with their critically acclaimed Netflix series “Mo,” co-produced by A24. Now gearing up for its second season, the series centers on Amer’s life and Palestinian-American upbringing. Previously, the duo collaborated on Hulu’s “Ramy,” starring Youssef, who is of Egyptian descent, as a millennial Muslim born to immigrant parents in the United States. “Life is a roller coaster of experiences, and when you go through major trials and tribulations, you realize that comedy can be found everywhere, even in the most serious of situations,” says Amer.

Comedian
“Baby J”

Since the December 2020 intervention that led to him get sober, Mulaney has spent a lot of time examining his relationship with audiences. He reckons with what he’s learned in the Netflix special “Baby J,” observing that “likeability is a jail,” as he does his best to break out of it. “The trick of this is, in every story I thought I was the cool one who was in the right and killing it, and I was just a disaster,” Mulaney says. “And once I enjoyed sharing what a mess I am, it was quite liberating.”

Comedian
“The Intruder”

Six months after Okatsuka’s HBO special, “The Intruder,” premiered, she returned home to Japan after three years and pandemic constraints to visit family and surprise international fans with shows. The Taiwan-born and Japan-U.S.-raised comedian notes how, unlike some of her contemporaries, she wasn’t raised on “Saturday Night Live” reruns or old comedy albums, but once she saw Margaret Cho’s standup as a teenager, she was given “an escape” that allowed her to explore a career in comedy. The observational storyteller says that path, along with the support from her husband, Ryan Harper Gray, has shaped and benefited her rising career.

Comedian
“Off the Record”

After leaving the host seat of “The Daily Show” in 2022, South African comedian Noah has been on a trip of what he calls “an interesting mix of adventure and mourning.” Along with embarking on his “Off the Record” stand-up tour, in February Noah hosted the Grammy Awards for the third time and is busy producing “Mock the Week” for Amazon Freevee along with his own Spotify podcast. Looking back, he considers a “Daily” host the backbone of the program: “I think the impact is in many ways determined by who sits behind the desk. With myself … we were around to try to make sense of Trump.”

Tracey Pakosta
VP, comedy series

Robbie Praw
VP, standup and comedy formats

Netflix

Pakosta sets the strategic and creative direction for a rich portfolio of diverse scripted comedies through the development, greenlighting, and production process. She oversees a formidable team responsible for setting the strategy for Netflix stand-up and sketch comedy formats, and in 2023 launched “That ’90s Show” and she was pivotal in getting the rights to “Girls5eva.” Praw has been overseeing specials and shows from Wanda Sykes, John Mulaney, Hannah Gadsby and Bert Kreischer. “We want Netflix to be the place where comedians can do their best work,” Pakosta says. “We want to make the funniest shows on TV.”

Co-writer, actor
“The Blackening”

Perkins, who calls himself “the love child of Jordan Peele and Kenny Ortega,” co-wrote and appears in “The Blackening,” a Lionsgate horror movie that poses the question: “If everyone’s Black and we’re all in a horror movie, who would die first?” “The idea was to put multiple Black people in this space, so that you’re forced to see that they are not the same,” explains Perkins. “They don’t serve the same purpose, and they can’t fit in the same box that often Black people are tokenized into.” He recently penned Disney+’s “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” and received an Emmy nomination for his work on “The Amber Ruffin Show.” 

Senior VP, head of comedy
Hulu

Under Rosenberg’s direction, Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” garnered 17 Emmy nominations, including for comedy series, with Steve Martin and Martin Short both receiving recognition in the lead actor category for comedy series. “It’s been a true joy of my career working on ‘Only Murders in the Building,’” he says. “Not only is it one of the biggest series on all of TV and streaming, but we’ve had the privilege of working with the greatest talents in front of and behind the camera.” Rosenberg has helped to build Hulu’s comedy brand of risky and innovative series, including “This Fool,” “PEN15” and “Shrill.”

Jason Segel
Co-creator, actor

Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence
Co-creators

Lawrence and Goldstein immediately recognized they had a good thing going when they collaborated on the hit series “Ted Lasso,” and quickly reunited on AppleTV+’s“Shrinking,” this time with Segel serving as co-creator and frontman. Segel plays Jimmy, a therapist and dad struggling to cope with the loss of his wife. “When we were writing Jimmy, I said I want him to have Michael Keaton energy — that kind of, ‘I’m pretty sure that I can keep it together. But there’s a chance I can’t,’ ” Segel says. Lawrence says the team “did the research” by interviewing 100 therapists; Harrison Ford provides additional gravitas as Dr. Paul Rhodes, mentor to Jimmy, with Jessica Williams portraying Gaby, a fellow therapist. 

Actor
“Hacks”

Smart has won back-to-back Emmys for her performance as seasoned stand-up comedian Deborah Vance on the Max series, nominated twice in the comedy series category. Smart conveys the quick wit and charm of the fictional stand-up locking horns with Ava, a younger comic portrayed by Hannah Einbinder. Smart praises the writing as another reason that “audiences really respond to that dynamic between Deborah and Ava.” 

Jason Sudeikis
Co-creator, actor

Brendan Hunt
Co-creator, actor

Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence
Co-creators

The Apple TV+ comedy series “Ted Lasso” has not only become a critical and awards darling, with back-to-back Emmy wins for best comedy, but a true cultural force, made possible by the creative team of Sudeikis, Hunt, Kelly and Lawrence. Sudeikis, whose titular character exited the soccer team at the end of Season 3, also won two Emmys for his performance, with the future of “Ted Lasso” a question mark. In March, the cast met with President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to talk about the importance of mental health.

Senior VP Network Comedy
ABC Entertainment

Wehrenberg leads ABC’s award-winning comedy slate, including “Abbott Elementary,” which secured three Emmys and three Golden Globes for its freshman season, and currently ranks as the network’s top multiplatform series in Adults 18-49. She also oversees “The Conners,” “Home Economics,” “Not Dead Yet” and “The Wonder Years.” The breakout success of “Abbott” has been a game-changer. “We can’t ignore the outpouring of feedback we’ve received, not just from teachers, but from people’s awakening to the challenges faced by our public educators. The show’s ability to reflect these issues through humor has given us an opportunity to implement real change.”

Correspondent
“The Daily Show” 

Wood recently did what he called “one of the most horrifying things you can do as a comedian, but also the most rewarding”: host the White House Correspondents Dinner. As an eight-year correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” he’s no stranger to political comedy. “The whole point of ‘The Daily Show’ is to make you laugh and while you’re laughing, slip in something truthful,” he says.  Woods wants to continue his live comedy show “Tribulations” — in this support group slash stand-up act, “comedians and therapists make you laugh at your problems and hopefully remind you that you’re not alone,” he says.