Jerrod Carmichael
He builds extreme tension by whispering his premises into heavy silence.
4 specials · 2014–2025
Start with Rothaniel, the breakout (2022 · 55 min · HBO)
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He speaks so softly you have to lean in. A typical set involves him floating a premise that sounds wrong, then pausing for an uncomfortable amount of time while the crowd decides if they can laugh. If someone groans, he talks to them directly. He operates at a near-whisper, turning a large room into a space where someone is saying something out of line.
Specials
On stage
He occupies a strange border between comedy and performance art. His specials are highly directed, shot by major filmmakers, and designed to look like heavy confessions. He is the comic for people who want standup to feel like an indie drama. This pivot makes him a polarizing figure. Traditionalists complain he stopped writing jokes, while a different crowd treats his hours as major events.
In his earlier sets, he would take the wrong side of a moral argument just to see if he could talk his way out of it. Over time, that instinct turned inward. He started using the stage to work through his North Carolina upbringing, family secrets, and his own sexuality in real time. The pacing got slower, the visual staging grew elaborate, and the standard setup-punch rhythm vanished.
He seems to genuinely enjoy making an audience feel just a little bit trapped in a room with him.
Turning points
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2015–2017
Creation of The Carmichael Show
Carmichael co-created and starred in a critically acclaimed multi-camera NBC sitcom that tackled controversial issues like Black Lives Matter, gun rights, and LGBT topics.
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Feature Directorial Debut with On the Count of Three
Carmichael made his feature directorial debut with the dark comedy On the Count of Three, which premiered in dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
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Public Coming Out in Special Rothaniel
Carmichael publicly came out as gay onstage at the Blue Note Jazz Club during his HBO special Rothaniel, opening up about family secrets and winning an Emmy for writing.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Bo Burnham
Burnham directed Carmichael's landmark specials 8 and Rothaniel, sharing an unconventional, visually deliberate, and emotionally raw approach to the standup medium.
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Drew Michael
Carmichael directed Michael's experimental 2018 standup special, reflecting a shared artistic interest in deconstructing conventional standup presentation.
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Lil Rel HoweryHowery co-starred on The Carmichael Show and partnered with Carmichael as executive producer on the sitcom Rel, uniting their shared roots in narrative sitcom and live comedy.
Also on screen
- The Goodwin Games
- Neighbors
- 2014–2015
- Lucas Bros Moving Co.
- 2015–2017
- The Carmichael Show
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
A clip to start with
Jerrod Carmichael - I Will Definitely Cheat On My Wife