Morgan Murphy
A sharp, low-energy comic who treats enthusiasm as a character flaw.
1 special · 2017
Get an email when there's a new special. You'll need a Google account.
Morgan Murphy stands almost completely still, usually holding a glass, speaking in a flat monotone that deliberately strips the manic energy out of the room. Her setups are brief. She drops her punchlines without changing her facial expression. She talks about sex, drinking, and societal expectations as if she is reading the minutes of a very tedious meeting.
Specials
-
The Comedians' Comedian's Comedians with Doug Stanhope, Brendon Walsh & 1 more
Doug Stanhope hosts an Austin showcase of underground comedy veterans.
Prime Video · 59 min
On stage
She is a fixture in the Los Angeles scene and a prolific television writer. You have likely heard her jokes coming out of other people’s mouths on late-night broadcasts or sitcoms like 2 Broke Girls and Abbott Elementary. On stage, she represents a specific school of comedy that prioritizes a tightly constructed one-liner over theatricality. She refuses to sell a joke with physical movement.
Her strongest move on stage is the sudden turn. She leads the audience down a familiar, self-deprecating path about being single or staying home, then snaps the joke into an observation about religion or reproductive politics. In her hour Irish Goodbye, she uses this flat affect to deliver high-stakes premises without ever raising her heart rate. The drawback to this low-energy pacing is that if a crowd refuses to lean in, the silence between jokes can drag. When a room tunes to her frequency, the stillness makes the punchlines land with a heavier thud.
Murphy started performing while interning in late-night television, landing her first writing jobs by her early twenties. That background explains why her standup feels entirely stripped of filler.
Turning points
-
Primetime Emmy Nomination for Fallon Staff
Murphy was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award as part of the original writing staff on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
-
Undergoes Corrective Brain Surgery
Murphy underwent brain surgery in 2020 to successfully correct a congenital brainstem condition.
At a glance
- Born
- , Portland, Oregon
- Style
- self deprecating
- Breakout
- Irish Goodbye
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Podcasts
-
Los Feliz The Podcast · co-host
A podcast hosted by Morgan Murphy and Robin Shorr discussing the minutiae, businesses, and life in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Also on screen
- Sleeping Dogs Lie
- World's Greatest Dad
- The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
- It's Kind of a Funny Story
- God Bless America
A clip to start with
Being Single Isn’t Something to “Wooo!” About - Morgan Murphy