I love standup comedy. I grew up watching some of the greats: George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, Bill Hicks, and Richard Pryor. I’ve always been fascinated by the standup process and lifestyle.
So when I heard about the movie Funny People earlier this year, I was really excited to see it. And it was everything I hoped it would be. It’s not exactly a comedy, but it is funny. And, better yet, it provides a glimpse into the lives of standup comedians — both those who are up and coming, and those who have “sold out.”
Since Funny People came out on DVD last week, I wanted to share some of my favorite comedians currently working. Some of them you’ll definitely recognize, but hopefully there’s a few you’ll discover. Many of them are featured in The Comedians of Comedy, which I highly recommend.
Zach Galifianakis
My absolute favorite comedian right now. You’ll recognize him from The Hangover, but he’s been doing fantastic standup for years. His shows include musical interludes with random thoughts and a lot of self deprecation. His Between Two Ferns videos for Funny or Die are hysterical. Bonus: he grows a magnificent beard.
David Cross
Not only is his standup hilarious, but he starred in The Greatest Television Comedy Ever.
Sarah Silverman
She has a filthy mouth and yet manages to be endearing.
Michael Ian Black
MIB has starred in two hilarious comedy shows — The State and Stella — in addition to his current Comedy Central show, Michael and Michael Have Issues. He’s also a really funny author, blogger, and tweeter.
Seth Rogen
He’s blown up recently as an actor thanks to Judd Apatow, but he started in standup. You can see some of his stuff online, and also in Funny People.
Tina Fey
More a brilliant comedic writer than a standup, but I loved her on SNL and can’t get enough of 30 Rock.
Craig Robinson
“Darryl from The Office” got his start in standup. If you can find any of his old videos, watch them. He’s also got a hilarious cameo in Knocked Up.
Patton Oswalt
I’m glad he’s had so much success as a comedy writer and actor (and voice of Remy in Ratatouille), but standup is where he really shines.
Norm MacDonald
This man is a Canadian national treasure. He’s been around for a long time, but he still cracks me up whenever he guests on a talk show.
Maria Bamford
She’s a really weird lady, which makes her really funny. Apart from her standup, you can now see her being oddlarious (new word!) in some Target TV spots.
Aziz Ansari
Part of the brilliant Human Giant comedy troupe, and now starring on Parks and Recreation. I love his role in Funny People, too.
Brian Posehn
He’ll forever be known as “The Tall Guy from Just Shoot Me”, but he’s a really funny standup who deals primarily in nerd humor.
Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci
You might recognize Riki Lindhome from The Last House on the Left, and Kate Micucci from her work on Scrubs. But together they form the excellent musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates.
Demetri Martin
Do you enjoy humor featuring graphs, charts, and palindromes? Yeah, I probably would have said no, too, before seeing Demetri Martin’s act. He’s often compared to Steven Wright, but he has his own thing going on.
