Born:
August 28, 1974
Jen Kirkman Overview:
Stand-up comic Jen Kirkman is one of the premiere voices in today's "alternative comedy" scene and performs regularly around L.A.'s hippest clubs, including Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Largo and the Hollywood Improv. Her comedy is part observation and part confession, almost always coming from a very personal -- and very funny -- place. She cites Joan Rivers as an influence, drawing from that comedian's strength and perseverance in the "boys' club" of comedy during the '50s and '60s -- plus the fact that she's still got comedic chops. All of those qualities clearly play a role in Kirkman's comedy, too.
Quick Jen Kirkman Facts:
- Jen Kirkman was born in Needham, Massachusetts, in 1974 She grew up around Boston.
- She began performing comedy in Los Angeles in 2002.
- She is a writer and regular guest on Chelsea Handler's E! talk show, Chelsea Lately. She's also a cast member on the show's sister series, After Lately.
- Kirkman narrated and starred in Drunk History, which won the Best Short Film prize at Sundance in 2010. It appeared as part of HBO's Funny or Die Presents sketch show in 2011.
- She released her first album, Self Help, in 2006.
- Her second album, Hail to the Freaks, was released in 2011.
Additional Jen Kirkman Facts:
- Kirkman was a cast member on the VH1 sketch comedy series Acceptable.TV, which lasted for only a few episodes in 2007.
- She was named one of the "Top Rising Stars in Comedy" by Entertainment Weekly in 2009.
- The Huffington Post named Kirkman one of their must-follow comedians on Twitter in 2010.
- She is an advocate for more female voices in comedy and co-founded the site girlcomic.net, a website that spotlights female comedians and hosted interviews with comics such as Sarah Silverman, Margaret Cho and Amy Poehler. The site eventually shut down in 2006.
- Kirkman was a writer on the short-lived NBC sitcom Perfect Couples.
- She has also provided voices for the animated series Home Movies and SuperNews!. Additionally, Kirkman wrote scripts for two episodes of the animated hit Phineas and Ferb.
- She's a regular guest on her friend Paul F. Tompkins' podcast, The Pod F. Tomcast.
