Joe Rogan - Biography

Comedian Joe Rogan
Photo by Michael Schwartz/Getty Images

Born:

August 11, 1967

Joe Rogan Overview:

Comedian, actor and UFC commentator Joe Rogan comes from a long tradition of Boston stand-ups: he's outspoken, incredibly vulgar and very funny. Inspired by comics like Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison, Rogan isn't afraid to tackle potentially taboo subjects like religion, politics or terrorism. He's been publicly critical of other comedians in the past and has accused more than one comic of stealing jokes. A bodybuilder and trained martial artist, Rogan is also one of the most physically intimidating comedians working today. It's best not to mess with him.

Quick Joe Rogan Facts:

  • Joe Rogan was born in New Jersey and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • He began performing stand-up around Boston in 1988.
  • Rogan's first big break came in 1995, when he was cast as handyman Joe Girelli on the NBC sitcom . The show ran until 1999.
  • In 2001, he became the host of the hugely successful reality show Fear Factor, which ran for six seasons on NBC.
  • In 2002, he became a color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Pay Per View bouts. Rogan himself has been an accomplished martial artists since age 13; he holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
  • Rogan began hosting his own comedy podcastThe Joe Rogan Experience, in 2009. The show would eventually gain more than 10 million listeners and be syndicated on SIRIUS XM satellite radio.
  • In 2013, he became the host of his own original series on SyFy, Joe Rogan Questions Everything, which ran for 13 episodes.

Joe Rogan Comedy Albums and DVD:

  • I'm Gonna be Dead Someday (2000) (CD)
  • Live From the Belly of the Beast (2001) (DVD)
  • Joe Rogan: Live (2006) (DVD)
  • Shiny Happy Jihad (2007) (CD)
  • Flying Monkeys from Space (2010)
  • Live from the Tabernacle (2012) (Digital Download)
  • Rocky Mountain High (2014) (Digital Download)

Joe Rogan, Plagarism Police:

Joe Rogan has had a number of public disputes with other comedians in which he's accused them of stealing jokes and plagiarizing material. The most public was with comedian Carlos Mencia; in 2007, Rogan argued with Mencia on stage at L.A.'s The Comedy Store and accused him of stealing jokes. Rogan later claimed the incident got him banned from The Comedy Store and left his agency as a result. He's also publicly accused Dane Cook of stealing material from him, as well as been critical of Denis Leary for ripping off Bill Hicks, one of Rogan's comedy idols.

Additional Joe Rogan Facts:

  • His big break in TV came in 1994 when Rogan starred as an athlete on the short-lived FOX comedy series Hardball.
  • In 2003, Rogan and comedian Doug Stanhope became the hosts of The Man Show on Comedy Central, taking over for the departing Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel. The show lasted only season before being canceled.
  • Rogan's role on NewsRadio was originally played by comedian Ray Romano, who was replaced by Rogan after the series' pilot.
  • The World MMA Awards have named Rogan the MMA Personality of the Year three times.
  • He is a regular hunter and advocate for the legalization of cannabis.
  • Rogan has had supporting roles in two Kevin James movies, (2011) and Here Comes the Boom (2012).

If You Like Joe Rogan, Check Out

Sam Kinison, Bill Hicks, Greg Giraldo, Doug Stanhope