Asha Ward

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Asha Ward
Alma mater Columbia College Chicago
Occupation(s)Comedian, writer
Employer Saturday Night Live

Asha Ward is an American comedian and writer. In 2022, she became the youngest-ever writer on the staff of Saturday Night Live . [1] [2]

Ward, whose family is from Trinidad, [3] was raised in Maryland. [4] Her parents divorced when she was young. [4]

Ward became interested in performing comedy after taking an improv class at the age of 17. [3] She graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in comedy writing and performance. [5] As many comedy venues in Chicago had shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, she left the city soon afterward, staying with relatives in Baltimore and Queens until she could afford to rent a room of her own in Brooklyn. [1]

Ward was working a day job as a receptionist and nights as a stand-up comedian when she got a meeting with Saturday Night Live cast member Ego Nwodim. Ward was hired to write for SNL in December 2022. [1] [2] In 2023, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. [5] [6]

In 2023, Ward was featured by the Just For Laughs comedy festival as one of their "New Faces of Comedy". [4] [7]

In March 2024, Ward appeared in a Netflix comedy special, Gender Agenda, hosted by Hannah Gadsby and also featuring fellow genderqueer comedians Jes Tom, Alok, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Krishna Istha, and Mx. Dahlia Belle. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Yeah, That's Just Where Asha Ward's At". Vulture . October 5, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Williams, Albert (October 8, 2023). "Emmy Award-Nominated Columbia College Chicago Theatre Dept. Alum Named One of the 'Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2023' by Vulture". Columbia College Chicago . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Garron, Taylor (June 3, 2022). "9 Out of 10 Dentists Recommend Asha Ward". Vulture . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Asha Ward". Just for Laughs . September 29, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Albert (July 20, 2023). "Columbia College Chicago Theatre Dept. Alums Nominated for 2023 Emmy Awards in Writing and Production Design". Columbia College Chicago . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Asha Ward". Emmys . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  7. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (July 24, 2023). "Just For Laughs Reveals New Faces Of Comedy Talent Lineup (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  8. ↑ Hailu, Selome (February 12, 2024). "Hannah Gadsby's Netflix Special 'Gender Agenda' Sets Lineup of Genderqueer Comedians: Jes Tom, Alok and More (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved February 12, 2024.


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