Josh Johnson (comedian)

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Josh Johnson
Trevor Noah 2019-02-01 - Josh Johnson (33189794718).jpg
Johnson in 2019
Born (1990-03-16) March 16, 1990 (age 35) [1]
Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma mater Centenary College of Louisiana
OccupationsComedian, writer
Website joshjohnsoncomedy.com

Josh Johnson (born March 16, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show , having first joined as a staff writer in 2017. Johnson became a correspondent in February 2024, and was later promoted to the weekly rotation of hosts in July 2025. His self-released frequent YouTube sets have been released over the 2020s. He was also previously a writer and performer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . He toured with Trevor Noah on his Loud & Clear tour for several years. In 2018, he was named New York's Funniest Stand Up at the New York Comedy Festival. He has released two hour-long comedy specials, # (Hashtag) (2021) and Up Here Killing Myself (2023).

Contents

Early life

Johnson is from Alexandria, Louisiana. His mother was a special education teacher before having neurosurgery. After her surgery, she worked as a librarian at the same library Johnson visited after school. [2] His father worked as a teacher, and his parents are separated. He studied design [3] and received a degree in lighting design for theater from Centenary College in 2012. [4] While in college, he performed at open mic nights, inspired by Christopher Titus. [3] He lived in Chicago before moving to New York City.

Career

Johnson made his late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , where he was also a writer and performer. [4] Since 2017, he has been a writer for The Daily Show, [4] where he made his debut as an on-air correspondent in 2024. His first half-hour special was released on Comedy Central in 2017. [5] His comedic story "Catfishing the KKK" has been viewed more than 13 million times on YouTube. [6]

In 2018, he appeared on the Netflix stand-up comedy series The Comedy Lineup. [7] At the New York Comedy Festival that year, he was named New York's Funniest Stand Up. [8] Beginning in 2019, Johnson toured with Trevor Noah on the Loud & Clear tour. [9] [4]

Johnson's first hour-long stand-up special was # (Hashtag). [10] It was released in June 2021 on Comedy Central to a positive reception, including being named one of the best comedy specials of 2021 by Vulture magazine. [11] [12] Variety named him one of 10 Comics to Watch. [3] Also that year, he took bits from his stand-up and interspersed music compositions in a 33-track mixtape album called Elusive, which he worked on with Mike Relm. [13] [14] His second special, Up Here Killing Myself, was released in February 2023 on Peacock. [11]

Johnson voices Harry Buns on the Disney Channel series Kiff , which premiered in March 2023, his first acting role in a major scripted TV series. [15]

Since 2023, [16] Johnson has uploaded routines from his open mics and performances at the Comedy Cellar and his running tours every week at his personal YouTube channel. [17] Critics have praised Johnson's videos for their remarkable frequency, thematic consistency, and depth. [18] [19] Starting July 22, 2025, Johnson was added to The Daily Show's rotation of hosts, alongside Jon Stewart, Desi Lydic, Michael Kosta, Ronny Chieng, and Jordan Klepper. [20]

Discography

YearNameNotesRef
2018I Like You
2021Elusive
#Hashtag
2022Channel Black
Some of the Best of the Josh Johnson Show, Vol. 1
2023Biden! Karen! OnlyFans! A Josh Johnson Basement Tape
Up Here Killing Myself
Some of the Best of the Josh Johnson Show, Vol. 2
Leaps
2024Josh Johnson: Live from Before

References

  1. ↑ "Josh Johnson - Personalized videos on Cameo".
  2. ↑ AreYouGarbage? Comedy Podcast (June 11, 2025). Josh Johnson | Are You Garbage Comedy Podcast w/ Kevin Ryan & H. Foley . Retrieved June 26, 2025– via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 Ferme, Antonio; Plunkett, Paul; Miller, Stuart; Shanfeld, Ethan; Gilchrist, Todd (July 27, 2021). "Mirth Makers on the Rise". Variety . Vol. 352, no. 20. pp. 11–16. ISSN   0042-2738.
  4. 1 2 3 4 The Times (January 29, 2021). "Centenary College's free virtual convocation features interview with NowThis, 'Daily Show' media". Shreveport Times. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Season 1, Ep. 9 –Josh Johnson –Full Episode –Comedy Central US". Comedy Central. January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Josh (November 15, 2017). "Catfishing the KKK". Yum's The Word. YouTube. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Watch The Comedy Lineup". Netflix Official Site. November 26, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ "New York's Funniest Stand Up – New York Comedy Festival". New York Comedy Festival – Official Website. November 8, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  9. ↑ Martinson, Elizabeth (June 5, 2019). "Trevor Noah brings laughs to Pittsburgh". The Pitt News. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ Greenough, Jason (June 3, 2021). "Josh Johnson's first hour special '# (Hashtag)' set to hit Comedy Central". Vanyaland.
  11. 1 2 Miller, Kirk (February 17, 2023). "How Josh Johnson Uses His Therapy for Laughs". InsideHook.
  12. ↑ VanArendonk, Kathryn (December 16, 2021). "The Best Comedy Specials of 2021". Vulture. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Comedian Josh Johnson Dares To Make Us Laugh In A Global Pandemic". NPR.org. September 30, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  14. ↑ Wilstein, Matt (September 14, 2021). "Josh Johnson Made Jimmy Fallon and Trevor Noah Funnier. Now It's His Turn". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Avery (January 24, 2023). "Lauren Ash & More Stars To Recur In Disney Channel Series 'Kiff': Exclusive Theme Song Reveal". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ Johnson, Josh (June 12, 2023). ""Biden, Karen, OnlyFans –Josh Johnson –Comedy Cellar Set –Stand Up Comedy"". YouTube . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ Johnson, Josh. "Josh Johnson". YouTube. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Pandya, Hershal (August 21, 2024). "The Daily Show's Josh Johnson Is Reaching New Prolific Heights". Vulture . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  19. ↑ Miller, Stuart (September 13, 2024). "Josh Johnson put out over 22 hours of stand-up material in a year, and somehow is still hungry to do more". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  20. ↑ Porter, Rick (July 21, 2025). "Josh Johnson Joins 'Daily Show' Host Rotation (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved July 21, 2025.
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