Langston Kerman

Last updated
Langston Kerman
Langston Kerman.png
Kerman at the 2015 Just for Laughs comedy festival
Born (1987-04-23) April 23, 1987 (age 37)
Education University of Michigan (BA)
Boston University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actor
Known for Insecure
Notable workLightskinned Feelings
Children2
Website langstonkerman.com

Langston Kerman (born April 23, 1987) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He has acted in shows including Insecure , High Maintenance , Bless This Mess , The Boys and English Teacher . Kerman is a writer and co-star on HBO Max's South Side . His first comedy album, Lightskinned Feelings, was named to Vulture 's list of 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Kerman was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. His mother is African-American and his father is white and Jewish. [3] He received his bachelor's degree in English from University of Michigan in 2009. After college he taught poetry at his former high school for one year. [3] Kerman later received an MFA in poetry at Boston University and then decided to pursue a full-time career in stand-up comedy. [4] [5]

Career

Kerman has acted in shows such as on Adam DeVine's House Party , High Maintenance , Strangers, and Comedy Bang! Bang! . [5] He was selected by host Chris Rock to write for the 2016 Academy Awards. [1]

In 2016, he appeared in his first recurring acting role as Jered on the first season of Issa Rae's scripted comedy series Insecure . The role led to wider recognition. [6]

On September 28, 2018, Kerman was featured in his own Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents half-hour special, Lightskinned Feelings (later titled "White People Can Keep Secrets"). [7] On the same day, he also released an hour-long comedy album of the same name, which was recorded at Punchline Comedy Club in San Francisco. [1] It was named to Vulture 's 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018 list. [2]

Kerman has a voice-over role in IMDb's 2019 animated series You're Not a Monster . [8] He also appeared in the 2019 Comedy Central series The New Negroes, [9] and is also a writer and recurring actor for the HBO Max series South Side.

He was a series regular on the second season of Bless This Mess , [10] and appeared in a recurring role on the second season of The Boys . [11]

In August 2020, Kerman created the comedy podcast My Momma Told Me on the iHeartRadio Network. He discusses various Black conspiracy theories that he and his guests learned from their mothers. [12]

Kerman co-created and co-stars in the 2022 Peacock series Bust Down . [13] In 2023, he was cast in the Hulu mystery thriller series The Other Black Girl , a television adaptation of the 2021 novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris. [14]

In 2024, Kerman released his first standalone comedy special, Bad Poetry, on Netflix. It was directed by comedian John Mulaney. [15] Critics gave it high marks. In a review in The New Yorker , Vinson Cunningham wrote that "work like Kerman’s is the way back to comedy on its own terms, as an art to be enjoyed in its purest form." [16] Vulture called it "a stellar introduction to Kerman’s whimsical brand of comedy." [15] Cracked said that, "story after story, bit after bit, Kerman nails it." [17] The Daily Beast described Kerman as "one of the most exciting stand-up comedians working right now." [18]

Kerman appeared in a recurring role in the FX comedy series English Teacher , which premiered in September 2024. [19]

Personal life

Kerman is married. [20] He and his wife have two children, a daughter born in 2021 and a son born in 2024. [21]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014Teen SawStudentShort
201610 CrosbyCute GuyShort
2024 The Gutter Half Life

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012 Just for Laughs: All Access 1 episode; writer
2013 Clear History Coffee Shop PatronTV movie
2014My Crazy LoveFreddy1 episode
2015StorytimeSelfShort; also writer
2015The Battery's Down1 episode; web series
2016 Adam DeVine's House Party 1 episode; writer
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Party Guy1 episode
2016–2018 Insecure Jered7 episodes
2016 88th Academy Awards TV special; writer
2017 Strangers Jake1 episode
2018 High Maintenance 1 episode
2018SingularityEthanUnsold pilot
2018Straight Up, Stand Up1 episode; writer
2018 The New Negroes 1 episode; writer
2019 Sherman's Showcase 1 episode
2019 You're Not a Monster Dr. Edgar Martinez / Pazuzu / Headless Horseman3 episodes
2019–2020 Bless This Mess BrandonSeries regular
2019; 2021 South Side Adam Bethune3 episodes; also writer and story editor
2020 BET Awards 2020 TV special; writer
2020 The Boys Eagle the ArcherRecurring role
2021–2023 Solar Opposites Various voices3 episodes
2022 Bust Down LangstonMain role; also co-creator, executive producer, and star
2023 Not Dead Yet Jesse2 episodes
2023 How I Met Your Father Eli1 episode
2023 The Other Black Girl Jesse WatsonRecurring role
2024 English Teacher HarryRecurring role
2024 Abbott Elementary Darnell1 episode

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Roach, Yusuf. "Langston Kerman's Dynamic Entry: In Conversation About His New Special and Album". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 "The 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018". www.vulture.com. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  3. 1 2 McDermott, John (6 October 2017). "A Conversation with Langston Kerman, the 'Insecure' Star and Slam Poet-Turned-Standup-Comic". Mel Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  4. Castleberry, Tony (26 January 2018). "Learning lessons with Langston Kerman on his first trip to the Carolinas". WECT. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  5. 1 2 CrowdTorch. "Langston Kerman from HBO, Insecure and Comedy Central". drafthousecomedy.com. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  6. "'Insecure' Star Langston Kerman Shares Life As 'Rent-A-Boo' Guy". Black America Web. 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  7. "White People Can Keep Secrets - Langston Kerman: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents - Full Special". YouTube. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  8. Milligan, Mercedes (2019-07-09). "IMDb's First Scripted Series Is Animated Comedy 'You're Not a Monster'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  9. Hosking, Taylor; Friedlander, Emilie (2019-04-26). "Comedy Central's 'The New Negroes' Is Perfect for the Black TV Renaissance". Vice. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  10. Petski, Denise (2019-09-16). "'Bless This Mess': Langston Kerman Joins As New Series Regular; Lennon Parham & David Koechner Promoted". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  11. White, Brett (2020-09-08). "Who Plays Eagle the Archer on 'The Boys'? Meet Langston Kerman". Decider. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  12. "Introducing: 'My Momma Told Me with Langston Kerman'". Listen Notes. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  13. Taylor, Savannah (2022-03-07). "Peacock's 'Bust Down' Is All Kinds of Funny". EBONY. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  14. Bell, BreAnna (January 25, 2023). "'The Other Black Girl' at Hulu Adds Shakirah DeMesier, Langston Kerman and Cassi Maddox (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Pandya, Hershal (20 August 2024). "Langston Kerman and John Mulaney Made Stand-Up's Love Jones". Vulture. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  16. Cunningham, Vinson (28 August 2024). "The State of the Netflix Standup Special". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  17. Solomon, Matt (20 August 2024). "Langston Kerman's 'Bad Poetry' Is a Debut Stand-Up Special to Behold". Cracked.com. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  18. Wilstein, Matt (28 August 2024). "How This Comic Got John Mulaney to Direct His Netflix Debut". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  19. Otterson, Joe (2022-09-29). "FX Comedy Pilot 'English Teacher' Sets Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  20. Savella, Malia (5 May 2020). "Langston Kerman delivers virtual standup routine to CSUMB". The Lutrinae. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  21. Kerman, Langston (2021-10-14). "A week ago our baby finally showed up" . Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 27 October 2021.