Jordan Klepper

Last updated

Jordan Klepper
Jordan Klepper (cropped).jpg
Klepper in June 2015
Born (1979-03-09) March 9, 1979 (age 45)
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
Medium
  • Television
  • theatre
  • film
  • books
Alma mater Kalamazoo College (BA)
Years active2011–present
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
Laura Grey
(m. 2013)
Children1 [1]
Website https://www.officialjordanklepper.com/

Jordan Klepper (born March 9, 1979) is an American comedian. He began his career as a member of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. From 2014 to 2017, he was a correspondent on The Daily Show . He started his own satirical program, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper , which was canceled in 2018. He then starred in the 2019 docuseries Klepper , before returning to The Daily Show later that year as a contributor. He often appears on a segment entitled "Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse."

Contents

Early life

Jordan Klepper was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on March 9, 1979, [2] the son of Betse, a secretary at Loy Norrix High School, and Mark Klepper. He is primarily of Dutch ancestry. [3] Betse and Mark were introduced to each other by Betse's cousin, the actor and comedian Tim Allen, who was Mark's roommate at Western Michigan University. [4] Klepper attended Kalamazoo Central High School and Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center, where he was a tennis player and a member of the Mock Trial Team that won Nationals. [3]

After graduating from high school, with a Frederick W. Heyl and Elsie L. Heyl Science Scholarship Fund [5] [6] full-tuition scholarship from Kalamazoo College, in 1997, [3] Klepper double-majored in math and theater at Kalamazoo College and received his degree in 2001. [3] [7] [8] He studied abroad in London during his time there. [3] While at Kalamazoo College, his sister befriended aspiring actor Steven Yeun and took him to see Klepper's improv show, which inspired Yeun to attend his first acting class. [9]

Career

Klepper interviewing protestors against a New York COVID-19 vaccine mandate in August 2021 Klepper interview NYC vaccine mandate protest.jpg
Klepper interviewing protestors against a New York COVID-19 vaccine mandate in August 2021

After graduation, Klepper moved to Chicago, where he performed at The Second City. While there, he also worked for the Big Ten Network as a comedian on the show Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate. [10] He moved to New York City in 2011, where he began performing as a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade. [11] [12]

Klepper debuted on The Daily Show on March 3, 2014, four days after his initial audition. [2] [11] He received consistently positive reviews for his segments on the show, [13] and filled in as the host in October 2016 when Trevor Noah was sick.

In April 2017, Comedy Central announced that Klepper would host a new show in the fall, which would follow The Daily Show. [14] A special titled Jordan Klepper Solves Guns premiered on Comedy Central on June 11, 2017. The new show was titled The Opposition with Jordan Klepper and premiered on September 25. [15] The show was canceled in June 2018, with Klepper starting a new docuseries, Klepper , which aired in 2019. [16] [17] He returned to The Daily Show in December 2019. [18] He also launched a podcast with former Ohio governor John Kasich called Kasich & Klepper. [19]

In October 2021, Klepper appeared in his first role as a voice actor in the Disney Channel animated series The Ghost and Molly McGee, playing Molly's father, Pete McGee. [20]

Influences

Klepper has said that his comedy influences include Trevor Noah, [21] Stephen Colbert, [22] and Jon Stewart. [23]

Personal life

Klepper and his wife, Laura Grey, in March 2009 Klepper and Grey (cropped).jpg
Klepper and his wife, Laura Grey, in March 2009

Klepper married Laura Grey in 2013. The two met as members of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade and later wrote, directed, produced, and starred in short films. [24]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011Bone DryJordanShort film
2011TMIKelenShort film
2012Poop BrunchJordanShort film
2012EngagedJordanShort film
2012Ex-GirlfriendsStudentShort film
2012Bathroom PartyJordanShort film
2013Who's On First?JeremyShort film
2014PeepersToddShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012 I Just Want My Pants Back ManagerEpisode: "Jerk or Dork"
2014–2017
2019–present
The Daily Show Himself170 episodes
2015 Halal in the Family Wally ThompsonEpisode: "Spies Like Us"
2017 Jordan Klepper Solves Guns HimselfTV special
2017–2018 The Opposition with Jordan Klepper Himself128 episodes
Host, co-creator, writer, executive producer
2019 Klepper Himself8 episodes
Host, creator, executive producer
2021–2024 The Ghost and Molly McGee Pete McGee (voice)Main role
2023 The Daily Show Guest HostWeek of Apr. 17 [25]

Awards

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
2018 GLAAD Media Award [26] Outstanding Talk Show Episode The Opposition with Jordan Klepper (episode "Danica Roem")Nominated
2022 Emmy Awards [27] Writing The Daily Show: April 14, 2022 (episode No. 3666)Nominated

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References

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