You wouldn’t have to search hard to find why Jen Kirkman is regarded as one of the funniest comedians around. Beyond earning a living from making people laugh, Jen has thrived as an actress, a scriptwriter, podcaster, and many other things. Now, aspiring comics have more than a handful of reasons to look up to the multi-talented comic. Here’s a concise account of Jen’s life and other things you should know about her.
Who Is Jen Kirkman (American Comedian)?
The world knows her today as Jen Kirkman but her parents named her Jennifer Ann Kirkman. The comedian was born on the 28th of August 1974 in Needham, Massachusetts. Jen is the third child amongst three girls born to her parents whom not much is known about, apart from the fact that they are of German, Polish, French-Canadian, and English origins.
Much of her childhood is also currently unknown to us; nonetheless, it is no secret that she attended Emerson College in Boston and graduated four years later with a degree in Acting.
Facts You Should Know About The Comedian
1. Her career as a professional comedian began on the Late Friday television show. After making her debut on the show, Jen Kirkman developed into a rising wave in the Los Angeles Comedy scene. She appeared at popular comedy venues like The Laugh Factory, Hollywood Improv, Largo and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
2. As she rose through the ranks, she performed alongside comedy bigwigs like Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt, Mike Birbiglia, and Chelsea Handler. She was named in a 2009 publication of Entertainment Weekly as one of the 12 rising Stars in Comedy. It is interesting to note that the proclamation was made off a career that had already featured the release of a comedy album that peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. She had also become a member of Comedians of Chelsea Lately.
3. Jen Kirkman was already doing so well as a stand-up comedian by 2011 after kicking off her career in 1997. She then moved on to conquer television, beginning with the production of Drunk History by Funny or Die. She was a narrator of two episodes which won Best Short Film in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
4. She has performed on several late night television shows like Late Friday, Premium Blend, @midnight, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and has featured in other shows like The View, Conan and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. As a writer, she has written two episodes of Phineas and Ferb and is a regular writer on Chelsea Lately, Perfect Couple’s, and most recently, Amazon’s hit show – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
5. While Jen has written plenty of material for television, book publishing is a different ball game that the comedian has also excelled in. She has published two books – I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids and I know What I’m Doing and Other Lies I Tell Myself: Dispatches from a Life Under Construction. The first was very successful, a New York Times Bestseller.
She has also published several essays for different digital platforms and was a co-owner of a website (Girlcomic.net) that promoted female comics, both established and aspiring. It did, however, cease to exist in 2006.
6. As a comedian, it goes without saying that specials are the gold plated sign of your talent and success. Jen Kirkman has four specials, two of which were released on Netflix. The comedian, who has spent over 20 years in the industry cites legends like Joan Rivers, Howard Stern, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Dave Chappelle as some of her influences.
7. Her love for comedy began when she was only eight years old. It is said that she would sneak off to a friend’s house to watch icons like George Carlin and Sam Kinison on HBO. This ultimately helped her develop a career that has earned her a net worth of $500,000.
8. She was married for a brief moment in time, from 2009 to 2011 to Neil Mahoney – a writer and film director. She announced on Chelsea Lately on August 25, 2011, that she was no longer married.