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Langston Kerman

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Langston Kerman
This is a photograph of Langston Kerman. He is smiling and has a beard, brown skin, and a shortcropped haircut. He is wearing a blue collared shirt that is unbuttoned with a black t-shirt on underneath.
Kerman at the 2015 Just for Laughs comedy festival
Born (1987-04-23) April 23, 1987 (age 37)
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Boston University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actor
Known forInsecure
Notable workLightskinned Feelings
Children2
Websitelangstonkerman.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]

Early life and education

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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

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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

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

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 Teen Saw Student Short
2016 10 Crosby Cute Guy Short
2024 The Gutter Half Life

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Just for Laughs: All Access — 1 episode; writer
2013 Clear History Coffee Shop Patron TV movie
2014 My Crazy Love Freddy 1 episode
2015 Storytime Self Short; also writer
2015 The Battery's Down 1 episode; web series
2016 Adam DeVine's House Party — 1 episode; writer
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Party Guy 1 episode
2016–2018 Insecure Jered 7 episodes
2016 88th Academy Awards — TV special; writer
2017 Strangers Jake 1 episode
2018 High Maintenance 1 episode
2018 Singularity Ethan Unsold pilot
2018 Straight Up, Stand Up — 1 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 Horseman 3 episodes
2019–2020 Bless This Mess Brandon Series regular
2019; 2021 South Side Adam Bethune 3 episodes; also writer and story editor
2020 BET Awards 2020 — TV special; writer
2020 The Boys Eagle the Archer Recurring role
2021–2023 Solar Opposites Various voices 3 episodes
2022 Bust Down Langston Main role; also co-creator, executive producer, and star
2023 Not Dead Yet Jesse 2 episodes
2023 How I Met Your Father Eli 1 episode
2023 The Other Black Girl Jesse Watson Recurring role
2024 English Teacher Harry Recurring role
2024 Abbott Elementary Darnell 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ a b c Roach, Yusuf. "Langston Kerman's Dynamic Entry: In Conversation About His New Special and Album". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018". www.vulture.com. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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.
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