In compiling this list of the best standing men and women actresses of our time, we considered several factors, such as the quality of their material, presentation, timing, delivery, skill, and degree of influence. Stand-up comedy has taken the entertainment industry by storm, and for several years comedians have become minstrelsy.
We just have to give it up for a few stand-up comedians who have built successful careers making people laugh. While it’s not easy to say things that would spark laughs and applause, comedians like Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Poehler, Leslie Jones, Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Wanda Sykes and more have no only thrived are also making a significant difference in the world.
While these guys have given us more than one truly effective weapon that sweetens our stressful existence – laughter; their talent and craftsmanship were instrumental in propelling stand-up comedy into what you see today, not just at live events, but also on your flat screen in the comfort of your home. Although there are so many extremely talented comedians, only the top 10 have made it onto the list.
Best Male and Female Comedian
1. Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber “Dave” Chappelle is one of those artists who can make your ribs laugh just by their expression. The American comedian who cannot be left out of this list of top male and female comedians is also a screenwriter, actor, television and film producer.
His routines focus on social issues like racism and relationship issues. It also emphasizes politics, pop culture and current affairs. As an actor, he started out with minor roles in 1993, appearing in box office hits like Air Conditioning and The Nutty Professor. He landed his first starring role in the 1998 comedy film, Half Baked. Dave Chappelle is praised for his works and considered by his colleagues like Kevin Hart as the greatest humorist of our time.
Quick Facts About Dave
Date of birth: August 24, 1973
Place of birth: Washington, D.C., USA
School: Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Profession: Comedian, television and film producer
Start of career: 1991
Credits: Block Party, Half Baked, Chappelle Show
Awards: BET Comedy Awards, NAMIC Vision Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Black Reel Awards, Primetime Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Primetime Emmy Award.
2. Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy is ranked 10th on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Comedians of All Time for obvious reasons. He ‘s been practically a household name for decades in the American entertainment industry and across the continent.
The New York-born artist is certainly one of the best male and female comedians of our time. Besides presenting tons of movies and TV shows, Murphy is a role model for several contemporary comedians, including Chris Rock.
Quick facts about Eddie
Date of birth: April 3, 1961
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York City, USA
Schools: Roosevelt High School, Nassau Community College.
Profession: Standing C omedian, actor, screenwriter, singer and director
Early career: Since the 1980s
Credits: Places of Commerce, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America.
Awards: Image Award, People’s Choice Award, ShoWestConvention, American Cinematheque Award, Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award, Golden Raspberry Award, Women Film Critics Circle Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Award, and African-American Film Critics Association Award.
3. Chris Rock
Christopher Julius “Chris” Rock III rose to stardom in the early 1990s as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. Subsequently, he began appearing in a series of hit comedy specials for HBO, as well as playing prominent film roles.
Rock comics generally revolve around family, race relations, politics, romance, and music in the United States. In a poll conducted by Comedy Central he was voted the fifth greatest comedian, in the UK he was voted the 9th greatest comedian in 2007 and 2010.
Comedians such as Dave Chappelle,Kevin Hart, George Lopez and Trevor Noah pointed to the influence of Chris Rock.
Rock Highlights
Date of birth: February 7, 1965
Place of birth: Andrews, South Carolina, USA
Schools: James Madison High School, Stuyvesant High School
Profession: Comedian, actor, screenwriter, television and film producer, director.
Start of career: 1984
Credits: Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker, Head of State in Madagascar.
Awards: Four Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards
4. Louis CK
Louis Székely, known as Louis CK, is one of the best male and female comedians of this generation for several reasons. All CK fans know him for his use of self-mockery, observation, shock and dark humor.
In 2017, it ranked 4th on the list of the 50 greatest comics of all time. He prides himself on pioneering direct-to-consumer ticket sales and DRM-free concert video downloads in 2001, when he released his comedy debut album, Live in Houston, through his website.
Quick Facts About Louis
Date of birth: September 12, 1967
Place of birth: Washington, DC, USA
School: Newton North High School
Profession: Comedian, screenwriter, actor and filmmaker
Early career: Since the 1990s
Credits: Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Louie and Louis CK Oh My God, Saturday Night Live
Awards: Six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards
5. Bill Burr
Bill Burr is the co-founder of the All Things Comedy Network and is best known for his comedy specials. He is described as the “ comedian” by observers of the American comedy circuit. In other words, Burr is seen as a comedian whose work is appreciated and followed by other professional comedians.
Quick Facts About Bill
Date of birth: June 10, 1968
Place of birth: Canton, Massachusetts, USA
School: Emerson College
Profession: Comedian, Film Producer, Screenwriter
Start of career: 1992
Credits: The Heat, Date Night, Walk of Shame
6. Tina Fey
It should come as no surprise that Elizabeth Tina Fey is the first woman to make our list of top male and female comedians. She takes credit for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live and the comedy series 30 Rocks. After breaking into the industry as the featured comedian of improv comedy group The Second City, Fey went on to a string of big accomplishments.
Quick Facts About Tina
Date of birth: May 18, 1970
Place of birth: Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Schools: Beverly Hills Middle School, Upper Darby High School, University of Virginia
Profession: Comedian, Television Producer, Musician
Start of career: 1997
Credits: Baby Mama means girls, sisters
Awards: Nine Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, seven Writers Guild of America Awards, an AP Entertainer of the Year and the Mark Twain Award for American Humor
7. Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart commands as many as 66.2 million followers on Instagram and he stays true to his motto: Live, Love & Laugh. Thanks to his professional achievements, he had an army of defenders after pulling out of the 2018 Oscars, following a homophobic tweet.
Kevin went from winning several amateur comedy competitions at New England clubs to becoming one of the best comedians of this generation. It cannot be left out of this list.
Quick Facts About Kevin
Date of birth: July 6, 1979
Place of birth: North Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Schools: Castlemont High School, Temple University
Profession: Comedian, television and film producer
Start of career: 1987
Credits: The Wedding Ringer, Ride Along, Kevin Hart: Let me explain.
Awards: BET Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, NickelodeonKids’ Choice Awards, Acalpulco Black Film Festival, three Teen Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Billboard Touring Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and three Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards
8. Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman has been making people laugh for decades. Through her comics, she tackles controversial topics like racism, social taboos and ironically supports her comic characters. She performed on Saturday Night Live and produced and starred in her own show, The Sarah Silverman Program.
Quick Facts About Sarah
Date of birth: December 1, 1970
Place of birth: Bedford, New Hampshire, USA
Schools: Derryfield School, New York University
Profession: Stand up Comedian, television and film producer
Start of career: 1990
Credits: Something About Mary, School of Rock, Wreck-It Ralph
Awards: 60th and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, Seymour Cassel Award
9. Wanda Sykes
It would be mischievous if Wanda Sykes didn’t make this list of the best male and female comedians. In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named her one of America’s 25 Funniest People. Chris Rock’s show won him the 1999 Emmy Award.
Quick Facts About Sykes
Date of birth: March 7, 1964
Place of birth: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Schools: Arundel High School, Hampton University
Profession: Comedian, Actress, Screenwriter, Producer
Start of career: 1987
Credits: Ciré, Wanda as a whole, monster-brother
Awards: Primetime Emmy Awards, American Comedy Awards, BET Comedy Awards, GLAAD Media Awards
10. Amy Schumer
Amy Beth Schumer has regularly stolen the hearts of Americans and has carved out a place for herself among the youngest on this list of the best male and female comedians of our time.
At Comedy Central ‘s Reality Bites Back and the fifth season of NBC’s Last Standup Comic, Schumer reached the second and fourth positions respectively. Her comedy special Amy Schumer: Living at the Apollo premiered on HBO on October 17, 2015 and she is the star behind the film comedy sketch series Inside Amy Schumer, which aired on Comedy Central on October 30 . April 2013.
More than making us laugh, Amy Schumer joined the Times magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2015.
Quick Facts About Amy
Date of birth: June 1, 1981
Place of birth: Upper East Side, New York City, USA
Schools: William Esper Studio, South Side High School, Towson University
Profession: Comedian, Actress, Screenwriter, Producer
Start of career: 2004
Credits: Trainwreck, Inside Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex
Awards: Writers Guild of America Award, Golden Globe Award