Mike Yard Biography
Mike Yard is a stand-up comedian and a contributor to Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. He is also the host of the podcast “Yard Talk with Mike Yard.” He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Yard was a contributor for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore for the duration of the series Yard was previously the winner of Comedy Central’s Get Up, Stand Up comedy competition. He has also appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and The Break with Michelle Wolf
Mike Yard Age
Mike Yard was born on the U.S. Virgin Islands on the beautiful island St. Croix, in 1986 and is currently 46 years old as of 2019 and he has a height of 6`2”(1.88m).
Mike Yard Early Life
Born in St. Croix—he grew up in an affordable housing community in Frederiksted—Mr. Yard took a rather circuitous route to the stage. At the age of 13, he moved with his parents and siblings to East New York, in Brooklyn—at the time (the 1980s) a neighborhood overrun by crack and crime. He went to Hunter College and studied to be a computer programmer. “I stayed local because we were poor,” said Mr. Yard, who still speaks with a slight Cruzan accent. But the curriculum didn’t excite him.
Mr. Yard is an unlikely candidate to have achieved mid-career success in the comedy world. Photo: Chris Sorensen for Observer
In his early 20s, Mr. Yard worked briefly as a union representative at the Museum of Modern Art. He led a strike and won, which made him consider a future in that realm. “I was fighting for people struggling to pay bills, and we had to listen to rich people tell us that we weren’t worth a fucking minor wage increase,” he said. “We kicked their ass, and they can’t tell you otherwise.” He didn’t pursue union work, but the experience gave him his sense of righteous indignation—and it serves him well on The Nightly Show, which, seemingly by design, often feels more serious than funny.
Though Mr. Yard came of age idolizing Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, he didn’t come to see stand-up comedy as a career option until he met a security guard at Grand Central Terminal, when he was running a store for the MoMA. The guard, who went by “The Toothless Lover,” was moonlighting as a stand-up comic. His catchphrase was, “I’m here to tell the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothin’ but the tooth.”
Mike Yard Education
Mike braved the New York winters and the New York schools until, in 1993, He studied computer programming at Hunter College and later worked briefly as a union representative, involved in organizing a strike at the Museum of Modern Art, before first trying standup comedy when he was 24. He became a well-known presence in the New York comedy circuit, touring actively and appearing on ComicView, Def Comedy Jam, and Comedy at the Apollo.
Mike Yard Career
On The Nightly Show, he became known as one of the show’s leading contributors, serving as a comic “foil” to host Larry Wilmore, and for his role in political skits such as his portrayal of a talking gun named “Hand Gun”and his recurring “Y Files” segments parodying conspiracy theories. He also has his own podcast called Yard Talkin 2018, Yard joined the cast of American Public Media’s radio program Live From Here.
The Nightly Show
Mike Yard Wife
In 2008 mike married plus-size model and actress Mia Amber Davis, who died of a blood clot after knee surgery in 2011
Mike Yard Net Worth
Mike Yard is known for his work on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore 2015, Souled Out Comedy 2009 and Holla If I Kill You 2003 is currently net worth is $1.5Million
Mike Yard Photo
Mike Yard interview
Well, I started getting little television spots here and there, like BET, so I was able to get my own little thing going. Then I started getting my own rooms. Then I went on the road with Rich Vos, a finalist from Last Comic Standing. And he was the one that got me into the mainstream rooms because when we were on the road together he asked why I don’t do the clubs. I said, “They don’t let us in. It’s hard for us to get in there.” I’ve had club owners tell me that they had enough Black comics so they couldn’t use me. I had a club owner tell me that to my face: “I got enough Black comics‚ I can’t.”
But I’m just a comic who happens to be Black. I don’t know what you mean by a Black comic. I’m not talking about Black stuff if there is such a thing. But that’s the game. So Rich Vos put in a word for me at Stand Up New York, and that was my entrance into the mainstream rooms. From then it just became like a domino effect where a comic would see me there, or I’d go to other clubs and they’d be like, “Oh, I heard about you.” That’s how I got to write a show. I helped write a show for Spike TV through the mainstream rooms. We did a pilot that almost made it to air called The Big Head People. It was an animated sketch comedy show.
That was my entrance into writing. Then I met Rory Albanese who was the Executive Producer of The Daily Show for a while, and he told me about a show that he was working with Larry Wilmore, [The Nightly Show], and he wanted me to come down and audition for it. He thought I would be good for it. I auditioned. And it’s funny, the auditions that you don’t really think about are the ones that you do well in. The ones that you really put all the effort into, you don’t get it. But the ones where you go, “I’m just gonna go have fun.” That’s what I did – I had fun at the audition.
What are your inspirations when you’re writing comedy?
I am kind of all over the place. Right now a lot of my stuff is just observational. I’m really on this equal rights thing, the Me Too movement. It changes. Sometimes I just want to be silly. I do observational comedy, I do characters; it’s not just one thing.
I always view comedy as a teaching tool. A tool that makes learning easy to digest if you do it right. Because if you’re laughing while you’re learning, then we’re winning.
What do you want to teach people through your comedy?
A lot of the stuff that I am doing right now is about not judging a book by its cover. I’m using my story to speak to a lot of the stuff that is going on. Like with people calling the cops on Black people sitting in Starbucks. You know, “Don’t be so quick to jump and judge people when you hear that somebody got stopped by the cops and they say, ‘He has a record.’ Don’t be so quick to judge somebody because of one thing they might have done in the past.” I’m using a lot of my stuff to really try to bring that message forward.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Well, I can do accents. I’m an athlete. I can do a lot of different things athletically. I play basketball, I still play Sunday softball.
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Mike Yard tour dates
So far there haven’t been any notable Mike Yard concerts or tours booked for America. Sign up for our Concert Tracker to get informed when Mike Yard events have been planned to the itinerary. Take a look at our Google+ page for recent announcements pertaining to Mike Yard. In the meantime, take a look at other Comedy performances coming up by The Heavy Hittas of Comedy, Brent Blakeney, and In The Spotlight – Comedy Show.
Comedy Shows in New York City This Weekend – August 30-September 1
Who doesn’t enjoy a hearty laugh? You’ll get your fill of chuckles and then some at any of the comedy club show on this weekend roundup from City Guide. Attending comedy shows in New York City is a must for anyone wanting to enjoy everything the city has to offer, and you might even catch a famous name performing a set at The Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, or The Stand if you’re lucky!
Come join some of the greatest NYC comedians receive their most awkward sexual experiences for you in the basement of The Pleasure Chest! As always the show will have, unlimited free beer and wine for audience members and 15% off of all store merch!! Tickets are 15 online and 20 at the door! For the past six years “Awkward Sex… and the City” has been making America laugh with it’s stellar line-up’s packed into a tight 90-minute show. Each comedian breaks barriers about sex, relationships, dating taboos, (and more!) all while making you laugh and cringe. The show pairs sexual inclusion with humor swimmingly and sheds light on the awkward universal experience we all know and love.
This show is a perfect addition to date night, girls night out, mom’s night out, boy’s night out, for anyone really (21 and over)! Featuring: Natalie Wall Jess Henderson Savannah Desormeaux and more!
Tonight some of NYC’s funniest up-and-coming comics will audition for both our Club’s talent booker and one of the nation’s top Festival Bookers. This is one of our most popular shows and has run uninterrupted for 15th consecutive years. You will also be treated to some of NYC’s best veteran headliners. No online-tickets were available. Simply buy your tickets at the door on the day of the show. This is a Special Event no discount tickets accepted.