Ryan Ken
Ryan Ken | |
---|---|
Born | 1991 or 1992 (age 32–33)[1] South Carolina, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actor, writer, comedian |
Years active | 2020–present |
Ryan Ken is an American writer, actor, and comedian. They are best known for their
Early life and education
Ken was born and raised in South Carolina.[2] They performed in their first theatrical production in elementary school. Although Ken enjoyed the experience, they instead chose to focus on training as a violinist.[3]
They received their master's degree in arts administration from the Art Institute of Chicago.[2]
Career
Ken gained prominence in 2020 for their sketch comedy videos that they created as an outlet for anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Shared to Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, many of the videos satirize current events or pop culture with commentary on sociopolitical topics like race, gender, and sexuality.[1] Past videos have included a scenario about the lunch break on the set of a movie about slavery,[4] a neighbor listening to the titular characters argue in Malcolm & Marie,[5] "73 Questions with Mitch McConnell" in the style of the Vogue videos,[3] and an actor auditioning to play the gay friend in a 90s sitcom.[1] Malcolm Venable of Shondaland.com described the videos as "less about jokes and more about blowing up the toxic codes we've ignored or endured without interrogating them."[2]
They gained wider notoriety after
Ken co-hosts the podcast Let Me Back Up with Jennie Crichlow.[1]
In 2022, they joined the writing staff of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.[8]
Personal life
Ken is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.[2] They are queer.[1]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Won | [9] |
2023 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Comedy/Variety Talk Series | Won | [10] | |
2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Won | [11] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Blackburn, H. Drew (22 February 2021). "Ryan Ken, the Person Behind That Viral Malcolm & Marie Video, Uses Comedy as a Healing Tool". GQ. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d Venable, Malcolm (2021-09-17). "The Blossoming of Ryan Ken". Shondaland. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b c Finley, Taryn (12 August 2021). "Ryan Ken's Radical Comedy Is Just What We Need". HuffPost. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Sun, Rebecca (2021-11-01). "The 6 Social Media Comics Hollywood Is Watching (or Should Be)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ "Sick of 'Malcolm & Marie' bickering? So is their neighbor in this funny parody". Los Angeles Times. 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ Holmes, Linda (2021-12-30). "50 wonderful things from 2021: The performances, moments, and laughs we'll remember". NPR. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ Kelly-Clyne, Luke; Techler, Graham (2021-06-30). "The Best Comedy Shorts of June 2021". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014-) ratings". Rating Graph. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- ^ "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver". Television Academy. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ "2023 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". awards.wga.org. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "See the full list of 2023 Emmy winners: 'Succession,' 'The Bear,' 'Beef,' more". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
External links
- Official Twitter
- Ryan Ken at IMDb