Jeff Ross, known for the wildly popular “Comedy Central Roast” series, reflected on his role as a caretaker for his late grandfather at The Creative Coalition’s 10th Humanitarian Awards ceremony on Sept. 14.
The annual gala, hosted by Variety’s Marc Malkin, honors actors, writers and producers across the industry for their work with social welfare, charitable and philanthropic causes.
Ross spent much of his young adult life living with his grandfather due to his mother passing away from leukemia when he was 14 and his father dying of drug-related causes when Ross was 19. He recalled taking his grandfather to medical appointments and then heading to New York City to perform stand-up comedy at open mic nights.
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“I was just a young comic, 23 years old, didn’t think I could handle it,” the comedian told Variety. “In the end, we toughed it out together. I’m glad I had that time with him.”
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Ross said he initially attempted to turn down the award from the Creative Coalition but ultimately agreed to accept the honor on behalf of his grandfather.
“The Burn With Jeff Ross” creator said he’s been asked to partake in many prime time game shows lately, and always seeks to imbue an element of charity into the event. He cited Meals on Wheels as an organization he’s raised money for, expressing his gratitude for the many meals the nonprofit provided to his grandfather years earlier.
“I’d always taste them too, just to makes sure they weren’t poisoning it,” Ross joked.
John Stamos, Seth Green and Rich Eisen presented Ross with his award. Green called Ross one of the most generous people he’s ever met. Stamos said Ross embodies everything the humanitarian award represents and credited the comic with making the world a better place through his unique brand of humor and compassion.
“Your comedy isn’t just about roasting,” Stamos said. “It’s about revealing the truth with love, and about making heavy moments in life feel lighter and showing us that humor can heal.”
In his acceptance speech, Ross poked fun at his special “The Roast of Tom Brady,” saying “Shoutout to the lighting designer. Do you know how hard it is to light both Tom Brady and Kevin Hart?” He went on to thank the teleprompter, adding: “I went slow for the football players… these are the jokes I was going to tell if I won the Creative Arts Emmys.”
Ross hosted the Creative Coalition’s Humanitarian Awards ceremony back in 2019.
Humanitarian award honoree Dulé Hill told Variety being recognized at the gala was truly a humbling experience and went on to highlight the Creative Coalition’s commitment to advocating for the arts.
Wendell Pierce, known for starring roles such as Detective Bunk Moreland in HBO’s “The Wire” and trombonist Antoine Batiste in “Treme,” received the humanitarian award as well.
Pierce made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20 and galvanized Louisiana voters to support Kamala Harris. The actor contextualized the importance of this award in our current political climate, urging audience members at the ceremony to vote.
“There’s blood on that ballot box,” Pierce said. “Many people of my community and my world died at the hands of their neighbors, hoping that one day their death would not be in vain. We have a great responsibility to honor them… especially this election.”
