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Josh Gondelman

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Josh Gondelman
Gondelman in 2024
Gondelman in 2024
Born
Joshua Lyons Gondelman

(1985-01-15) January 15, 1985 (age 39)
Stoneham, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationBrandeis University (BA)
OccupationComedian
Years active2004-present

Joshua Lyons Gondelman (born January 15, 1985) is an American author, comedy writer, producer, and stand-up comedian.[1][2][3] He was a supervising producer and writer for Desus & Mero on Showtime.[4][5] He was previously a writer on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He is also known for co-creating the parody Twitter account @SeinfeldToday.[6][7]

Early life and education

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Gondelman grew up in Stoneham, Massachusetts,[8] to parents Ellion Lyons and David Gondelman.[9] He grew up in a Jewish family.[10][11]

Gondelman graduated from Stoneham High School in 2003.[8][12] He graduated from Brandeis University in 2007, where he double majored in creative writing and English[2] and minored in Spanish.[13]

Career

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When he was 19 years old, Gondelman began doing standup comedy in Boston. He did stand-up in Boston for seven years and occasionally returns.[14] After college, he worked as a pre-school teacher[7][15] and taught elementary school Spanish.[16] In 2011, Gondelman moved to New York City, where his then-girlfriend lived, to pursue stand-up comedy.[2]

During this time he also began doing freelance writing.[17][2] He co-wrote his first major story, "Both Sides of a Break Up", with his ex-girlfriend; it was published in New York Magazine in 2012.[2][18] In 2013, he wrote a story for Esquire describing his experience running in a Tough Mudder race in which he was sponsored by Wheaties in exchange for monetary compensation from General Mills and Zeus Jones.[19] He has also written for McSweeney's, The New Yorker,[16] and The New York Times.[20]

In October 2015, a book co-authored by Gondelman and Joe Berkowitz entitled You Blew It!: An Awkward Look at the Many Ways in Which You've Already Ruined Your Life, was published.[2] [21]

Stand-up

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As a stand-up comedian, he has opened for John Oliver, Jen Kirkman and Pete Holmes, and also performs regularly at New York City venues.[22][23] Eve Peyser has said that during his stand-up, Gondelman "radiates humility and a relatable, everyday awkwardness alongside fierce confidence and wit."[22]

Everything's The Best, his debut album, came out in 2011. His second album, Physical Whisper, was released on March 18, 2016.[14][24]

In 2010, he won the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival[25] in Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2016, he made his late-night television debut on Conan.[26] He made his network television debut in January 2018 on Late Night with Seth Meyers.[27] Gondelman also was a stand-up consultant for the final season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."[28]

SeinfeldToday

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In December 2012, Gondelman created the Twitter account "SeinfeldToday", along with Jaclyn Moore, formerly of BuzzFeed.[29] The account posted humorous tweets reimagining Seinfeld characters in modern-day situations.[30] As of October 2015, the last time the account was active, it had more than 900,000 followers.[31] At the 6th annual Shorty Awards in 2014, the account won an award in the "#Fakeaccount" category.[32]

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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In 2014, Gondelman was hired by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as the web producer for the show's first season, and became a staff writer for the second season.[2][14] In 2016, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on the show.[33] He and the writing team of Last Week Tonight won this same award in 2017, as well as a Writers Guild of America Award in 2017.[34][35]

Desus & Mero

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In 2019, Gondelman left Last Week Tonight to become a senior staff writer and producer on Desus & Mero after the series moved to Showtime.[4][5]

Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!

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Since 2019, Gondelman has been a regular panelist on the NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.[36] In March 2023, Gondelman was the guest host filling in for Peter Sagal while Sagal was on paternity leave.[37]

Personal life

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Gondelman is married to Maris Kreizman, the creator of the blog and book Slaughterhouse 90210.[31][38] They live in Brooklyn[39][40] with Bizzy, a senior pug.[41]

Awards

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Emmy Awards

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Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2015 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" Nominated [42]
2016 "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" Won [43]
2017 "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" Won [44]
2019 "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" Won [45]

Discography

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  • 2011: Everything's The Best![48]
  • 2016: Physical Whisper[49][50]
  • 2019: Dancing on a Weeknight [51]
  • 2022: People Pleaser[52]

Filmography

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  • 2011: Quiet Desperation (TV series) – Actor (3 episodes)
  • 2011: Viral Video (short) – as Agent
  • 2013: Splashie (TV series short) – as Criminal
  • 2014: Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner (TV series) – Creative consultant (2 episodes)
  • 2014: Ramsey Has a Time Machine (TV series) – as Jackson Pollock in "Art"
  • 2015–present: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (TV Series) – Producer (11 episodes), Writer (14 episodes)
  • 2016: Night Train with Wyatt Cenac (TV series) – Actor in "Links & Logs"
  • 2016: The Comedy Show Show (TV series) – Actor in "RISK! With Kevin Allison"
  • 2016: @Midnight (TV series) – as himself
  • 2017: Wiki What (Facebook show) - Host[53][54]
  • 2020: The George Lucas Talk Show - as himself. Episode: "Revenge of the Sick: After Show" [55]

Works and publications

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  • Gondelman, Josh (2007). Anything to Fill the Silence (thesis/dissertation). Waltham, MA: Brandeis University. OCLC 126859941.
  • Gondelman, Josh; Berkowitz, Joe (2016). You Blew It!: An Awkward Look at the Many Ways in Which You've Already Ruined Your Life. New York: Plume. ISBN 978-0-147-51580-3. OCLC 910009187.
  • Gondelman, Josh (2019). Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results. Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0062852755.
Selected articles
Wiki What?

References

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  1. ^ Zinoman, Jason (29 April 2016). "Sick of Angry Comics? Try Some Sweet-Tempered Stand-Up". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Grant, Drew (6 October 2015). "Nice Guys Finish First: Josh Gondelman, a New Writer of 'Last Week Tonight'". The Observer.
  3. ^ Eakin, Marah (24 March 2016). "Last Week Tonight writer Josh Gondelman on Bernie Mac, Hillary Clinton, and Weird Twitter". The A.V. Club.
  4. ^ a b Framke, Caroline (2019-02-20). "Desus & Mero Are Doing Late-Night Their Own Way". Variety. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  5. ^ a b "Here's the Writing Staff for Showtime's Desus & Mero". www.vulture.com. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  6. ^ "Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday)". Twitter.
  7. ^ a b Power, Tom; Gondelman, Josh (18 November 2016). "Comedian Josh Gondelman's past as a pre-school teacher" (Audio interview). CBC Radio.
  8. ^ a b "Comedian Josh Gondelman staying busy while home in Boston". The Boston Globe. 31 December 2014.
  9. ^ "Frank "Cal" Lyons". The Boston Globe – via Legacy.com.
  10. ^ Gondelman, Josh (16 March 2015). "I Had Given Up On The NFL. Then Nana Became A Patriots Fanatic". BuzzFeed.
  11. ^ Goodman, Elyssa (24 September 2016). "Why Josh Gondelman Is a Rising Star in Stand-Up Comedy". The Forward.
  12. ^ Willison, Margaret H. (10 December 2015). "Josh Gondelman can't deny his inner Bostonian". Metro US.
  13. ^ Gaffney, Theresa (2015-08-21). "Brandeis alum nominated for Emmy for 'Last Week Tonight'". The Brandeis Hoot. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  14. ^ a b c Dorval, Mike (14 March 2016). "07 – Josh Gondelman". Bombing with Mike Dorval. Rox Labs. Archived from the original (Audio podcast) on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  15. ^ Sutherland, Amy (21 August 2011). "Transformers: Taking his show on the road". The Boston Globe.
  16. ^ a b "Josh Gondelman: "It's about creating a feeling of warmth along with humor"". The Toast. 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  17. ^ Ham, Robert (18 March 2016). "Now What?: Josh Gondelman on His New Stand-up Album and Last Week Tonight". Paste.
  18. ^ "Both Sides of a Breakup: The Stray Condom Mystery". The Cut. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  19. ^ Gondelman, Josh (6 August 2013). "Mudder's Boy". Esquire.
  20. ^ Gondelman, Josh (2017-09-01). "Opinion | What if I Bombed at My Own Wedding?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
  21. ^ Ham, Robert (2016-03-18). "Now What?: Josh Gondelman on His New Stand-up Album and Last Week Tonight". Paste. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  22. ^ a b Peyser, Eve (10 November 2015). "Comedian Josh Gondelman Is Proof Kindness Can Kill in Comedy". Mic.
  23. ^ White, Caitlin (21 March 2016). "The Brooklyn 100: Josh Gondelman, Writer and Comedian". Brooklyn Magazine.
  24. ^ Rahman, Ray (18 March 2016). "'Last Week Tonight' writer Josh Gondelman discusses his new stand-up album". Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ^ "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy: Josh Gondelman wins inaugural Laughing Skull Comedy Festival". The Comic's Comic. 2010-03-19. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
  26. ^ Tickle, Glen (2016-03-24). "Comedian Josh Gondelman Talks About Ghosting, Confidence, and Grandparents on Conan". Laughing Squid. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  27. ^ "Josh Gondelman Stand-Up Performance". 25 January 2018. Retrieved Nov 4, 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  28. ^ "Josh Gondelman, a clever and accomplished comedy writer, makes his Spokane debut". Retrieved July 29, 2023."Josh Gondelman Bio". 12 April 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  29. ^ Chung, Nicole (22 March 2016). "Josh Gondelman: "It's about creating a feeling of warmth along with humor"". The Toast.
  30. ^ McCann, Erin (29 August 2013). "Josh Gondelman: meet the man behind @SeinfeldToday". The Guardian.
  31. ^ a b Ruiz, Michelle (15 October 2015). "Meet the George and Amal of the Twitter-Lit World". Vogue.
  32. ^ The Deadline Team (8 April 2014). "Shorty Awards Winners Announced". Deadline Hollywood.
  33. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (12 September 2016). "Creative Arts Emmy Awards: 'Making a Murderer,' 'Grease Live,' 'Archer,' 'Shark Tank' Take Top Awards". Variety.
  34. ^ "2017 Emmy Award Winners List". CBS Cleveland. 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  35. ^ "2018 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". awards.wga.org. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  36. ^ "Josh Gondelman | Panelists | Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! Stats Page".
  37. ^ "Malala Yousafzai on winning the Nobel Peace Prize while in chemistry class". NPR. March 4, 2023.
  38. ^ Bloomgarden-Smoke, Kara (1 April 2016). "Jobs Report: Kickstarter's Publishing Ambassador Maris Kreizman Details Her Day". The Observer.
  39. ^ Schwartz, Dana (15 March 2016). "An Interview With Josh Gondelman, The Nicest Guy In Comedy". Brooklyn Magazine.
  40. ^ Douglas, Nick (2017-12-11). "I'm Comedian Josh Gondelman, and This Is How I Work". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2018-01-15. For this special video installment of How I Work, we visited Josh in his Brooklyn home to talk about his Emmy-winning TV work, the process of writing his second book, how he keeps it together on tour, and how he knows when to quit.
  41. ^ Wilder, Alice (4 December 2016). "Q&A with 'Sweater Weather' comedian Josh Gondelman". The Daily Tar Heel.
  42. ^ "2015 - 67th Emmy Awards". emmys.com. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  43. ^ "2016 - 68th Emmy Awards". emmys.com. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  44. ^ "2017 - 69th Emmy Awards". emmys.com. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  45. ^ "2019 - 71st Emmy Awards". emmys.com. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  46. ^ "Josh Gondelman". Shorty Awards.
  47. ^ French, Jana Lynn (14 March 2016). "Honoring the Impact of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight". Peabody Awards. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  48. ^ Gondelman, Josh (8 November 2011). "Everything's The Best!". Rooftop Comedy. OCLC 810329878. Archived from the original (audio) on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  49. ^ Gondelman, Josh (18 March 2016). "Physical Whisper". Rooftop Comedy. Archived from the original (audio) on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  50. ^ Frissore, Angela (21 February 2016). "Boston native Josh Gondelman nails it with sophomore comedy album". AXS TV.
  51. ^ "Josh Gondelman busts out some new moves in 'Dancing on a Weeknight'". Vanyaland. Apr 19, 2019. Retrieved Nov 4, 2019.
  52. ^ Volk-Weiss, Brian (2022-06-21), Josh Gondelman: People Pleaser (Comedy), Comedy Dynamics, retrieved 2022-11-14
  53. ^ Roettgers, Janko (9 August 2017). "Facebook Unveils Shows From 30-Plus Partners Including Univision, MLB, NBA, Hearst, Time Inc". Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  54. ^ "Behind Hearst's Facebook Watch Programming Strategy - min Online". 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  55. ^ "The George Lucas After Show - Episode XIII with Josh Gondelman, Emily Heller, Julie Cotnoir". Youtube. 27 October 2020.
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