Rothaniel JERROD CARMICHAEL is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker born on this date. He has released three stand-up comedy specials on HBO: Love at the Store (2014), 8 (2017), and Rothaniel (2022). He also co-created, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the semi-biographical NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show

At the age of 20, Carmichael moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian, despite never having tried it before. His first time doing stand-up was an open mic night at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. Working his way up through the clubs, he appeared in the “New Faces” showcase at the 2011 Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. His breakout role as an actor was in the film Neighbors. He was also on the TV show The Goodwin Games.

Carmichael co-created, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the semi-biographical NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show (2015–2017), which was well-received and was notable for its envelope-pushing approach to topical subjects such as the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBT issues, gun rights, politics, and the reality of being black in America.

Carmichael’s first HBO stand-up comedy special, Love at the Store (2014), was directed by Spike Lee and filmed at The Comedy Store. His second, 8 (2017), was directed by Bo Burnham and filmed in the Grand Lodge Room of New York’s Masonic Hall. Carmichael served as an executive producer for the sitcom Rel, which was picked up by Fox in May 2018 and cancelled after one season. He made an appearance on Tyler, The Creator’s 2019 album IGOR, narrating the album as it progresses and speaking short lines to make sense of Tyler’s (and the title character Igor’s) state of mind. Later that year, he was hired by Quentin Tarantino to co-write a film adaptation based on the Django/Zorro crossover comic book series. On April 3, 2022 he hosted Saturday Night Live.

Having discussed his relationships with both men and women during his documentary series Home Videos (2019), Carmichael came out as gay in Rothaniel (2022). He lives in New York City.