As part of their critically acclaimed “Roundtable Series,” stand-up comedians Matt Rife, Marlon Wayans, Sam Jay & Tom Segura share a showcase discussion with one another as they tell their theories on the current state of stand-up comedy heading into a new year.
Highlighted by one of the biggest breakout years in the history of the business, Matt Rife is considered by many as the new face of the craft.
Transitioning from writing on some of the biggest TV shows of all-time and being front and center of her own projects, Sam Jay delivered some of her best work in 2023 with her latest comedy special, Salute Me or Shoot Me.
Already an iconic comedic actor, Marlon Wayans spent the year establishing himself as a stand-up comedy heavyweight, releasing his latest special God Loves Me, and still managed to be featured in the hit film Air.
Maintaining his success and still growing into an instant legend, Tom Segura saw significantly better health and took his material to another level, releasing Sledgehammer on Netflix in the fall of 2023.
Ahead of the new Golden Globes category for Best Stand-up Comedy special, Variety interviews the top comics of the year as they ask if audiences have become too sensitive for a good joke?
Matt Rife: Matt Rife is one of the hottest up-and-coming standups in comedy. His comedy is refreshingly genuine and quick-witted. Performing since the age of 15 in Columbus, Ohio; started his career opening for comedians such as Dane Cook, Ralphie May, and DeRay Davis. Matt had his television debut when he became the youngest cast member ever on MTV’s “Wild N Out”.
He performed on the show for 4 seasons before moving on to hosting MTV’s reboot of “TRL”.
Matt also appeared on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, “Fresh Off The Boat”, MTV’s “The Challenge”, BET’s “North Of The 10”. Rife recently finished competing in NBC’s new comedy competition show “Bring The Funny” and released his very first Hour Comedy Special titled “Only Fans” on YouTube! Matt is now based in Los Angeles and headlining his own tour across the country.
Don’t miss his charmingly naive performance!
Marlon Wayans: Marlon Wayans films have grossed more than $736-million in domestic box office and $1-billion in global box office. As a standup comedian, he is selling out nationwide and adding shows every weekend. He hit a career milestone with his highly anticipated first-ever stand-up comedy special Woke-ish which premiered on Netflix in February of 2018.
Wayans starred for two seasons on the NBC sitcom “Marlon.” Loosely based on his life, “Marlon” is a family comedy centered around a loving (but immature) father committed to co-parenting his two kids with his very-together ex-wife, played by Essence Atkins. Both seasons of “Marlon” are currently airing on Netflix.
Wayans also stars in the hit Netflix movie NAKED which premiered on the streaming site last August. Based on the Swedish film, NAKEN, the romantic comedy co-stars Regina Hall and reunites Wayans with director Michael Tiddes. Marlon, who is also a writer and producer on the movie, stars as Rob Anderson, a charming man-child, who wakes up on his wedding day, naked in an elevator, reliving the hour before the ceremony over and over again. He last starred in FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK, which he also wrote and executive-produced, in January 2016. Directed by Michael Tiddes, the film co-starred Mike Epps and Kali Hawk.
In 2014, Wayans starred in the Open Road Films comedy A HAUNTED HOUSE 2, the sequel to the hilarious and successful film, A HAUNTED HOUSE, which had a budget of $1.7-million and grossed $65-million globally. Wayans produced A HAUNTED HOUSE, as well as A HAUNTED HOUSE 2. The sequel, directed by Michael Tiddes, is now available on DVD. Wayans starred alongside Gabriel Iglesias, Essence Atkins and Jamie Pressly. The film is a parody of the “found footage” genre, such as the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise and THE DEVIL INSIDE.
On the small screen, Wayans hosted the hit NBC show “I Can Do That!,” a comedy/variety series where six celebrities are asked to put on an entertainment show with skills they didn’t even know they had. He also starred in and created the TBS hit comedy competition series “Funniest Wins.” In 2014, he embarked on a national comedy tour with his brothers Keenan, Damon and Shawn Wayans. This marked the first standup tour for the four Wayans Brothers.
Wayans began his stand-up comedy career in the mid-2010s, highlighted by his debut Netflix special Woke-ish in 2018.
Tom Segura: Segura is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. Well known for his Netflix specials Ball Hog, Disgraceful, Completely Normal, and Mostly Stories, Segura has also made feature film appearances that include Instant Family, Countdown, Flinch, and The Opening Act, among others.
The comedian is one of the top-selling touring acts in the world, having sold hundreds of thousands of tickets on multiple international tours.
Additionally, he co-hosts two of the most popular comedy podcasts, “Your Mom’s House,” with his wife, comedian Christina P. and “Two Bears, One Cave” with fellow comedian Bert Kreischer. Segura also produces multiple podcasts under his YMH Studios brand. He recently published “I’d Like To Play Alone Please,” which debuted at #2 on the NY Times Best Sellers list.
Segura’s wife also has three Netflix comedy specials of her own titled Mother Inferior, The Degenerates and Mom Genes that debuted earlier this year on the streamer.
Segura, who grew up in a half Peruvian/half American household speaking fluent Spanish, has been staking his claim in Latin America making a crossover and performing in both English and Spanish. He also launched a podcast in Spanish called Tom Segura En Español to polish his Spanish-language skills.
