Every year the folks at Just For Laughs comedy festival pick a handful of comedians that we should all keep our eyes on, they call this group of comedians New Faces. It's a prestigious honor bestowed by the festival coordinators and many New Faces of years past have successful careers in whatever they decide to do - stand-up, TV, film, radio, writing, acting, directing, you name it. This year should be no different as JFL has picked a lot of comedians that are already out there working to make it getting late night TV spots, writing for other shows, or even creating their own thing. Just For Laughs will host 2 stand-up shows where these comics will get to perform at the festival. They will be held Wednesday night (July 25th) at the Monument National - Salle Ludger-Duvernay. Group 1 of performers will be at 7pm and group 2 will be at 9:30pm.
Here are the 2018 New Faces.
Rosebud Baker is a stand-up comic and writer based in NY. Baker has been featured on SiriusXM's Raw Dog Comedy Radio, SeriouslyTV, SeeSo, and FOX’s Red Eye w/ Tom Shillue. Her acting has been featured on Discovery Channel and Sundance Channel, and in several independent feature films. In 2016, Baker was winner of the New York Comedy Competition at New York Comedy Club, and has opened for NBC’s Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost at Caroline’s On Broadway. Baker regularly performs at comedy venues across New York City and in 2017, she headlined Caroline’s On Broadway, as part of their prestigious Breakout Artist Series.
Emmy Blotnick is a stand-up comic, actress and writer based out of NY. She has appeared on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she is also one of the program’s staff writers. Blotnick was a head writer for Comedy Central’s The President Show, with other writing credits including Comedy Central’s Not Safe with Nikki Glaser and @midnight. Blotnick was highlighted as one of Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch, and recently shot a half hour special for the network. Blotnick was highlighted as one of Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch in 2017, and has appeared in a number of festivals across the U.S.
Joel Boyd is a comedian, actor and writer originally from the sexiest city of all time, Milwaukee. He spent years in the second sexiest city of all time Chicago, where he honed his stand-up, sketch, improv, and theatre skills. Boyd has done commercial work for McDonald's and HealthCare.gov, and is currently working in the writers’ room for TBS’ Drop The Mic. He is one of the original members of the Chicago comedy collective the Martin Luther Kings of Comedy, and has been lucky enough to talk his nonsense at The World-Famous Laugh Factory, Zanies, Second City, and iO Chicago among many others. He's performed in some of Chicago's most prestigious theater productions including work at Steppenwolf, Steep, and The Goodman.
JC Currais is a comedian actor, and writer from Miami. Beginning his stand-up career while in college, Currais’ high-energy performance style and outrageously quirky material gained him notoriety with a number of high profile programs, including NBC’s Last Call w/ Carson Daly and TBS’ Conan. Currais made his filmic debut in the Sundance Film Festival film New Low, was selected as one of the Comics to Watch at the NY Comedy Festival, and has performed at festivals across the U.S.
Rocky Dale Davis is a stand-up comedian from Brookwood, Alabama now based in Las Vegas. He has appeared on MTV’s Greatest Party Stories Ever and Comedy Central’s Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City. Davis was a finalist in the Laughing Skull Festival and most recently selected by Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco as a Comic To Watch at the New York Comedy Festival.
Robert Dean is a stand-up comedian from Trumbull, CT. Robert has been featured on AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live, WNYC’s 2 Dope Queens podcast, and on Nick Vatterott’s Comedy Central half hour. His work has been seen and written about in numerous media outlets, including Paste Magazine, Uproxx, News Channel 12, Time Out NY, and the Huffington Post. In 2017, he recorded his first stand-up album, (It’s Not Easy) Being Dean, and was named one of Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch at the 2014 New York Comedy Festival. Dean has performed at numerous other comedy festivals across the U.S., as well as some of the most renowned venues and clubs around the country.
Kenny DeForest is a stand-up comedian based in NY. DeForest is recognized for producing and co-hosting Comedy at the Knitting Factory, one of Brooklyn’s best independently run comedy shows, after being selected by and taking over for Hannibal Burress. DeForest will be guest starring in the upcoming season of HBO’s Crashing, and recently made his stand-up debut on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. Named one of Comedy Central’s Comics To Watch at the 2015 New York Comedy Festival, DeForest has performed at many comedy festivals around the country, and is a regular presence in the New York comedy scene.
Kellen Erskine is a Los Angeles-based comedian originally from the San Jose area. Erskine has been featured on nationally syndicated radio, including The Bob and Tom Show, as well as Tom N Tyler. Since recently making his late-night debut on TBS’ Conan, Erskine has also been featured on the seventh season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Selected as one of TBS’ Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017, Erskine has performed at renowned comedy festivals across the U.S.
Jourdain Fisher is a NY-based comic, originally from North Carolina. Diving into stand-up at the young age of 17 to avoid working for his family’s funeral home, Fisher has since found success in clubs and colleges across the country. A finalist at this year’s NBC Stand-Up Showcase, Fisher’s smooth demeanor and quick wit are what drives his hilarious takes on everything from his family to social observations. Current writer and actor on BET's sketch comedy show, 50 Central, Fisher also has dozens of comedy festivals under his belt.
Simon Gibson is a stand-up comedian and performer originally from Portland, currently residing in Los Angeles. He has been performing his boisterous style of stand-up throughout LA for the past 5 years. Gibson has completed his first half hour special last year, and he was one of Riot L.A. 2017’s Comics to Watch.
Mekki Leeper is a comedian from Philadelphia, now living in Los Angeles. His work has been featured on NPR, College Humor, and can be seen in the Comedy Central digital series he co-wrote and directed, Resolutions. Leeper was recently named one of the 2018 Comedy Central Up Next Comics to Watch, and he has written for the White House Correspondents' Dinner hosted by Hasan Minhaj, as well as the Lovett or Leave It podcast. Leeper has performed at several comedy festivals in the U.S.
Zach Noe Towers is a Los Angeles-based comic, actor and writer. Recently named one of Time Out Magazine’s 2018 Comedians to Watch, Towers’ hosted Verizon’s Go90 The Elite Daily Show for four seasons, and is set to host and star in the feature presentation of Out On Stage. His short film, Killer Friends, which her directed, wrote, and starred in, has been screened at various film festivals domestically and internationally.
Erica Rhodes is a comedian and actor from Massachusetts now based in L.A. Rhodes has many acting credits, including ABC’s Modern Family, HBO’s Veep, FOX’s New Girl, IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang, and recurring role on TruTV’s Fameless, Rhodes was also a regular panelist on Comedy Central’s @midnight and FOX’s Punchline. Her stand-up TV appearances include SeeSo’s The Guest List, Hulu’s Coming to the Stage, and AXS’ Live at Gotham. As a semi-regular performer and writer on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, Rhodes currently stars in Audible’s Dr. Katz: The Audio Files and ABC Digital’s The Off-Season. Rhodes is no stranger to comedy festivals, having performed at many across the country.
Paris Sashay is a comedian, actor and producer from Washington, D.C. Audiences across the country fall in love with her infectious laugh, wit, and style. Her command as a seasoned storyteller makes even the mundane feel like an adventure. Sashay has opened for many notable comics, including Dick Gregory, Sampson McCormick, and Michael Che. She has performed at many high-profile venues, including the The Kennedy Center, Howard Theatre, DC Improv, Caroline’s on Broadway, and more.
Usama Siddiquee is a stand-up comedian and actor based in New York. He recently made his stand-up television debut on BET's 50 Central. Siddiquee’s humor has been featured on videos for major platforms including NBC, Buzzfeed, Refinery29, The Scene, Mic.com, FusionTV, and Huffington Post, and more. He has won many comedy competitions across the country, including the 2016 Laughing Devil Cup Comedy Festival in New York.
Daphnique Springs is a multi-talented actress, writer and comedian from Florida, currently based in Los Angeles. Springs is infinitely talented, playing a wide range of intriguing characters on stage and screen. She has starred in an eclectic variety of roles on such shows as, CBS’ How I Met Your Mother, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and BET’s The Comedy Get Down. Springs conveys ease and a confidence that engages audiences and leads to an unpredictable, unprecedentedly hilarious show, winning her many awards at various festivals across the country.
Nina Tarr is a stand-up, actor, and writer from Southern California. Recently playing the starring role on Verizon Go90 and Tumblr’s Like and Subscribe, Tarr also co-starred in the pilot for Starburns Industries’ Dope State. She had a recurring role on MTV’s High Crimes and starred as herself in their pilot, Flickerlab. Tarr has written many video shorts for Buzzfeed, and has starred in videos for Super Deluxe, Buzzfeed, IHEARTCOMIX and more.
Ron Taylor is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who hails from Detroit, currently living in Los Angeles. Taylor has been featured on BET’s Apollo Live, FOX’s Laughs, and on the All Def-Digital Network, where his videos regularly garner hundreds of thousands of views. Taylor performs comedy in clubs and theaters all over the world, including at last summer’s Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal as part of Kevin Hart’s LOL Live showcase.
Jordan Temple is a New York born and raised stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He recently wrote for BET’s The Rundown with Robin Thede, following his role as a staff writer on Showtimes’ SMILF. Temple was one of TBS’ Comics to Watch in 2017, landing him his first televised stand-up performance on Conan later that year. Temple wrote and performed in his play, Hidden Fences, inspired by the viral mistakes made at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards that combined the two films, 20th Century Fox’s Hidden Figures and Paramount Pictures’ Fences. The play was recently covered in The New York Times and Time Out New York.
Jeremiah Watkins is a stand-up comic from Kansas, now based out of Los Angeles. Establishing himself as one of the most physical stand-up comedias in Los Angeles, Watkins has performed on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central’s The Comedy Jam, Seeso’s What’s Your F@%king Deal?!, and in HBO’s Crashing. His most notable role is part of The Wave from Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. Watkins is half of the musical comedy super-duo Regan and Watkins, performing on Kill Tony, the number one podcast in the world. Watkins has performed at a number of festivals across North America, making his second Just For Laughs Festival appearance this year.