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Zainab Johnson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zainab Johnson
BornMarch 22 [1]
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCity College of New York
Occupation(s)Comedian, actress, podcaster
Years active2006, 2010–present
Known forUpload, Last Comic Standing

Zainab Johnson (born March 22) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and podcaster. She debuted her comedy album in 2016, her half-hour television special in 2018 and her hour-long streaming TV special in 2023. Johnson was the winner of ABFF's inaugural Comedy Wings competition in 2013 and was a contestant on NBC's competition TV show Last Comic Standing in 2014. Variety listed her in its '10 Comics to Watch for 2019'.[2] She is known for her roles as Aleesha on Upload (2020–25), as a voice actor on Tab Time (2021–22), and co-host of 100 Humans (2020).

Early life and education

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Zainab Johnson was born in Brooklyn, New York, and her family moved to the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan when she was five-years-old.[3] She was raised in a Muslim household. Her mother was a homemaker and her father worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) during her childhood.[4] She is the fifth-eldest child and the third-eldest daughter from among 13 siblings consisting of seven brothers and five sisters. She described her siblings and parents as each having different personalities and interests. Johnson has compared her mother to a hippie and described her father as strict. She wore a hijab during her childhood and faced bullying at school. In second and third grades, she experienced her khimar pulled off from her head. At age 10, Johnson visited Uptown Comedy Club when her mother brought her along.[5]

She attended high school at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (MCSM). At age 15,[6] she stopped wearing her hijab and used playing basketball as her excuse to convince her father.[3] At age 17, during her senior year, Johnson was forced to quit basketball after visiting Atlanta, Georgia,[6] when she and another woman were hit by an Airborne Express truck by a drunk driver which resulted in her breaking both legs while the other woman had to have her leg amputated.[3][7] Johnson spent one-and-a-half years in recovery and had to learn how to walk again.[8] After graduating,[when?] she began her career as a fifth grade math teacher,[9] before her father died in 2005.[3] The two tragedies made her reconsider her direction in life, and she decided to join a friend to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, where she began performing in sketch comedy and improvisational theater.[10]

She moved back to New York City and attended the City College of New York (CCNY),[3][8] and did a semester studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London, England.[11] Johnson and her friends often visited The Comedy Cellar and the Boston Comedy Club where she became acquianted with many stand-up comedians but never considered becoming one.[12] She graduated[when?] with a bachelor's degree in mathematics education.[13][14]

Career

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2006–2014

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During her first stint in Los Angeles, Johnson performed improv and sketch comedy with the likes of the The Groundlings, iO West and Upright Citizens Brigade LA, and appeared as an actor on the first season of prank TV show Hell Date which aired in 2007 on BET. After returning to Hollywood in 2010, she played the role of Billy Tipton on 1000 Ways to Lie which aired on March 10 on Spike. That month, Johnson got a job as a production assistant for Jeru Tillman who booked Tuesday night shows at The Comedy Store. Johnson had been eyeing a pair of Chloé boots worth $1,500 on Net-a-Porter when she received the phone call with the job offer.[10] In August 2010, she quit her job and entered an open mic at Amsterdam Cafe in North Hollywood near her home where she performed stand-up comedy for the first time.[12][15]

On June 22, 2013, Zainab Johnson became the winner of the American Black Film Festival's inaugural Comedy Wings competition.[16] ABFF announced the event on January 10, with stand-up and sketch comedy video submissions open until March 22.[17] Johnson was one of nine comedians selected to advance to the 'Semi-finals' held on April 21 in Los Angeles, before becoming one of four comedians to advance to the 'Finals' held in Miami Beach.[18] In February 2014, she performed stand-up comedy on television for the first time on The Arsenio Hall Show, a revival of the 1990s syndicated variety talk show, which increased her recognition.[19][20]

Johnson was a contestant on the eighth season of Last Comic Standing which premiered on May 22, 2014.[10] She was one of 100 comedians selected from invitees to be on the show where she advanced to the 'Semi-finals' stage but failed to advance to the 'Top Ten', making it to the eighth episode of the 14-episode season.[21] In July 2014, Just For Laughs announced her as part of its New Faces of Comedy: Unrepped showcase which featured comedians without talent agents or managers yet.[22][23] Johnson performed on AXS TV's Gotham Comedy Live which aired on August 14, and on BET's ComicView which aired on September 24.

2015–2019

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Zainab Johnson at Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2018
Zainab Johnson at Soul Joel's in Pottstown, PA in January 2024

In 2015, she performed as part of the closing ceremony of Black Enterprise's Women of Power summit on March 4. Johnson, Amberia Allen and Hadiyah Robinson were billed as the "Hey Ladies Comedy Tour" for the event by ABFF founder Jeff Friday.[24][25] She starred in the webseries Cocktail Confessions which premiered on October 13.[14]

In 2016, Johnson independently released her debut comedy album Model Citizen on February 14,[26] and performed on HBO's All Def Comedy television special which aired on November 12.[27]

On January 17, 2017, it was reported that ABC had bought the rights to develop a sitcom, executive produced by Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwist, starring Zainab Johnson.[28] She spent most of that year focusing on auditions. Johnson was a contestant on Idiotest on January 19 on GSN, and on syndicated game show Punchline on August 3.[29] She guest starred on the fifth episode of the second season of webseries Get Your Life which aired on February 6; played the role of Tameeka on ABC webseries American Koko which released on June 19; and co-starred as Dr. Haniel in webseries Avant-Guardians which released on November 17.[30] Johnson and Alex Weber served as hosts of Discovery Go game show Cash Lift which released on December 17.[31]

In 2019, Johnson performed on The Stand-Up Show with Katherine Ryan which aired on February 5 on CBC. On June 13, Variety listed her in its '10 Comics to Watch for 2019'.[2]

2020–present

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In 2020, Johnson co-hosted 100 Humans which released on March 13 on Netflix.[32] She also has a recurring role in the 2020 Amazon series, Upload.[33][34]

In 2021, she was a voice actor on both seasons of children's show Tab Time which premiered on Dec 1.[35]

In 2022, she was a panelist on the first season of We Need to Talk About America which premiered on April 20 on Fuse, and played the role of Amira on Ramy on the seventh episode of the third season on September 30 on Hulu.

In 2023, she released her first hour-long special Hijabs Off as an Amazon Original program on October 20.

In 2025, she hosted the ABFF Honors in February 17.[36]

Influences

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Johnson has described watching ComicView, The Original Kings of Comedy and The Queens of Comedy growing up, with Eddie Murphy's Raw being her favorite stand-up comedy release and Coming to America her favorite film. She would go on to become acquainted with Murphy and describes having attended parties at his home in Los Angeles.[12][37] In a September 2022 interview, she described Wanda Sykes, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Chris Rock as comedians she enjoys. Johnson also named Martin Lawrence, Adele Givens, Sommore, Sheryl Underwood, Bill Burr and Mike Epps as comedians she's been a fan of growing up.[38]

Personal life

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She sported a shaved head for seven years between 2009 and 2016.[39] She is 5 feet 11 inches in height.[40]

Filmography and discography

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Albums and TV specials

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Solo albums and TV specials
Title Release date Debut medium
Model Citizen February 14, 2016 Audio streaming
Unprotected Sets October 5, 2018 Television (Epix)
Hijabs Off October 20, 2023 Streaming TV (Prime Video)
The Notebook September 18, 2024 Streaming TV (YouTube)
Collaborative albums and TV specials
Title Release date Debut medium
All Def Comedy November 12, 2016 Television (HBO)
Just For Laughs: Premium – Volume 46 February 13, 2019 Audio streaming
Comedy in Color 2: Volume 3 March 22, 2022 Audio streaming
Keep Your Distance: Volume 6 November 23, 2023 Audio streaming

Television

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Year Title Role Note
2007 Hell Date Various 3 episodes
2010 1000 Ways to Lie Billy Tipton
2012 Private Practice Mara
2014 The Arsenio Hall Show Herself
Last Comic Standing Contestant; 4 episodes
Gotham Comedy Live
ComicView
2015 Cocktail Confessions Herself Main cast; 6 episodes
2016 Acting Out Herself
2017 Idiotest Herself Contestant
Get Your Life
American Koko Tameeka 3 episodes
Punchline Herself Contestant
Avant-Guardians Dr. Haniel Main cast; 7 episodes
Cash Lift Herself Host; 5 episodes
2018 Late Night with Seth Meyers Herself
2019 The Stand-Up Show with Katherine Ryan Herself
2020 Lights Out with David Spade Herself 3 episodes
100 Humans
Struggle Gourmet
2020, 2022 The Drew Barrymore Show Herself 2 episodes
2020, 2022,
2023, 2025 		Upload Aleesha Morrison-Downey Main cast; 25 episodes
2021 History of Swear Words Herself 3 episodes
Launchpad Nurse Sherri Episode: "Growing Fangs"
2021–2022 Tab Time Various Main cast
2022 We Need to Talk About America Herself Main cast; 10 episodes
Ramy Amira
2023 The Conor Moore Show Boss
2024 After Midnight Herself Contestant
The Art Of Documentary; Episode: "Being Funny"

Podcasting

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Title Episodes First released Last released Note
Just Friends 66
1 July 9, 2015 Co-hosted with Sydney Castillo.
52 October 20, 2015 January 30, 2017
14 June 18, 2020 October 1, 2020
HonesTEA with Z 154
153 January 24, 2018 March 2, 2022 Live audience finale recorded and co-hosted with Yamaneika Saunders at Just For Laughs in Montreal, Canada.[41]
1 August 10, 2022
I'm Reasonable TBD February 22, 2024 In progress

References

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  1. ^ "Zainab Johnson". Twitter. March 22, 2016. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Variety Announces 10 Comics to Watch for 2019". Variety. June 13, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Jordan, Meagan (February 27, 2024). "How Comedian Zainab Johnson Went From Basketball Star to 'Hijabs Off'". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ "With 12 siblings, comic Zainab Johnson has plenty to joke about in new special". NPR. October 24, 2023.
  5. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/arts/q/zainab-johnson-explains-how-some-big-plot-twists-in-her-life-led-to-a-career-in-comedy-1.7212370
  6. ^ a b https://www.wpr.org/shows/beta/episode-125-splinter-your-mind
  7. ^ "This Week in NYC Clubs, Louis CK, Trevor Noah, Jamie Lissow, Mike Vecchione and More". August 18, 2014.
  8. ^ a b https://thecomicscomic.com/2018/08/06/episode-219-zainab-johnson/
  9. ^ E. Williams, Lauren (April 12, 2022). "'Upload' Comedienne Zainab Johnson Dishes On Her Personal Style & Pursuing Her Comedic Acting Career". HelloBeautiful.com.
  10. ^ a b c "For Zainab Johnson, convincing people she's Peter Pan, not Rufio, is taking time". Los Angeles Times. July 20, 2017. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017.
  11. ^ https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-hhda6-bfc48dd?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share
  12. ^ a b c Evans, Marissa (October 24, 2023). "Zainab Johnson's "Hijabs Off" comedy special aims for authenticity and laughs". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Friedrich, Adam (February 26, 2019). "Getting Honest With Comedian Zainab Johnson". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Zainab Johnson on Women in Comedy and Her Upcoming Sitcom". That's Online. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "Interview: Comedian Zainab Johnson On Who Makes Her Laugh, Moms Mabley and More". BrownGirlGumbo.com. September 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "17th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Culminates with the Announcement of the 2013 Award Winners". American Black Film Festival. June 24, 2013.
  17. ^ "The 17th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Launches The Comedy Wings Competition and Seeks to Discover the Next Great Comedian". American Black Film Festival. January 10, 2013.
  18. ^ "Four Emerging Comedians Will Compete for Top Spot at ABFF in June". American Black Film Festival. April 22, 2013.
  19. ^ https://thecomicscomic.com/2014/02/20/zainab-johnsons-debut-on-the-arsenio-hall-show/
  20. ^ Jordan, Meagan (February 27, 2024). "How Comedian Zainab Johnson Went From Basketball Star to 'Hijabs Off'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  21. ^ "Last Comic Standing, Season 8, "Semi-Final Day 2" Recap". TheComicsComic.com. June 20, 2014.
  22. ^ https://thecomicscomic.com/2014/08/04/first-impressions-new-faces-unrepped-at-montreals-just-for-laughs-2014/
  23. ^ https://thecomedybureau.com/jlf-new-faces-unrepped-2014/
  24. ^ Brett Stringer, Jasmine (March 12, 2015). "2015 Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit".
  25. ^ Mays, Raqiyah (February 12, 2015). "Women of Power Summit: 'Hey Ladies' Comedy Show Set To Wow Attendees". Black Enterprise. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025.
  26. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5K1412h5o
  27. ^ Petski, Denise (October 14, 2016). "Russell Simmons' 'All Def Comedy' Stand-Up Special Set On HBO". Deadline. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  28. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2017). "ABC Buys Muslim Model Comedy From Zainab Johnson, Wanda Sykes, Tom Straw". Deadline Hollywood.
  29. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbIw2OGLRR4
  30. ^ "'Avant-Guardian' Is The Woke Web Series You Need To Watch". bust.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "Discovery spins off Cash Cab into an elevator with webseries game show, Cash Lift". December 17, 2017.
  32. ^ Gibbs, Lynn (March 24, 2020). "10 Shocking Things We Learned From 100 Humans: Life's Questions Answered". Screen Rant.
  33. ^ Sippell, Margeaux (October 11, 2018). "TV Roundup: Sanaa Lathan Joins 'Twilight Zone' Reboot at CBS All Access". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  34. ^ Petski, Denise (February 20, 2020). "'Upload': Kevin Bigley, Allegra Edwards & Zainab Johnson To Star In Amazon Series; Three More Cast". Deadline. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  35. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (November 18, 2021). "Trailer: Tabitha Brown Invites YouTubers to 'Tab Time' in Hybrid Pre-K Series". Animation Magazine.
  36. ^ Abraham, Mya (February 18, 2025). "2025 ABFF Honors Took Black Hollywood To Church". Vibe.
  37. ^ "Coming to America with Zainab Johnson". ClaireTonti.com. July 19, 2021.
  38. ^ Kelley, Collin (September 9, 2022). "In the Mix with comedian and actor Zainab Johnson". roughdraftatlanta.com.
  39. ^ "With 12 siblings, comic Zainab Johnson has plenty to joke about in new special". NPR. October 24, 2003.
  40. ^ Maxwell, Dominic (November 20, 2024). "Zainab Johnson review — a comedian on the verge of world-class". The Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024.
  41. ^ "Just for Laughs Montréal Cranks Up the Heat This Summer, Adding Even More of Comedy's Hottest Stars to the 40th Anniversary Celebration". BellMedia.ca. C2C Communications. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025.
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