Hasan Minhaj#2023 The New Yorker article
{{Short description|American comedian and actor (born 1985)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Hasan Minhaj
| image = Hasan Minhaj on Neal Brennan uploaded James Tamim (cropped).png
| caption = Minhaj in 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|9|23}}
| birth_place = Davis, California, U.S.
| medium = {{hlist|Stand-up|television|film}}
| education = University of California, Davis (BA)
| active = 2008–present
| genre = {{hlist|Political|news satire|observational comedy|dark comedy|sarcasm|insult comedy|surreal humor}}
| subject = {{hlist|American politics|Indian culture|political punditry|popular culture|current events|mass media/news media|civil rights}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Beena Patel|2015}}
| children = 2
| website = {{official URL}}
}}
Hasan Minhaj ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ʌ|s|ən|_|ˈ|m|ɪ|n|h|ɑː|(|d|)|ʒ}} {{respell|HUSS|ən|_|MIN|hahzh|,_-|hahj}};{{efn|The pronunciation {{IPAc-en|h|ə|ˈ|s|ɑː|n|_|m|ɪ|ˈ|n|ɑː|dʒ}} {{respell|hə|SAHN|_|min|AHJ}} is one variant Minhaj himself has used, for example during his comedy speech at the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner. However, in his public life, he has more recently adopted the pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ʌ|s|ən|_|ˈ|m|ɪ|n|h|ɑː|dʒ}} {{respell|HUSS|ən|_|MIN|hahj}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɪ|n|h|ɑː|ʒ}} {{respell|MIN|hahzh}}, for example, on his Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, including in the second season ("Volume 2") episode "Censorship in China" at 0:25-0:35 and 4:05-4:15, and on the Ellen Show in 2019, correcting the host and repeating the pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɪ|n|h|ɑː|ʒ}} {{respell|MIN|hahzh}} multiple times.{{cite AV media |date=April 4, 2019 |title=Hasan Minhaj Uses Timothée Chalamet's Name at Starbucks |medium=TheEllenShow |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t3YhWQppAw |access-date=April 5, 2019 |publisher=YouTube |quote=DeGeneres: It's {{nowrap|{{IPA|/həˈsɑːn mɪˈnɑːʒ/}}}}. Minhaj: No. DeGeneres: Yes. Minhaj: No. DeGeneres: Really? Minhaj: My name is {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ˈhʌsən mɪˈnɑːʒ/}}}}.}}}} born September 23, 1985) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, and television host. Much of his comedy involves Indian culture and the modern American political landscape through the use of satire, observational comedy and dark comedy. His Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and two Webby Awards. In 2019, he was listed in Time{{'}}s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
After working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in minor television roles, Minhaj came to prominence for his work on The Daily Show as its senior correspondent from 2014 to 2018. He was the featured speaker at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/white-house-correspondents-dinner-hasan-minhaj-speech-donald-trump|title=White House Correspondents' Dinner: See Hasan Minhaj's Scorching Speech|last=Busis|first=Hillary|date=April 29, 2017|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=April 30, 2017}} His first stand-up comedy special, Homecoming King, released on Netflix in May 2017, received positive reviews from critics{{cite news|last1=Meslow|first1=Scott|title=Watch the Trailer for Hasan Minhaj's Terrific New Netflix Special, 'Homecoming King'|url=https://www.gq.com/story/hasan-minhaj-netflix-special|access-date=May 13, 2017|work=GQ|date=May 11, 2017}} and won him his first Peabody Award in 2018.{{cite news |last1=Rathore |first1=Reena |title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj's Debut Netflix Special Lands Him His First Peabody Award |url=http://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/comedian-hasan-minhaj-s-debut-netflix-special-lands-him-his/article_65e4b344-49a3-11e8-8966-33c1352c6766.html |access-date=August 1, 2018 |work=India West |date=April 26, 2018 |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513101715/https://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/comedian-hasan-minhaj-s-debut-netflix-special-lands-him-his/article_65e4b344-49a3-11e8-8966-33c1352c6766.html |url-status=dead }}
Minhaj left The Daily Show in August 2018 to host a weekly comedy show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, which debuted on Netflix in October 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/08/hasan-minhaj-patriot-act-netflix-weekly-1201992662/|title=Hasan Minhaj to Make History With New Weekly Netflix Series 'Patriot act' Not to be confused with the apparel line "the patriotic act" that was established first in 2016'|last=Miller|first=Liz Shannon|date=August 9, 2018|work=IndieWire|access-date=August 9, 2018|language=en-US}} In April 2019, he won his second Peabody Award for Patriot Act. Minhaj released his second Netflix special, Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester, in 2022, and appeared in season two of the Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show in a recurring role.
Following a New Yorker interview with Minhaj, the periodical published an article on how he embellished or exaggerated various anecdotes about being the victim of discrimination in his comedy specials and in other interviews.{{Cite magazine |last=Malone |first=Clare |date=September 15, 2023 |title=Hasan Minhaj's "Emotional Truths" |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/hasan-minhajs-emotional-truths |access-date=September 15, 2023 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}{{Cite news |last=Zinoman |first=Jason |date=2023-09-20 |title=Lying in Comedy Isn't Always Wrong, but Hasan Minhaj Crossed a Line |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/arts/hasan-minhaj-comedy.html |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Burack |first=Bobby |date=2023-09-18 |title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj Admits He Lied About Being Victim of Racism |url=https://www.outkick.com/comedian-hasan-minhaj-admits-he-lied-about-being-victim-of-racism/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=OutKick |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Pahwa |first=Nitish |date=2023-09-19 |title=Hasan Minhaj Meant Something to Brown Americans. Was It All an Act? |language=en-US |work=Slate |url=https://slate.com/culture/2023/09/hasan-minhaj-the-new-yorker-comedian-emotional-truths-lies-patriot-act.html |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=1091-2339}} Minhaj responded to the reporting, establishing further context and providing fuller text from the interview in a YouTube video response.{{Cite web |title=Hasan Minhaj's response to The New Yorker article. | website=YouTube | date=October 26, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiHlt69M-4}}{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=September 15, 2023 |title=Hasan Minhaj Admits to Embellishing Stand-Up Stories, Including Daughter's Anthrax Scare: 'The Punch Line Is Worth the Fictionalized Premise' |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/hasan-minhaj-lied-stand-up-daughter-exposed-anthrax-1235724731/ |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
Early life
Hasan Minhaj was born on September 23, 1985, in Davis, California, to Indian Muslim parents from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. His parents, Najme and Seema Minhaj (née Usmani) immigrated to the United States from India.{{cite web|last1=Egel|first1=Ben|title=Hasan Minhaj launches from Davis to the heart of a national debate|url=http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/tv/article28715740.html|publisher=Sacramento Bee|access-date=August 13, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/hasan_minhaj_born_1985_16971523|title=Hasan Minhaj, Born 09/23/1985 in California |work=californiabirthindex.org|access-date=May 1, 2017}}{{Cite web |url=http://audreymagazine.com/fall-13-issue-comedian-hasan-minhaj-talks-the-truth-and-failosophy-and-is-definitely-not-related-to-nicki-minhaj/ |title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj Talks "The Truth" and "Failosophy" (And is Definitely Not Related to Nicki Minaj) | Audrey Magazine |access-date=October 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303092118/http://audreymagazine.com/fall-13-issue-comedian-hasan-minhaj-talks-the-truth-and-failosophy-and-is-definitely-not-related-to-nicki-minhaj/ |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} After his birth, he and his father, an organic chemist, remained in the U.S. His mother returned to India for eight years to complete medical school, visiting the U.S. after three years to give birth to his sister in 1989.{{cite web|url=http://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/ayesha_minhaj_born_1989_19363195|title=Ayesha Minhaj, Born 06/17/1989 in California|work=californiabirthindex.org|access-date=May 1, 2017}} Minhaj attended Davis Senior High School, graduating in 2003.{{cite news|last1=Ternus-Bellamy|first1=Anne|title=Take it from this Davis guy: Life gets better|url=https://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/hasan-minhaj-takes-his-davis-stories-to-the-stage/|access-date=May 25, 2016|work=Davis Enterprise|date=May 13, 2016}} He graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2007.{{Citation|title=Affirmative Action {{!}} Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj {{!}} Netflix| date=October 28, 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm5QVcTI2I8|language=en|access-date=2022-01-09}}{{cite web|url=http://www.laughspin.com/2009/08/24/hasan-minhaj-giving-comedy-the-college-try/|title=Hasan Minhaj: Giving comedy the college try|date=August 24, 2009|first=Daniel|last=Perlman|work=LAUGHSPIN|access-date=October 11, 2014|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016172019/http://www.laughspin.com/2009/08/24/hasan-minhaj-giving-comedy-the-college-try/|archive-date=October 16, 2014|df=mdy-all}}
Career
=2004–2013=
While in college, he became interested in comedy after seeing Chris Rock's Never Scared (2004), the first stand-up special he watched. He began traveling to San Francisco to perform. In 2008, he won Wild 94.9's "Best Comic Standing" competition, which resulted in his working as an opening act for Katt Williams, Pablo Francisco and Gabriel Iglesias. He also worked part-time for the website Ning, an experience he used to write comedy. Minhaj lists Kevin Shea, W. Kamau Bell and Arj Barker as inspirations.
In 2009, Minhaj moved to Los Angeles to perform on NBC's Stand-up for Diversity, on which he was a finalist. In 2011, he was recurring on the TV sitcom State of Georgia and starred in various roles on the MTV hidden camera show Disaster Date. Through posting on YouTube, he was cast as the host of Failosophy on MTV. In 2013, Minhaj appeared in guest roles on Arrested Development and Getting On.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/daily-show-adds-two-new-correspondents-210372|title=The Daily Show adds two new correspondents|date=October 10, 2014|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=October 11, 2014}} He hosted Stand Up Planet in 2013 and a web series, The Truth with Hasan Minhaj, in 2014. In 2014, he voiced Rabi Ray Rana in the video game Far Cry 4.
=2014–2016=
On November 19, 2014, Minhaj joined The Daily Show as a correspondent, the last one hired by then-host Jon Stewart. Minhaj was asked to come in for an audition with new material after he sent in a tape of him performing an idea for a Daily Show segment, but he initially panicked as he had no other material prepared. The Friday before Minhaj's audition, Ben Affleck and Bill Maher got into a heated exchange about Islam on Maher's show, and Minhaj used this for a new sketch he called "Batman vs. Bill Maher".{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/10/daily-show-adds-hasan-minhaj-trevor-noah/|title='Daily Show' adds Hasan Minhaj and Trevor Noah|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=October 10, 2014|access-date=October 11, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Lewis|first1=Hilary|title='Daily Show' Correspondent Hasan Minhaj Reveals Bill Maher-Ben Affleck Islam Dispute Got Him His Job|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/daily-show-correspondent-hasan-minhaj-832711|access-date=May 23, 2017|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 16, 2015}}
On June 18, 2016, Minhaj performed a set as the host of the annual Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner.{{Citation|last=C-SPAN|title=Hasan Minhaj at 2016 RTCA Dinner (C-SPAN)|date=June 16, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUymQKZqP6w|access-date=June 21, 2016}} The set gained attention for his condemnation of the United States Congress' inaction in passing gun control legislation.{{refn|{{Cite web|url=https://www.colorlines.com/articles/watch-hasan-minhaj-passionately-denounces-congressional-inaction-gun-laws|title=WATCH: Hasan Minhaj Passionately Denounces Congressional Inaction on Gun Laws|last=Rao|first=Sameer|date=June 17, 2016|website=Colorlines|access-date=June 21, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hasan-minhaj-guns-orlando_us_57645070e4b0fbbc8bea67e5|title='Daily Show' Correspondent Hasan Minhaj Eviscerates Congress For Inaction on Guns|last=Gebreyes |first=Rahel|date=June 17, 2016|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=June 21, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.people.com/article/hasan-minhaj-tells-people-why-he-has-no-regrets|title=Comedian Who Blasted Congress on Gun Control Tells PEOPLE Why He Has No Regrets: 'This Is What We Have Paid You To Do'|website=People|access-date=June 21, 2016}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/17/hasan-minhaj-tears-congress-apart-over-guns-and-bigotry.html|title=Hasan Minhaj Tears Congress Apart Over Guns And Bigotry|last=Slattery|first=Peter|date=June 17, 2016|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=June 21, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/comedian-hasan-minhaj-criticizes-congress-powerful-speech-orlando-n594486|title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj to Congress on Guns: 'Is This What You Want Your Legacy to Be?'|date=June 17, 2016 |publisher=NBC News|access-date=June 21, 2016}}}} On April 29, 2017, Minhaj was the featured speaker at the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner, where he took on the traditional role of roasting Washington, D.C. society, national politics, current events, the current president, the Washington press corps and the American media.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/04/11/daily-show-regular-hasan-minaj-will-headline-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner|title='Daily Show' regular Hasan Minhaj will headline the White House correspondents' dinner|last=Heil|first=Emily|date=April 11, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 11, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} He criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, who was boycotting the dinner,{{cite web | last=Gold | first=Hadas |author-link=Hadas Gold| title=Will Trump be roasted at White House Correspondents' Dinner? | website=Politico Magazine | date=April 11, 2017 | url=http://politi.co/2oVOXwC | access-date=April 30, 2017}} calling him the "liar in chief," and stating: "Only in America can a second-generation, Indian American Muslim kid get on the stage and make fun of the president." He also reminded the press to do their job, and added: "I want to thank all of you. I want to thank Woodward and Bernstein for inspiring a generation of journalists, and I would like to thank Donald Trump for inspiring the next."
Minhaj's one-man show, Homecoming King, debuted Off-Broadway in October 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/10/14/448572486/daily-shows-hasan-minhaj-on-proms-immigrants-and-white-folks-at-desi-weddings|title=Hasan Minhaj Of 'Daily Show' On Prom, Indian Dads And White Folks at Desi Weddings|first=Elizabeth|last=Blair|publisher=NPR|date=October 14, 2015|access-date=October 14, 2015}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.metro.us/entertainment/daily-show-correspondent-hasan-minhaj-brings-his-childhood-to-the-stage/zsJoju---jRbDCbZCNj8I/|title='Daily Show' correspondent Hasan Minhaj brings his childhood to the stage|last=Gandhi|first=Lakshmi|date=October 21, 2015|website=Metro|access-date=June 21, 2016}} The show featured a central theme of the immigrant experience in the United States today, illustrated with stories from Minhaj's life as a second-generation Indian-American Muslim. He later turned the show into his first stand-up special, Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King, which premiered on Netflix on May 23, 2017. The special was filmed at the Mondavi Center at Minhaj's alma mater, UC Davis, in January 2017, and won a television Peabody Award.{{cite news|last1=Hipes|first1=Patrick|title='Handmaid's Tale', 'Mrs. Maisel', John Oliver & 'SNL' Among Peabody Winners|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/peabody-awards-2018-entertainment-winners-handmaids-tale-mrs-maisel-john-oliver-snl-list-1202367758/|work=Deadline|date=April 18, 2018}}
= 2017–2022 =
In March 2018, Netflix announced that Minhaj would host his own weekly show on the platform.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflix-orders-weekly-talk-show-daily-show-breakout-hasan-minhaj-1089445|title=Netflix Orders Weekly Talk Show From 'Daily Show' Breakout Hasan Minhaj (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-03-02}}{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/hasan-minhaj-netflix-talk-show-1202714248/|title='Daily Show' Vet Hasan Minhaj to Host Weekly Netflix Talk Show|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=2018-03-01|work=Variety|access-date=2018-03-02|language=en-US}} The new show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, premiered on October 28, 2018. It received an initial order of 32 episodes. Patriot Act explores the modern cultural, political and economic landscape. When writing episodes about the show, Minhaj frequently excluded or limited the role that researchers played in developing content and could be dismissive of fact checkers. Multiple female producers complained of abuse, mistreatment and harassment while on the set, and threatened legal action, which was ultimately settled out of court.{{cite web |title=Yes, even 'woke' boys can be problematic. The case of Hasan Minhaj shows us how. |date=26 November 2020 |url=https://scoop.upworthy.com/yes-even-woke-boys-can-be-problematic-the-case-of-hasan-minhaj-shows-us-how |publisher=GOOD Incorporated |access-date=17 June 2023}} In April 2019, Minhaj was listed among TIME{{'}}s 100 most influential people in the world,{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2019/5567704/hasan-minhaj/|title=Hasan Minhaj|last=Noah|first=Trevor|author-link=Trevor Noah|magazine=Time|access-date=2019-04-18}} and won his second Peabody Award for Patriot Act. Some months after Minhaj's episode on the student loan crisis aired, he was called to testify regarding the issue before the US Congress in September 2019. In August 2020, Minhaj announced the series would not be renewed after 40 episodes.{{Cite web|last=Rubin|first=Rebecca|date=2020-08-18|title='Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj' Canceled at Netflix|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/hasan-minhaj-patriot-act-canceled-netflix-1234738562/|access-date=2020-08-18|website=Variety|language=en}} On November 27, 2018, Comedy Central aired a special titled Goatface, featuring Minhaj, Fahim Anwar, Asif Ali and Aristotle Athari.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gqindia.com/content/hasan-minhajs-goatface-sketch-comedy-show-watch-weekend|title=Hasan Minhaj's Goatface is the sketch comedy show to watch this weekend|date=September 21, 2018}} Also in 2018, Minhaj made fun of bitcoin holders and its local low of ~$6,500. As of July 2025, bitcoin is trading at ~$117,000, more than 18 times the price quoted during Minhaj's special.{{Cite web |date=2025-07-11 |title=Bitcoin Price: BTC Live Price Chart, Market Cap & News Today |url=https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin |access-date=2025-07-11 |website=CoinGecko |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=TikTok - Make Your Day |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@hasanminhaj/video/7518403150567591181 |access-date=2025-07-11 |website=www.tiktok.com}}{{Cite web |last=rtmxavi |date=2025-07-11 |title=This aged well |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1lx7oaz/this_aged_well/ |access-date=2025-07-11 |website=r/Bitcoin}}
In February 2019, Minhaj played on the "Away" roster during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/article/2019/02/06/2019-celebrity-game-participants-official-release |title=ESPN and NBA announce celebrity rosters and coaches for 2019 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles exclusively on ESPN |last=release |first=Official |website=NBA.com |language=en |access-date=2019-03-13}}
In September 2019, he testified during a U.S. House Committee on Financial Services hearing on student loan debt.{{cite news |last1=Ortiz |first1=Erik |title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj tells Congress that student borrowers are 'treated like deadbeats' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/comedian-hasan-minhaj-tells-congress-student-borrowers-are-treated-deadbeats-n1051911}}
On November 13, 2020, it was announced that Minhaj would join season two of the Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show in a recurring role.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/hasan-minhaj-cast-the-morning-show-season-2-apple-tv-drama-series-1234615159/|title = Hasan Minhaj Joins 'The Morning Show' for Season 2 of Apple TV+ Drama Series|date = November 13, 2020}} In 2021–2022, Minhaj performed a comedy tour across the United States that culminated in the release of a Netflix special The King's Jester in October 2022.{{Cite magazine|first=Nayantara|last=Dutta|url=https://time.com/6219770/hasan-minhaj-the-kings-jester-netflix/|title = Hasan Minhaj Explores the Darker Sides of Fame in The King's Jester|magazine=Time|date = October 5, 2022}} In 2022, Minhaj voiced The Riddler in the first Warner Bros.–Spotify Batman podcast, Batman Unburied.{{Cite news |last=Couch |first=Aaron |date=September 15, 2021 |title='Batman Unburied' Enlists Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler (Exclusive) |language=en-US |work=Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/batman-unburied-casts-hasan-minhaj-riddler-1235013829/ |access-date=2023-05-08}} He is scheduled to reprise the role in the 2023 podcast The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark.{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=March 8, 2023 |title=Hasan Minhaj to Reprise Role as The Riddler in New DC Podcast Series for Spotify |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/hasan-minhaj-the-riddler-secrets-in-the-dark-dc-spotify-podcast-1235546603/ |access-date=May 8, 2023}}
On October 30, 2022, Minhaj appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy!, where his animated and over-the-top reactions earned him the dubious accolade "most annoying contestant ever" by the show's longtime fans.{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Martin |title='Celebrity Jeopardy!' Fans Call Hasan Minhaj 'Most Annoying' Contestant Ever |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1067689/celebrity-jeopardy-hasan-minhaj/ |access-date=November 12, 2022 |website=TV Insider |date=October 31, 2022 |language=en-US}}
= 2023 projects =
In February 2023, Minhaj returned to The Daily Show to host it. He was among many prominent individuals to serve short stints hosting the show upon the departure of host Trevor Noah. Other hosts include Wanda Sykes, Jordan Klepper, Roy Wood Jr., John Leguizamo and Al Franken.{{Cite web|first=Morgan|last=Evans|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/hasan-minhaj-daily-show-guest-host|title = Hasan Minhaj: Rich Bozos Like Scott Adams Should Pay "Shut-the-F--k-Up Tax"|website=Vanity Fair |date = February 28, 2023}} In March 2023, Minhaj hosted the 38th Independent Spirit Awards. The same year, he had a supporting role in the Jennifer Lawrence comedy film No Hard Feelings.
= 2023 ''New Yorker'' article =
According to the September 2023 issue of The New Yorker, "Minhaj acknowledged, for the first time, that many of the anecdotes he related in his Netflix specials were untrue" and yet, he contended, "Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth... seventy per cent emotional truth—this happened—and then thirty per cent hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction", which he calls "inherent to the art form". Examples of fabrication included Minhaj's accounts of, as a teenager, being slammed against a car by police after mocking an FBI informant infiltrating his mosque, as well as receiving a threat letter filled with fake anthrax that spilled onto his daughter and then bringing her to a hospital.{{cite web |last1=Vanairsdale |first1=Stu |title=Forever (530) |url=https://www.sactownmag.com/hasan-minhaj-forever-530/ |website=Sactown Magazine |access-date=8 February 2025}} In reality, a middle-aged man, believed by a teenaged Minhaj to be an FBI informant, "made a show of pushing Minhaj to the ground" during a basketball game.{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Lydia |title=Hasan Minhaj Admits To Making Up Disturbing Stories For His Stand-Up |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hasan-minhaj-fabricates-standup-stories_n_650483a0e4b084b3a93f8ba7 |website=HuffPost |access-date=8 February 2025}} Regarding the anthrax story, while Minhaj was indeed mailed such a letter, his daughter was never hospitalized. Also, he has admitted that his wife added some of her own lines into that story.{{cite web |last1=Stevens |first1=Kaitlin |title=Who Is Hasan Minhaj's Wife? All About Beena Patel |url=https://people.com/who-is-beena-patel-hasan-minhaj-wife-7552855 |website=People |access-date=8 February 2025}}
The article generated controversial public debate about how cautious artists should be when "using creative license in a creative medium" such as stand-up comedy. The month following its publication, Minhaj posted a YouTube video response, apologizing for having disappointed any fans with his artistic choices but also defending those choices as highlighting the broader "emotional truths" of threats to his family, FBI surveillance, and Islamophobia,{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/hasan-minhaj-new-yorker-interview-not-a-psycho-1234920348/|title= Hasan Minhaj Shares Audio Clip of Infamous 'Misleading' New Yorker Interview|website= IndieWire|date= October 26, 2023|accessdate= October 26, 2023}} which Minhaj has worked for years to combat.{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=German |title=Islamophobia hurts people who aren't Muslim, too. The Daily Show takes a look. |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/4/26/11512948/daily-show-sikhs-muslims-islamophobia |website=Vox}} Minhaj considers the tone of the New Yorker article to be misleading, but he acknowledged: {{blockquote|I thought I had two different expectations built into my work: my work as a storytelling comedian and my work as a political comedian, where facts always come first. That is why the fact-checking on Patriot Act was extremely rigorous. The fact-checking in my congressional testimony, deeply rigorous. But in my work as a storytelling comedian, I assumed the lines between truth and fiction were allowed to be a bit more blurry. And I totally get why a journalist would be interested where that line sits. I just wish the reporter had been more interested in their own premise. Someone genuinely curious about truth in stand-up wouldn't just fact-check my specials. They would fact-check a bunch of specials. They would establish a control group, a baseline, to see how far outside the bounds I was in relation to others. They wouldn't just cherry-pick a few stories. }}
Some criticism of Minhaj comes from the fact that reviewers previously considered his storytelling genuine enough to be a helpful force in the larger social justice movement.{{cite web |last1=Adewunmi |first1=Bim |title=Why I love… comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jun/24/why-i-love-hasan-minhaj-tv-comedy-the-daily-show |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 February 2025}} Critics have since argued that his embellishments risk undermining trust in him as a social and political commentator or blurring the line between narrative truth and deception.{{cite web |last1=Goffe |first1=Nadira |date=27 Oct 2023 |title=OK, I Will Now Attempt to Explain What's Happening With Hasan Minhaj and the New Yorker |url=https://slate.com/culture/2023/10/hasan-minhaj-new-yorker-clare-malone-response-daily-show.html |access-date=26 September 2024 |website=Slate}}{{Cite web |last=Deggans |first=Eric |title='The New Yorker' fact-checked Hasan Minhaj — now he's issued a rebuttal |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/10/27/1208875608/hasan-minhaj-new-yorker}}{{Cite web |title=Hasan Minhaj calls controversial interview about stand-up 'misleading' |url=https://ew.com/tv/hasan-minhaj-responds-new-yorker-interview-misleading/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=EW.com |language=en}} In his response, Minhaj vowed to be more considerate in future storytelling bits.
= 2024–present=
In July 2024, Minhaj launched his own political talk show and podcast, Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know.{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Peter |title=After Losing Out On 'The Daily Show', Hasan Minhaj Launches His Own Online Political Talk Show |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/hasan-minhaj-launches-online-talk-show-1236003716/ |access-date=29 August 2024 |work=Deadline |date=8 July 2024}} In the first episode, he interviewed Senator Elizabeth Warren,{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Sean L. |title=Hasan Minhaj Returns in New Talk Show Grilling Warren on Biden's Age |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/hasan-minhaj-doesnt-know-premiere-elizabeth-warren-defends-biden |access-date=30 August 2024 |work=The Daily Beast |date=8 July 2024}}{{cite magazine |last1=Richardson |first1=Kalia |title=Hasan Minhaj, Elizabeth Warren Talk Age vs. Policy Making, Government Thirst Traps in New Talk Show |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/hasan-minhaj-elizabeth-warren-talk-show-1235055157/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=29 August 2024 |date=8 July 2024}} and has since interviewed Stacey Abrams{{cite web |last1=Lindsay |first1=Benjamin |title='Law & Order' Superfan Stacey Abrams Forgot Rudy Giuliani's Season 11 Cameo Because She's Too Used to Ignoring Him |url=https://www.thewrap.com/stacey-abrams-law-and-order-rudy-giuliani-hasan-minhaj-interview/ |website=TheWrap |access-date=30 August 2024 |date=23 August 2024}} and Senator Bernie Sanders.{{cite web |title=Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE6linSnhLs0dd6APJS0_u12PLhQoRXD3 |website=YouTube |access-date=30 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know Podcast |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hasan-minhaj-doesnt-know/id1756014574 |website=podcasts.apple.com |access-date=30 August 2024}}
In October 2024, Minhaj released his third standup comedy special on Netflix, Off With His Head.{{Citation |last=Babin |first=Tyler |title=Hasan Minhaj: Off with His Head |date=2024-10-22 |type=Documentary, Comedy |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33323522/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |others=Hasan Minhaj, Juan J. Guevara}} In the special, he rebukes criticism from The New Yorker, describing the scandal as "dorky".{{Cite web |last=DiGravio |first=Will |date=2024-10-23 |title=Hasan Minhaj Is Ready to Move Past the Backlash |url=https://time.com/7096089/hasan-minhaj-off-with-his-head-netflix/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=TIME |language=en}}
In June 2025, it was announced that Minhaj would be performing at Belly Laughs, a new comedy and food festival in Los Angeles.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/belly-laughs-comedy-los-angeles-food-festival-asian-american-1236175107/ He continues to host a YouTube channel interviewing celebrities.
Influences
Minhaj has said his comedy influences include Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah,{{cite web|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/hasan-minhaj-patriot-act-saudi-arabia-interview|title=For Hasan Minhaj, the Best Part About Making His Show Patriot Act Is Making Trouble|last=Hirschberg|first=Lynn|date=July 25, 2019|website=W|access-date=July 26, 2019}} Junot Diaz, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock{{cite web|url=https://www.apnews.com/01d4cadae02d485abf13ec9d99497b7c|title='The Daily Show' comedian Hasan Minhaj puts his life onstage|work=Associated Press News|first=Mark|last=Kennedy|date=October 15, 2015|access-date=July 6, 2016}} and Stephen Colbert.{{YouTube|id=KtviwbqkotY&t=3269s|title=TimesTalks: Hasan Minhaj}}
Personal life and family
Minhaj is a Muslim with liberal Islamic beliefs and considers himself "non-dogmatic."{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/28/864313818/hasan-minhaj-on-faith-and-seeking-answers | title=Hasan Minhaj on Faith and Seeking Answers : It's Been a Minute | website=NPR.org }}
In January 2015, Minhaj married his longtime partner Beena Patel, whom he met in college. Patel received a Doctor of Public Health in 2013, and has since worked with homeless patients and is a management consultant for MedAmerica. According to Minhaj in his comedy special, The King's Jester, he and his wife dated for ten years before he proposed to her. Minhaj and Patel are both second-generation Indian Americans; she is a Hindu of Gujarati descent, and he is a Muslim of Uttar Pradeshi descent, something he discussed in his comedy special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}
Minhaj and Patel lived in New York City until the pandemic, but have since moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.{{cite news|last1=Kaufman|first1=Joanne|title=A 'Daily Show' Correspondent Adjusts to Life in New York|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/realestate/a-daily-show-correspondent-adjusts-to-life-new-york.html|access-date=May 25, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=December 16, 2016}}{{cite web |title=Your Mom's House Podcast - Ep.594 w/ Hasan Minhaj |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4-ITS-Suqs&list=PL-i3EV1v5hLd9H1p2wT5ZD8alEY0EmxYD&index=53&ab_channel=YourMomsHousePodcast |website=YouTube |access-date=27 March 2022 |date=March 10, 2021}} They have a daughter (born April 2018)[https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh5bM9XAlRO/ Hasan Minhaj]. Instagram. Retrieved on April 23, 2018. and a son (born February 2020).{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B975KIApF3g/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B975KIApF3g |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Hasan Minhaj on Instagram: "Even in these crazy times there are so many beautiful moments. Welcome to the world little guy. The Minhaj family grows, and according to..."|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2020-03-20}}{{cbignore}}
Minhaj has spoken about his and his wife's struggle to conceive. After his wife convinced him to go to a fertility clinic, it was determined the issue was with his fertility rather than hers. Minhaj underwent a varicocele repair procedure, after discovering there was too much blood in his scrotum. The couple was able to have two children.{{cite web | first=Georgia |last=Slater |date=September 21, 2021 |url=https://people.com/parents/hasan-minhaj-reveals-he-and-wife-fetility-problems-for-years/ | title=Hasan Minhaj Reveals He and His Wife Had Fertility Problems for Years |website=People}}{{cite web |first=Annie |last=Martin |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2021/09/21/Hasan-Minhaj-fertility-struggles/4881632230986/ |title=Hasan Minhaj shares fertility struggles on 'Tonight Show' after son's birth |work=United Press International |date=September 21, 2021 }}
In addition to English, Minhaj is fluent in both major registers (Hindi and Urdu) of the Hindustani language.{{cite news|last1=Arora|first1=Priya|title=Comedian Hasan Minhaj on 'Homecoming King' and the Power of Storytelling|url=http://www.india.com/arts-and-culture/comedian-hasan-minhaj-on-homecoming-king-and-the-power-of-storytelling-683559/|access-date=May 23, 2017|work=India.com|date=November 6, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Rao|first1=Mallika|title=Hasan Minhaj Took a Job No One Wanted|date=May 25, 2017|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/hasan-minhaj-took-a-job-no-one-wanted.html|publisher=Vulture|access-date=15 August 2017}} He is a fan of the Sacramento Kings, having grown up nearby. His son had a Kings-themed first birthday party, and he has considered becoming part-owner of the team.{{cite web | last=Drab | first=Marina | title=Hasan Minhaj considered becoming 'extreme minority owner' of Kings | website=Sactown Royalty | date=2022-05-04 | url=https://www.sactownroyalty.com/2022/5/4/23056115/hasan-minhaj-considered-joining-kings-ownership-group | access-date=2022-12-28}} In October 2023, he criticized Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire.{{cite news |title=Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart, Oscar Isaac and More Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza and Israel: "Stand for Our Common Humanity" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/israel-hamas-war-andrew-garfield-oscar-isaac-more-call-for-ceasefire-joe-biden-1235623927/ |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=October 20, 2023}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2010
! scope="row"| True Stories from My Crappy Childhood | Himself | rowspan="4" | Short film |
| 2011
! scope="row"| Moving Takahashi | Grant |
| 2012
! scope="row"| Indian Spider-Man | Hasan Peter Patel |
| 2013
! scope="row"| Good Son | Doctor's son |
| 2017
! scope="row"| Rough Night | Joe | rowspan="3" | |
| rowspan="2" | 2018
! scope="row"| Most Likely to Murder | Amir |
| scope="row"| The Spy Who Dumped Me
| Topher Duffer |
| 2019
! scope="row"|Dads | Himself |
| rowspan="2" | 2023
! scope="row"|No Hard Feelings | Doug Khan | |
| scope="row"|Haunted Mansion
| Police sketch artist | |
| rowspan="2" | 2024
! scope="row"|Babes | Marty | |
| scope="row"|It Ends with Us
| Marshall | |
| 2025
! scope="row"|Tron: Ares |Ajay Patel | Post-production |
=Television=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | 2010
! scope="row"| The Wanda Sykes Show | WMZ Staffer | Episode: "1.8" |
| scope="row"| The Legend of Neil
| Lynel 2 / Lynel | 2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" | 2011
! scope="row"| Disaster Date | Himself | 18 episodes |
| scope="row"| State of Georgia
| Seth | 5 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2013
! scope="row"| Arrested Development | Indian Medical Student | Episode: "A New Start" |
| scope="row"| Getting On
| Raul | Episode: "Nightshift" |
| scope="row"| Failosophy
| Himself (host) | 12 episodes |
| 2014–18
! scope="row"| The Daily Show | Himself (correspondent) | 103 episodes |
| 2016
! scope="row"| Radio and Television Correspondents' Dinner{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUymQKZqP6w|title=Hasan Minhaj at 2016 RTCA Dinner (C-SPAN)|last=C-SPAN|date=16 June 2016|access-date=7 January 2020|via=YouTube}} | rowspan="2" | Himself (host) | rowspan="2" | TV special |
| rowspan="2" | 2017
! scope="row"| White House Correspondents' Dinner |
| scope="row"| Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King
| Himself | Stand-up special |
| rowspan="4" | 2018
! scope="row"| Champions | Ro | Episode: "My Fair Uncle" |
| scope="row"| The Final Table
| Guest judge | Episode: "India" |
| scope="row" | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
| Himself (guest) | Episode: "Nobody Cries At A Joke" |
| scope="row" | Goatface
| Himself | Comedy Central special |
| 2018–20
! scope="row"| Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | Himself (host) | 40 episodes; also co-creator, writer, executive producer |
| 2021
! scope="row" | The Morning Show | Eric | Recurring role (season 2) |
| rowspan="2" | 2022
! scope="row"| Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester | Himself | Stand-up special |
| scope="row"| Celebrity Jeopardy!
| Himself | Contestant |
| rowspan="2" |2023
! scope="row"| The Daily Show{{Cite web |title=The Daily Show Guest Host Lineup |url=https://www.cc.com/topic/the-daily-show-guest-hosts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127133615/https://www.cc.com/topic/the-daily-show-guest-hosts |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Comedy Central |language=en}} | Himself (guest host) | 4 episodes (week of Feb 27) |
| scope="row"| 38th Independent Spirit Awards
|Himself (host) | Television special |
| rowspan="2" |2024
! scope="row"| Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head |Himself |Stand-up special |
| Good One: A Show About Jokes
|Himself |Mike Birbiglia documentary |
=Podcasts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role |
|---|
| 2022
! scope="row"| Batman Unburied |
| 2023
! scope="row"| The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark |
| 2024
![https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE6linSnhLs0dd6APJS0_u12PLhQoRXD3&si=EYf9V6R2TgYco2Vp Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know] |Host |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Voice |
|---|
| 2014
! scope="row"| Far Cry 4 | Rabi Ray Rana (voice) |
Awards and nominations
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
- {{IMDb name|3653778}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Biography |portal2=Comedy |portal3=Politics |portal4=Television |portal5=United States |portal6=California |commons=yes |commons-search=Category:Hasan Minhaj |q=yes |d=yes |d-search=Q18348652}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minhaj, Hasan}}
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male comedians
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male actors of Indian descent
Category:American comedians of Indian descent
Category:American stand-up comedians
Category:Muslim male comedians
Category:Muslims from California
Category:Comedians from California
Category:Male actors from California
Category:The New Yorker people
Category:Peabody Award winners
Category:University of California, Davis alumni
Category:People from Davis, California