Jo Firestone

{{infobox person

| image = JoFirestone-byPhilipRomano.jpg

| caption = Firestone in 2022

| birth_name = Joanna Firestone

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|12|8}}

| birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Actress
comedian
writer}}

| alma_mater = Wesleyan University

| years_active = 2010–present

}}

Joanna Firestone (born December 8, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer.[http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2017/07/10/interview-comedian-jo-firestone/ Rapa, Patrick, "Interview: Comedian Jo Firestone,"] PhillyMag.com, July 10, 2017 She played Sarah Conner on the television series Joe Pera Talks with You.

Biography

Joanna Firestone was born in 1986 to Jewish parents Fred and Marilyn Firestone.{{cite web |last1=Sophomore |first1=Louisa Goldman |title=Clayton comic having too much pun in NYC |url=https://www.stljewishlight.com/special_sections/ohr_chadash/clayton-comic-having-too-much-pun-in-nyc/article_48d02ab4-dbd8-11e3-bcec-0019bb2963f4.html |website=St. Louis Jewish Light |accessdate=22 April 2020 |archive-date=4 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304223613/https://www.stljewishlight.com/special_sections/ohr_chadash/clayton-comic-having-too-much-pun-in-nyc/article_48d02ab4-dbd8-11e3-bcec-0019bb2963f4.html |url-status=dead }} She has a brother, Ben Firestone, who works in commercial real estate. She grew up in Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She graduated from Clayton High School and later Wesleyan University in Connecticut, with a degree in theatre.{{cite news |last1=Gillerman |first1=Margaret S. |title=Father-daughter duo from Clayton taking NY by puns |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/father-daughter-duo-from-clayton-taking-ny-by-puns/article_5d3e21b3-9cc2-5999-8bc9-784f522db481.html |accessdate=22 April 2020 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |publisher=Ray Farris |date=19 Mar 2013}}

Firestone is currently based in Brooklyn.{{Cite web|title=Jo Firestone Presents: Zoomin Girls - Livestream|url=https://www.brooklyncc.com/show-schedule/jo-firestone-livestream|access-date=2021-05-13|website=Brooklyn Comedy Collective|date=25 April 2020 |language=en-US}} She is a childhood friend of pastry chef Claire Saffitz.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IR3p0CxlLg | title=Claire Saffitz Makes St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake ft. Jo Firestone | Dessert Person | website=YouTube | date=4 March 2021 }}

Career

=Television work=

As an actress, Firestone has appeared in the TV programs Search Party, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Broad City, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CollegeHumor Originals, Boy Band, The Outs, Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, Animal Agent, High Maintenance, Jon Glaser Loves Gear, Thanksgiving, The Special Without Brett Davis, Shrill, The Great North and others.

Firestone was a consulting producer on 21 episodes of The Chris Gethard Show and performed in three episodes of the series. In 2017, Firestone performed stand-up on Comedy Central as part of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Jo Firestone.[https://web.archive.org/web/20171001135057/http://www.cc.com/episodes/hgsotu/comedy-central-stand-up-presents-jo-firestone-season-1-ep-108 Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Jo Firestone], Season 1 Ep 6, 9/30/2017

In the past, Firestone was a writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Special Without Brett Davis. She has also performed on the Tonight Show, portraying U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJDn-vkAi4 Jimmy Fallon interviews U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (portrayed by Firestone)] The Tonight Show, February 10, 2017 demonstrating products from the New York Toy Fair,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cCN41A5uKQ "Toy Fair Demo with Tonight Show Writer Jo Firestone,"] The Tonight Show, Feb. 25, 2017 and appearing in other sketches opposite host Jimmy Fallon.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU79mpoWbh8 "What to Buy with Jo Firestone: Barbarian Octopus Beanie"], The Tonight Show, Oct. 12, 2017.

Firestone portrayed the character Sarah Conner, a band teacher, on Joe Pera Talks with You, which aired during Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Erik|url=https://www.avclub.com/joe-pera-talks-with-you-is-the-adult-swim-comedy-that-l-1827064842|title=Joe Pera Talks with You is the Adult Swim comedy that'll restore your soul|website=The A.V. Club|date=June 23, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2018}} The character's name is an homage to the Terminator movies. On the show, Firestone's character is a doomsday prepper and Joe Pera's girlfriend.{{cite web|last=Olson|first=Matthew|url=http://digg.com/2018/joe-pera-talks-with-you-restorative-comedy|title=Joe Pera Will Cure What Ails You|work=Digg|date=June 29, 2018|accessdate=July 3, 2018}}

In 2023, Firestone appeared on the show What We Do In The Shadows as a member on the council of energy vampires.{{Cite web |last=Khosla |first=Proma |date=2023-07-28 |title=Colin Robinson Takes Center Stage Among Comedy All-Stars in 'What We Do in the Shadows' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-episode-4-the-campaign-review-spoilers-1234888101/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}

In 2023, she was named the head writer of After Midnight, for which she is also a co-executive producer.{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=November 1, 2023 |title=CBS' 'Late Late Show' Replacement 'After Midnight' Names Host, Creative Team |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-at-midnight-reboot-showrunners-head-writer-1235634557/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102005740/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-at-midnight-reboot-showrunners-head-writer-1235634557/ |url-status=live }}

= Live performance =

With Dylan Marron, Firestone wrote, performed in, and directed Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite,{{Cite news|date=2010-07-15|title=Funny Times At Ridgefield Middle School|language=en-US|work=C.A.P.S.Love.|url=https://capslove.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/funny-times-at-ridgefield-middle-school/|access-date=2018-03-28}} which received a Capital Fringe Festival Director's Award in 2010.{{Cite news|last=Ramanathan|first=Stephanie Merry and Lavanya|date=2011-07-06|title=The Capital Fringe Festival Preview: What to See|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-gurus/post/the-capital-fringe-festival-preview-what-to-see/2011/07/06/gIQAlVy80H_blog.html|access-date=2018-03-28|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en-US}}

Firestone has performed at the UCB Theater in Manhattan, and around New York City.[https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/lists/10-comedians-you-need-to-know-right-now-w485574/jo-firestone-w485579 Love, Matthew, "10 Comedians You Need to Know"], Rolling Stone, June 6, 2017[http://splitsider.com/2017/09/talking-standup-alone-time-and-why-comedy-is-bullshit-with-jo-firestone/ Kozell, Isaac, "Talking Standup, Alone Time, and Why Comedy Is Bullshit with Jo Firestone,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228171925/http://splitsider.com/2017/09/talking-standup-alone-time-and-why-comedy-is-bullshit-with-jo-firestone/ |date=2017-12-28 }} SplitSider.com, September 29, 2017 About stand-up gigs in "cellar clubs," Firestone explained, "Doing comedy in New York, I've been conditioned to thrive in basements. I'm not ready to do a comedy show until I go down a flight of stairs."[http://www.brooklynvegan.com/jo-firestone-talks-new-comedy-lp-the-return-of-her-podcast-will-butler-more-in-bv-interview/ Gordon, Arielle, "Jo Firestone talks new comedy LP, the return of her podcast, Will Butler & more in BV interview,"] Brooklyn Vegan, September 5, 2017

=Radio and podcasts=

Firestone is the host of the program Dr. Gameshow, which originated on WFMU radio and is now a podcast on the Maximum Fun network along with co-host Manolo Moreno.{{Cite web|url=http://wfmu.org/playlists/GM|title=Dr. Gameshow with Jo Firestone|website=WFMU}}{{Cite web|url=https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dr-gameshow/|title=Dr. Gameshow | Podcasts|date=March 7, 2019|website=Maximum Fun}} She and her father Fred Firestone created the game Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers (published by Random House subsidiary Clarkson Potter, 2016).{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533671/punderdome-by-by-daughter-father-duo-jo-and-fred-firestone-creators-of-punderdome-3000/9781101905654|title=Punderdome by Jo Firestone, Fred Firestone: 9781101905654 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books|website=PenguinRandomhouse.com}}

Firestone voice acts in The National Lampoon Radio Hour podcast.[https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/national-lampoon-radio-hour-podcast-cast-writers.html "The National Lampoon Radio Hour to Feature All Your Favorite Comedy Babies"], September. 19, 2019 She serves as the producer and senior writer along with Cole Escola.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationallampoon.com/podcasts/radio-hour/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129124102/https://www.nationallampoon.com/podcasts/radio-hour/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2020|title="Lampoon Radio Hour Home Page"}}

In February 2020, Firestone released the first episode of her podcast Everyday Decisions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stitcher.com/show/everyday-decisions-with-jo-firestone|title=Everyday Decisions with Jo Firestone on Stitcher}} Everyday Decisions is a comedy and personal stories podcast where Firestone interviews friends, family, and fellow comedians about the past 24 hours of their day.

In March 2020 Firestone went on comedian Mike Recine's podcast The Sitdown.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulcd-Z0dBj4|title=Episode 115- Jo Firestone's Introduction to the Mafia|website=YouTube |date=11 March 2020 |via=www.youtube.com}} In March 2021, she made a guest appearance on the YouTube channel of her childhood friend Claire Saffitz.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IR3p0CxlLg&ab_channel=ClaireSaffitzxDessertPerson Claire Saffitz Makes St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake ft. Jo Firestone, March 4, 2021

Author

In October 2023, Firestone self-published Murder on Sex Island: A Luella van Horn Mystery.{{cite web | url=http://www.jofirestone.com/new-page | title=Murder on Sex Island }}

References

External links

{{IMDb name|6847304}}
{{Official website|http://www.jofirestone.com}}
[https://www.avclub.com/game-loving-comic-jo-firestone-plays-a-wild-card-to-mak-1798163650 "Game-loving comic Jo Firestone plays a wild card to make Pick A Choice history"]

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:American stand-up comedians

Category:American television actresses

Category:American television writers

Category:American women comedians

Category:American women television writers

Category:Comedians from New York City

Category:Radio personalities from New York City

Category:21st-century American screenwriters

Category:21st-century American actresses