Jen Kober: Positively Hick

October 6, 2024

Photo Credit

Joanna DeGeneres

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When this week’s guest says she’s in one episode of every TV show you’re not watch­ing”, it’s a bit of a stretch. By which I mean, Jen Kober has been on many shows that many, many peo­ple have seen: Dead to Me, Right­eous Gem­stones, The Man­dalo­ri­an, Amer­i­can Hor­ror Sto­ry, to name a few. Act­ing was her first pas­sion, and she seems to be hav­ing her cake and eat­ing it too (in a closet).

Getting hooked on standup at the young age of 16

A good friend of Jen's lived in New Orleans and on a visit, they went to Nick Castrogiovanni's bar (as one does in The Big Easy) and her friends signed Jen up for an open mic at the back of the bar. Being wholly unprepared, Jen leaned into what she knows best - her family -- and told a harrowing tale of overhearing her parents in the throes of... well, you know. She really was hooked - she continued standup through college and continued working, then touring until moving to Los Angeles.

When I got big laughs from some­thing I said, I was hooked.
Jen Kober
Staying positive

One could say that Kober is of the "get knocked down, get back up again" mindset, but she's spent a tremendous amount of time ensuring she instead stays standing. Starting out doing 5 comedy shows a night, 5 days a week, at (the former) Downtown Disney's Comedy Warehouse will absolutely build those muscles, giving Kober the confidence needed to survive the next 5 years, which often found her living in her car.

I get to do what I love. I love doing this. I love mak­ing peo­ple laugh. I love get­ting to cre­ate things and be silly
Jen Kober
Landing a role in Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple

Kober has been a rotating lead, in the footsteps of someone we're very familiar with here at CW, Mr. Brad Williams, who was resident through the show's first year. "What a what a fantastically funny person and a kind, amazing human being," Kober praises, and, of the show: "I get to come up out of the floor!"

It’s very bizarre to me, the sort of twists and turns and things that I get to do, but because I love what I do, it does­n’t feel like work
Jen Kober
Her experience recording and releasing her latest special, No Flies on Me

Filmed at Brad Garrett's club at MGM Grand, the sets were initially recorded with a crafted theme for a project that didn't come to life. Kober had a front row seat to Garrett's generosity, as the professionally shot material was hers to do with as she pleased. Thanks to that footage, plus the support of 800 Pound Gorilla, the special is now available at jenkober.com!

He just gave us our spe­cials to do with what we liked, yeah, which is just unheard of and incred­i­bly kind
Jen Kober
Find out more

Fol­low Jen

Jen can be seen and heard:

  • No Flies on Me — Com­e­dy Spe­cial (cur­rent­ly avail­able on Jen’s website)
  • Cirque du Soleil’s MAD APPLE, New York — New York Casino
    • Octo­ber 10 — 142024 
    • Octo­ber 17 — 212024
    • Returns Novem­ber 2025!
  • One Hick Won­der Tour kicks off this fall!
    • Check out her web­site for all the tour dates in between, includ­ing Antarctica!!
    • March 3 to April 6, 2025 — Brad Gar­ret­t’s Club, Las Vegas
    • March 2025 — New Braunfels
  • Bitchin’ Over Bis­cuits Podcast
  • Watch her in The Man­dalo­ri­an, Dead to Me, Hacks, and sooo much more!
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Jen Kober