Entertainment
The Funniest Alternative Comedians of All Time
This list contains information about the best alternative comedians, loosely ranked by user votes. The best alt comedians come in many forms. Some famous alternative comedians got their start at Largo in Los Angeles while other alternative stand-ups find the funny in absurd TV series. A few hilarious alternative comedians have gone on to become some of the most successful stand-ups in the world.
Who will you find on this top alternative comedians list? Patton Oswalt has to be at the top. Oswalt came up in the alternative comedy scene in the late-1990s. He later teamed-up with fellow alt-comics Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn, and Zach Galifianakis on the Comedians of Comedy Tour bringing their underground humor all over the country. Todd Barry is another hilarious comedian who emerged from the alt comedy scene.
In many ways – including hosting stand-up shows and booking alt-comics on her TV series – Sarah Silverman has helped countless alternative stand-up acts to get mainstream exposure. Other hilarious alternative comics featured on this list include Janeane Garofalo, Dana Gould, and David Cross.
Do you have a favorite alternative comedian? Give the best comics a thumbs up and share some of your favorite jokes in the comments section.
list ordered by
- Robert John Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. He is best known for his role as smooth-talking lawyer Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on the ...more
- David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Chappelle is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards and two ...more
- Zachary Knight Galifianakis (; born October 1, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and writer who came to prominence with his Comedy Central Presents special in 2001 and presented his own show ...more
- Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky, Yiddish: מעלווין קאמינסקי; June 28, 1926) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, and composer. He is known as a creator of broad film farces and comedic ...more
- Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City ...more
- John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for his work as a writer on Saturday Night Live and as a stand-up comedian ...more
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- Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer, actor, writer, and performance artist. While often called a comedian, Kaufman described himself instead as a ...more
- Patton Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He starred as Spence Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and narrated the sitcom The ...more
- Patrice Malcolm O'Neal (December 7, 1969 – November 29, 2011) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and radio host. He grew up in Boston and developed an interest in stand-up comedy at a young ...more
- David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show (1995–1999), and his role as ...more
- Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, voice artist, singer and writer. He is known for his work on the television programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live. ...more
- William Thomas Hader Jr. (born June 7, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, producer and director. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live (2005–2013), for which he has ...more
- 14Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night ...more
- Ricky Dene Gervais (born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, director and writer best known for co-creating, co-writing and acting in the British television mockumentary sitcom The Office ...more
- Maria Elizabeth Sheldon Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and voice actress. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and ...more
- Jack Black (born Thomas Jacob Black; August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, musician, songwriter, and media personality. His acting career has been extensive, starring primarily in comedy ...more
- Demetri Evan Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, director, cartoonist and musician. He was a contributor on The Daily Show. In stand-up, he is known for his deadpan delivery, ...more
- Eddie Izzard (born 7 February 1962) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime. Her ...more
- Mike Birbiglia (born June 20, 1978) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, producer and writer. He is a frequent contributor to This American Life and The Moth, and has released several ...more
- Louis Székely (born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, ...more
- Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Her comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics, including racism, sexism, homophobia, politics, ...more
- Brian Edmund Posehn (born July 6, 1966) is an American actor, voice actor, musician, writer, and comedian, known for his roles as Jim Kuback on The WB's Mission Hill and Brian Spukowski on Comedy ...more
- David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and automobile racing team owner. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, ...more
- Harry Jon Benjamin (born May 23, 1966) is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is known for voicing characters such as Sterling Archer in Archer; Bob Belcher in Bob's Burgers; Carl Graves ...more
