Jo Firestone
Firestone in 2022
Born
Joanna Firestone

(1986-12-08) December 8, 1986 (age 37)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Alma materWesleyan University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
  • writer
Years active2010–present

Joanna Firestone (born December 8, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]

Firestone is currently based in Brooklyn.[4] She is a childhood friend of pastry chef Claire Saffitz.[5]

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, 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.[6]

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,[7] demonstrating products from the New York Toy Fair,[8] and appearing in other sketches opposite host Jimmy Fallon.[9]

Firestone portrayed the character Sarah Conner, a band teacher, on Joe Pera Talks with You, which aired during Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.[10] 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.[11]

In 2023, Firestone appeared on the show What We Do In The Shadows as a member on the council of energy vampires.[12]

In 2023, she was also named the head writer of After Midnight.[13]

Live performance

With Dylan Marron, Firestone wrote, performed in, and directed Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite,[14] which received a Capital Fringe Festival Director's Award in 2010.[15]

Firestone has performed at the UCB Theater in Manhattan, and around New York City.[16][17] 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."[18]

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.[19][20] She and her father Fred Firestone created the game Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers (published by Random House subsidiary Clarkson Potter, 2016).[21]

Firestone voice acts in The National Lampoon Radio Hour podcast.[22] She serves as the producer and senior writer along with Cole Escola.[23]

In February 2020, Firestone released the first episode of her podcast Everyday Decisions.[24] 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.[25] In March 2021, she made a guest appearance on the YouTube channel of her childhood friend Claire Saffitz.[26]

References

  1. ^ Rapa, Patrick, "Interview: Comedian Jo Firestone," PhillyMag.com, July 10, 2017
  2. ^ Sophomore, Louisa Goldman. "Clayton comic having too much pun in NYC". St. Louis Jewish Light. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ Gillerman, Margaret S. (19 Mar 2013). "Father-daughter duo from Clayton taking NY by puns". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ray Farris. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Jo Firestone Presents: Zoomin Girls - Livestream". Brooklyn Comedy Collective. 25 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  5. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IR3p0CxlLg
  6. ^ Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Jo Firestone, Season 1 Ep 6, 9/30/2017
  7. ^ Jimmy Fallon interviews U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (portrayed by Firestone) The Tonight Show, February 10, 2017
  8. ^ "Toy Fair Demo with Tonight Show Writer Jo Firestone," The Tonight Show, Feb. 25, 2017
  9. ^ "What to Buy with Jo Firestone: Barbarian Octopus Beanie", The Tonight Show, Oct. 12, 2017.
  10. ^ Adams, Erik (June 23, 2018). "Joe Pera Talks with You is the Adult Swim comedy that'll restore your soul". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  11. ^ Olson, Matthew (June 29, 2018). "Joe Pera Will Cure What Ails You". Digg. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  12. ^ Khosla, Proma (2023-07-28). "Colin Robinson Takes Center Stage Among Comedy All-Stars in 'What We Do in the Shadows'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  13. ^ Porter, Rick (November 1, 2023). "CBS' 'Late Late Show' Replacement 'After Midnight' Names Host, Creative Team". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Funny Times At Ridgefield Middle School". C.A.P.S.Love. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  15. ^ Ramanathan, Stephanie Merry and Lavanya (2011-07-06). "The Capital Fringe Festival Preview: What to See". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  16. ^ Love, Matthew, "10 Comedians You Need to Know", Rolling Stone, June 6, 2017
  17. ^ Kozell, Isaac, "Talking Standup, Alone Time, and Why Comedy Is Bullshit with Jo Firestone," SplitSider.com, September 29, 2017
  18. ^ Gordon, Arielle, "Jo Firestone talks new comedy LP, the return of her podcast, Will Butler & more in BV interview," Brooklyn Vegan, September 5, 2017
  19. ^ "Dr. Gameshow with Jo Firestone". WFMU.
  20. ^ "Dr. Gameshow | Podcasts". Maximum Fun. March 7, 2019.
  21. ^ "Punderdome by Jo Firestone, Fred Firestone: 9781101905654 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com.
  22. ^ "The National Lampoon Radio Hour to Feature All Your Favorite Comedy Babies", September. 19, 2019
  23. ^ ""Lampoon Radio Hour Home Page"".
  24. ^ "Everyday Decisions with Jo Firestone on Stitcher".
  25. ^ "Episode 115- Jo Firestone's Introduction to the Mafia" – via www.youtube.com.
  26. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IR3p0CxlLg&ab_channel=ClaireSaffitzxDessertPerson Claire Saffitz Makes St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake ft. Jo Firestone, March 4, 2021

External links