On this day in comedy on February 26, 1972, Comedian, Actor, Maziyar “Maz” Jobrani was born in Tehran, Iran.
Jobrani was part of the Middle-Eastern comedian boom that came to the forefront after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to bring a better understanding of the misunderstood culture in America. He adopted the nickname, The Persian Pink Panther and focused his material on race relations and tolerance. He took his stand-up act on the road with the touring group, “The Axis of Evil”. They were so popular they had a special on Comedy Central.
Funny is funny and with an ever-growing platform and fan base Jobrani could take advantage of other media opportunities. He’s appeared on the television shows: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Talkshow with Spike Feresten, Still Standing, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, The Colbert Report, Malcolm in the Middle, Whitney, The West Wing and CBS’s Superior Donuts (as a regular).
Jobrani has also racked up an impressive film resume in The Interpreter, Friday After Next and Dragonfly. He’s used radio to his advantage as well on NPR, WTF with Marc Maron and his own podcast, All Things Comedy.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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