''Comedy Central Roast'' is a series of
celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in spor ...
roast
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...
specials that air on the American television channel
Comedy Central. The first official ''Comedy Central Roast'' premiered on August 10, 2003. On average one or two roasts air every year. There are eight to ten people invited who roast each other before finally roasting the title subject of each show. As of 2019, seventeen roasts have aired. Targets of roasts have included musicians, actors and comedians. Since 2010, Comedy Central affiliates outside the United States have occasionally produced their own roasts; twelve such roasts have aired so far, in five countries.
History
Between 1998 and 2002, the American television channel
Comedy Central produced and televised the annual roasts of the
New York Friars Club
The Friars Club is a private club in New York City. Famous for its risqué roasts, the club's membership is composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. Founded in 1904, it is located at 57 East 55th Street, between Park Avenue and Ma ...
, which have been conducted since 1950.
*1998 –
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, he gained stardom in his own sitcom, '' The Drew Carey Show'', an ...
, roastmaster
Ryan Stiles
Ryan Lee Stiles (born April 22, 1959) is an American-Canadian actor, comedian, and producer whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his work on the original British series and American version of '' Wh ...
*1999 –
Jerry Stiller, roastmaster
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' ...
*2000 –
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performa ...
, roastmaster
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in ''Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in ''T ...
*2001 –
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
, roastmaster
Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, ...
*2002 –
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, roastmaster
Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both ''Late Ni ...
After the original five-year agreement expired, the network began producing its own roasts in the same spirit. The first, featuring roastee
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
(and produced by Leary's production company, Apostle), aired on August 10, 2003, and was the most watched program in the channel's history, excluding episodes of ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...
''.
Some roastees have stated that certain topics are off limits.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997).
Ander ...
, for example, prohibited jokes about her
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, ...
infection.
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...
disallowed jokes about her daughter
Melissa
Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey".
''Melissa'' also refers to the plant '' ...
,
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...
asked that the death of his wife not be mentioned, and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
prohibited jokes about him not being as wealthy as he claims he is. Others, like
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on '' The Yo ...
, have imposed no limits on the topics. Although
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
initially agreed to no restrictions on his roast, he later said during an interview with
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...
that he requested jokes about his mother be edited out of the broadcast.
During Sheen's roast,
Steve-O
Stephen Gilchrist Glover (born June 13, 1974), known professionally as Steve-O, is an American entertainer, television personality, stunt performer and YouTuber. His career is mostly centered on his performance stunts in the reality comedy tel ...
made the joke "The last time this many nobodies were at a roast, at least Great White was playing". This was a reference to
The Station nightclub fire in
West Warwick, Rhode Island
West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census.
West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
that killed 100 people on February 20, 2003. It was removed from broadcast on Steve-O's request.
During
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
's roast,
Lenny Clarke, a friend of Leary's, said there was a carton of cigarettes backstage from
Bill Hicks
William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
with the message, "Wish I had gotten these to you sooner." This joke was cut from the final broadcast. During
Roseanne Barr's roast,
Jeff Ross compared fellow roaster
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green ( ''né'' Gesshel-Green; born February 8, 1974) is an American actor, producer, and writer. Green's film debut came with a role in the comedy-drama film '' The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984), and he went on to have supportin ...
to
James Holmes, the mass murderer responsible for the
2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting
On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, United States, during a midnight screening of the film ''The Dark Knight Rises''. Dressed in tactical clothing, James Holmes set off tear gas g ...
. The joke was not in the broadcast program.
Roasts
Recurring roasters
The table below features any roasters who have appeared on multiple ''Comedy Central Roasts''. As of the Alec Baldwin roast, the most frequent roaster has been
Jeff Ross, who has appeared in all but the first two roasts, for a total of 15, and has yet to be a roastmaster.
Greg Giraldo has the second-most appearances, with a total of eight roasts from 2005 until his death in 2010 (nine including the 2002
New York Friars Club
The Friars Club is a private club in New York City. Famous for its risqué roasts, the club's membership is composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. Founded in 1904, it is located at 57 East 55th Street, between Park Avenue and Ma ...
roast of Chevy Chase). ,
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series '' Family Guy'' (since 1999) and '' The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creat ...
has served as roastmaster three times, making him the most used roastmaster.
: Scheduled performer
: Performer who made a surprise appearance
:
RM Indicates a roastmaster
:
O Indicates performer's own roast
Venues
The following table features the venues where multiple ''Comedy Central Roasts'' were filmed. As of the Alec Baldwin roast, the
Sony Pictures Studios
The Sony Pictures Studios is an American television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard (south), Washington Boulevard (north), Overland Avenue (west) and ...
in
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...
has hosted the most roasts, namely the roasts of Pamela Anderson, David Hasselhoff, Charlie Sheen, Justin Bieber, and Rob Lowe.
Cancelled roasts
In 2008, a roast for the musician
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...
was planned to coincide with the release of his box set, ''
One Hell of a Ride'', but was ultimately cancelled, according to Jeff Ross.
A roast for the musician
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician ...
was announced in November 2010 and scheduled for January 2011, but was later replaced by the Donald Trump roast. Rock's roast was rescheduled for August 2011, but was replaced again, this time by Charlie Sheen's roast.
Kid Rock agreed to doing the roast if it were filmed in his hometown of
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, a condition that Comedy Central refused.
International
The following roasts aired on international Comedy Central channels:
Comedy Central New Zealand:
* Comedian
Mike King, on December 15, 2010. Willy de Wit was the roastmaster.
* Rugby player
Murray Mexted
Murray Graham Mexted (born 5 September 1953) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played 34 consecutive tests for the All Blacks from 1979 to 1985. He also played 38 non-test games including 7 as captain. During his time with the All B ...
, on September 7, 2011.
Comedy Central Africa:
* Singer
Steve Hofmeyr, on September 24, 2012.
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah (born 20 February 1984) is a South African-born comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and former television host. He was the host of ''The Daily Show'', an American late-night talk show and satirical news progra ...
was the roastmaster.
* Businessman
Kenny Kunene, on April 28, 2014.
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...
was the roastmaster.
* Actor
Somizi Mhlongo
Somizi Buyani Mhlongo (born 23 December 1972) is a South African media personality, television presenter, actor and choreographer. In 1992, he appeared on the musical and political film, '' Sarafina!'' which gained him prominence. Mhlongo becam ...
, on May 7, 2018.
Gareth Cliff
Gareth Rhydal Cliff (born 26 August 1977) is a South African radio and television personality. He began his professional radio career at 702, and later became the host of the breakfast show on 5FM. During his career at 5FM, his show included a f ...
was the roastmaster.
* Rapper
AKA, on February 21, 2019.
Pearl Thusi
Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi (born 13 May 1988) is a South African actress, model, and presenter. She is known for her roles as Patricia Kopong in the BBC/ HBO comedy-drama series ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'', Dayana Mampasi in the A ...
was the roastmaster.
* Entertainer
Khanyi Mbau
Khanyisile Mbau born 15 October 1985 known professionally as Khanyi Mbau, is a South African actress, musician, television presenter and socialite. Raised in Soweto, Mbau received recognition as the second Doobsie in the 1997 SABC 2 soap opera ' ...
, on August 8, 2022.
Mpho Popps
Mpho Skeef (pronounced /mpʰo skʲɪəf/), known by her stage name of Mpho, is a South African-born British singer-songwriter based in London.
Early and personal life
Skeef was born during the Apartheid in South Africa, apartheid regime in Sou ...
was the roastmaster.
Comedy Central Latin America:
* Actor
Héctor Suárez
Héctor Suárez Hernández (; 21 October 19382 June 2020) was a Mexican actor, comedian, director and also CTO of Hatch. He appeared in about a hundred films and television shows in a career that spanned 60 years. He was noted for satirizing tho ...
, on May 18, 2013.
Héctor Suárez Gomís
Héctor Suárez Gomís (born December 6, 1968) is a Mexican actor and former singer. Formerly known as Héctor Suárez Jr. and Héctor Suárez hijo, he is the son of Héctor Suárez, who was also an actor and of Pepita Gomís a television host.
C ...
was the roastmaster.
Comedy Central Spain
Comedy Central is a channel available in Spain through satellite platform Digital+, ADSL TV Movistar TV, Orange TV and cable services. It is owned by Paramount Global.
Comedy Central was launched in March 1999. Originally, it shared the dial with c ...
:
* Filmmaker
Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura Silva (born 17 July 1965) is a Spanish filmmaker and actor. He also worked to a lesser extent as a television presenter, voice actor and comic book writer, as well as being a collector of original comic books.
At 12, he began ...
, on May 14, 2014. Alex O'Dogherty was the roastmaster.
* TV Presenter
El Gran Wyoming
José Miguel Monzón Navarro (15 May 1955, Madrid), better known as El Gran Wyoming (''The Great Wyoming''), Wyoming or Guayo, is a Spanish television presenter, actor, musician, director and humorist.
He graduated in Medicine and was a doct ...
, on July 12, 2015.
Andreu Buenafuente
Andreu Buenafuente Moreno (born: January 24, 1965) is a Spanish Late night television, late night show host and founder of the group El Terrat. He has worked in TV3 (Catalonia), TV3, Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3, laSexta and Cero (TV channel), #0 ...
was the roastmaster.
* Comedian
José Mota, on February 24, 2019.
Anabel Alonso was the roastmaster.
Comedy Central Netherlands
Comedy Central is a Dutch pay television channel based on the American channel of the same name. The channel is available on cable, digital terrestrial, IPTV, and satellite operators in the Netherlands. It broadcasts many imports as well as orig ...
:
* Singer
Gordon
Gordon may refer to:
People
* Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters
* Gordon (surname), the surname
* Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War
* Clan Gordon, ...
, on December 20, 2016.
Jörgen Raymann was the roastmaster.
* Radio DJ
Giel Beelen
Michiel Antonius Adrianus Beelen (born 25 May 1977 in Haarlem), better known as Giel Beelen, is a Dutch radio DJ and presenter, working primarily for public broadcaster VARA. Since 2004 Beelen hosted his own breakfast show ''GIEL!'' on national ra ...
, on December 13, 2017. Gijs Staverman was the roastmaster.
* Actor
Johnny de Mol
John Carel "Johnny" de Mol (born 12 January 1979 in Laren) is a Dutch actor and presenter. He is the son of John de Mol Jr. and Willeke Alberti
Willeke Alberti (born 3 February 1945) (real name: Willy Albertina Verbrugge) is a Dutch singer a ...
, on December 18, 2018.
Jeroom Snelders
Jeroom Snelders (born 1977) is a Belgium, Belgian cartoonist and comics artist, who is frequently published in the magazine ''HUMO, Humo''. He studied graphic design at St. Lucas in Ghent, where one of his teachers was Ever Meulen. He has publis ...
was the roastmaster.
* Rapper
Ali B
Ali Bouali, known professionally as Ali B (born 16 October 1981), is a Dutch-Moroccan rapper. He is one of the most well known rappers in the Netherlands and he has performed together with Akon and Dutch artist Marco Borsato. In 2007 he made an ...
, on December 17, 2019. Sanne Wallis de Vries was the roastmaster.
* Magician
Hans Klok
Johannes Franciscus Catharinus "Hans" Klok (born 22 February 1969) is a Dutch magician, illusionist and actor.
Biography
Hans Klok was born in Purmerend, Netherlands. On his tenth birthday, he received a magic set as a present and began perfo ...
, on December 21, 2021. Henry van Loon was the roastmaster.
* Singer
Famke Louise
Famke Jantina Louise Meijer (born 9 December 1998), better known as Famke Louise, is a Dutch YouTuber, model and singer from Amsterdam. She took part in the 19th season of the Dutch television series '' Expeditie Robinson''.
Life and career ...
, on January 16, 2023. Dolf Jansen was the roastmaster.
Awards and nominations
See also
* ''
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast
''The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' is a series of television specials hosted by entertainer Dean Martin and airing from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin and his friends would "roast" a celebrity. The roasts were patter ...
''
* ''
A Comedy Roast''
*''
Historical Roasts'', a spin-off series on Netflix
*
Roast Battle
''Roast Battle'' is a British roast comedy show that is broadcast on Comedy Central. The show is hosted by Jimmy Carr and features comedians facing each other in roast battles.
The show was created by American comedians Jeff Ross and Brian Moses ...
Notes
References
External links
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{{Comedy Central programming
2000s American comedy television series
2003 American television series debuts
2010s American comedy television series
American annual television specials
Comedy Central Roasts
Comedy Central original programming
English-language television shows
Roast (comedy)