EXCLUSIVE: Brooklyn-based comedian, writer, and podcaster Hari Kondabolu has signed with ColorCreative for management and IAG for agency representation.
Cited by the New York Times as “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today,” Kondabolu has released specials including Vacation Baby (2023), which can be found streaming on Hulu, and Warn Your Relatives (2018) for Netflix, which was named to “Best Of” lists by the likes of Time, Paste Magazine, Cosmopolitan, E! Online, and Mashable. Previously, he’s also put out two comedy albums, Waiting for 2042 and Mainstream American Comic, with indie rock label Kill Rock Stars.
Early in his career, Kondabolu gained profile as a writer and correspondent on the Chris Rock-produced FX show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, with additional appearances on late-night staples including The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He subsequently went on to make a major mark on the pop culture conversation with The Problem with Apu, a 2017 truTV doc looking closely at The Simpsons character of Apu, as a means of critiquing cultural stereotyping, as well as onscreen racial representation, more broadly. Known for using humor to challenge assumptions around race, immigration, inequality and identity, his film sparked a global dialogue and continues to be implemented as an educational tool at high schools, colleges, and grad schools across the country.
A former immigrant-rights organizer, Kondabolu co-hosted the Netflix food competition show Snack vs. Chef with Megan Stalter in 2022. Seen at festivals like Just for Laughs and Edinburgh Fringe, he’s also a regular on public radio who’s frequently paneled on the NPR game show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.
Currently, Kondabolu is writing his first book — a memoir and collection of essays for Phoebe Robinson’s Tiny Reparations Books imprint with Penguin Random House. He continues to be represented by Yorn Levine.
In a statement on the signing, Raj Raghavan, ColorCreative’s Co-Head of Talent told us, “Hari is provocative, smart, and above all, funny. We are so excited about this new team, as he continues to share his uniquely hilarious insights with the world.”
This story originated as part of Deadline’s Comedy Means Business newsletter. Sign up here.
The post Comedian & Writer Hari Kondabolu Inks With IAG And ColorCreative appeared first on Deadline.
