Sam Jay

comedy powerhouse, Emmy-nominated writer, was the first Black lesbian SNL writer, HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, Peacock's Bust Down

  • Comedian and Emmy-nominated writer, whose signature spin on comedy is about breaking barriers and opening minds. Her first HBO comedy special SALUTE ME OR SHOOT ME is out now
  • After years of working in an office and as a music manager, she performed her first stand-up comedy routine in 2012. In 2017, she joined the writing staff of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for three seasons, becoming the first black lesbian writer in the show's history. She co-wrote the "Black Jeopardy" sketch
  • In 2018, she performed stand-up on Netflix's THE COMEDY LINEUP and starred in a half-hour stand-up special for COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS. Her first stand-up comedy release was DONNA'S DAUGHTER (2018), which was made available as audio only. Her first Netflix stand-up comedy special 3 IN THE MORNING (2020) was filmed at The Masquerade in Atlanta, and received acclaim. Her other work includes appearances on FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS (2021–2022) and TAKE MY WIFE (2016–2018), and stand-up performances on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! and at the 2017 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival
  • She co-wrote and starred in HBO series PAUSE WITH SAM JAY that premiered in 2021 for a two-season run, alongside INSECURE showrunner Prentice Penny. The show was a fresh take on the traditional late-night talk show format, where Jay used her platform to plunge into the cultural issues and inspire conversations. Next, she co-created and co-starred in comedy series BUST DOWN on Peacock (2022). She recently appeared in Kenya Barris’ Netflix film YOU PEOPLE (2023)
  • She struggles with Lupus, an inflammatory disease, and was inspired to invest in new business Earth Club Market
  • She was born in Atlanta, and grew up in Boston. She is recently engaged to interior designer Yanise Monet
  • Comedian and Emmy-nominated writer, whose signature spin on comedy is about breaking barriers and opening minds. Her first HBO comedy special SALUTE ME OR SHOOT ME is out now
  • After years of working in an office and as a music manager, she performed her first stand-up comedy routine in 2012. In 2017, she joined the writing staff of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for three seasons, becoming the first black lesbian writer in the show's history. She co-wrote the "Black Jeopardy" sketch
  • In 2018, she performed stand-up on Netflix's THE COMEDY LINEUP and starred in a half-hour stand-up special for COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS. Her first stand-up comedy release was DONNA'S DAUGHTER (2018), which was made available as audio only. Her first Netflix stand-up comedy special 3 IN THE MORNING (2020) was filmed at The Masquerade in Atlanta, and received acclaim. Her other work includes appearances on FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS (2021–2022) and TAKE MY WIFE (2016–2018), and stand-up performances on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! and at the 2017 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival
  • She co-wrote and starred in HBO series PAUSE WITH SAM JAY that premiered in 2021 for a two-season run, alongside INSECURE showrunner Prentice Penny. The show was a fresh take on the traditional late-night talk show format, where Jay used her platform to plunge into the cultural issues and inspire conversations. Next, she co-created and co-starred in comedy series BUST DOWN on Peacock (2022). She recently appeared in Kenya Barris’ Netflix film YOU PEOPLE (2023)
  • She struggles with Lupus, an inflammatory disease, and was inspired to invest in new business Earth Club Market
  • She was born in Atlanta, and grew up in Boston. She is recently engaged to interior designer Yanise Monet
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Stand-up comic, actor, and Emmy-nominated writer SAM JAY has most recently been seen as the host of her weekly late night series HBO’S PAUSE WITH SAM JAY on which she also served as executive producer. In late 2024, Sam released her second stand up special to rave review as well as a NAACP Image Awards Nomination for her HBO special SAM JAY: SALUTE ME OR SHOOT ME, currently streaming on Max. Previously she debuted her first one-hour stand up special SAM JAY: 3 IN THE MORNING on Netflix in 2020. 
 
Sam made her feature film debut in her stand out role opposite Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the Kenya Barris-directed feature film, YOU PEOPLE, now streaming on Netflix. She starred and executive produced the Peacock series BUST DOWN, which she co-created with co-stars Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, and Chris Redd. Sam is a two-time Emmy nominee and WGA award nominee for her writing on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In 2018, she wrote for** The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards **and the **MTV Movie & TV Awards, **and in 2020 she wrote for the BET Awards. Sam was named as one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2018, and a Comedy Central Comic to Watch in 2015. 
 
In 2023, Sam was named a BET Her Awards Pride Honoree. Sam was featured both on and off camera as the “Voice of God” announcer at the 2022 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC. Earlier in the same year, Sam recorded a set as part of Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, along with Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Billy Eichner, and Eddie Izzard—now streaming on Netflix.. In 2019, Sam made her Netflix debut on The Comedy Lineup and released her album Donna’s Daughter through Comedy Central Records. In 2017, Sam was a standout of the Just For Laughs: New Faces showcase; made her late night debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!; and released her Comedy Central Presents half hour to rave reviews. Sam has performed internationally at comedy clubs and festivals including the Vodafone Dublin Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Festival, 208 Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Portland’s Bridgetown Festival, The Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival, Boston’s Women In Comedy Festival, among others.
 
Sam’s TV credits include her hosting role on Ricking Morty, the Rick and Morty post-show on Adult Swim. Additional TV credits include The Eric Andre Show; HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che; MTV’s SafeWord; a recurring role on TV Land’s Nobodies; Starz’s Take My Wife, Comedy Central’s White FlightCrank YankersThe Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and Broad City; and Viceland’s Party Legends and Flophouse
  
Sam is originally from Boston and currently resides in New York.

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