Famous Comedians

White worked through the rise of television from live local broadcasts to modern sitcoms, combining comic performance with early production leadership.

A restless critic of language, religion and American politics who remade himself from a clean-cut television comic into a counterculture icon. He died on June 22, 2008, aged 71.

Rivers carried a direct, rapid-fire comic style from clubs to television and made space for women in formats long dominated by men.

A disciplined perfectionist who turned physical comedy into an art form and proved a woman could run a Hollywood studio. She died on April 26, 1989, aged 77.

A fearless, autobiographical storyteller who turned his own hard life and the realities of race in America into comedy that reached a mass audience. He died on December 10, 2005, aged 65.

A hyperkinetic improviser whose comic energy was matched by unusual dramatic depth and warmth. He died on August 11, 2014, aged 63.

Steve Martin is an American comedian, actor, writer and musician. He remains a star and co-creator of Only Murders in the Building.

Carol Burnett is an American comedian, actor and writer known for The Carol Burnett Show. Her recent screen work includes Palm Royale.

Fey built a career that joins sketch comedy, sitcom writing, performance, and production. Her work often turns the pressures of workplaces and popular culture into character-driven humor.

Trevor Noah’s career connects stand-up storytelling, satirical television, books and interviews. His memoir Born a Crime brings his South African upbringing to readers around the world.