In the age of Netflix comedy specials, stand up comedy has never been bigger. Last Comic Standing ran from 2003 - 2010, then, after a hiatus, returned to air for two more seasons in 2014 and 2015. The show featured a diverse array of stand-up comics with multiple styles of comedy represented. The show turned several small-time nightclub comics into big names on par with some of the celebrity guest judges who would make appearances on the show. Comedians Alonzo Boden, Ralphie May, Todd Glass, Kathleen Madigan, Jim Norton, and several other now-popular comics can thank their time on the show for boosting their careers.
The show had multiple top-shelf comedians as judges, including Drew Carey, the controversial Roseanne Barr, Louie Anderson, Carrot Top, Norm MacDonald, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Jeffery Ross, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Hosts of the show included Saturday Night Live’s Jay Mohr, Anthony Clark from the sitcom Yes, Dear, Bill Bellamy (who some credit for coining the phrase “booty call’), and Craig Robison from The Office.
While many from the show went on to have lucrative comedy careers, others have dropped off or are still struggling in the comedy club circuit, including some of the people who won the show’s contest. What exactly happened to the people who won the show? Did the audience favorites keep their audience?
9 Dat Phan (Season 1 Winner)
Despite winning the first season of the show, Dat Phan’s career has somewhat fizzled over the last couple of years, especially compared to runner-up the late Ralphie May, who enjoyed a very prominent and productive career before his death in 2017. Since winning on the show, Phan has only landed a handful of bit roles in television shows and commercials, his most notable credit to date is a part in the 2017 film Kong: Skull Island.
8 John Heffron (Season 2 Winner)
The second season’s winner continued to tour and do specials immediately after the show, cashing in on the show’s then popularity. His Comedy Central Presents episode, which he won as a part of his prize as the winner of Last Comic Standing, aired soon after he had won the competition. He has released five albums to date.
7 Alonzo Boden (Season 3 Winner)
Season three was a bit of a hybrid because it featured the cast of season 1 and season 2 competing against each other for the title of Last Comic Standing, giving some of the runners up a second chance at the title and the audience more time with some of their favorite cast members. The victor of this “battle royale” season ended up being the runner-up to Heffron from season two, Alonzo Boden. Boden has done multiple specials and tours since the show and he regularly appears as a panelist on the popular NPR comedy news game show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me hosted by Peter Sagal.
6 Josh Blue (Seaon 4 Winner)
Blue, who has cerebral palsy, won over the audience in season 4 with his fearless presentation and comedy revolving around his disability. He appeared on Mind of Mencia frequently before its cancellation as well several other cable and network programs, including Conan and other late-night talk shows. He also was featured in a recent season of America’s Got Talent and won third place. Blue is a vocal public advocate for others with disabilities and has appeared on news networks like MSNBC advocating for his community. He is also an artist who sculpts and paints.
5 Jon Reep (Season 5 Winner)
Unlike many other cast members, Reep already had a bit of “celebrity” attached to his name because before appearing on the show, he was known as the “Does It Have A Hemi?” guy from the 2004 Dodge car commercials. He has since appeared in a few television shows and films, including Danny McBride’s Eastbound and Down and Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. His wife filed for divorce in 2013.
4 Iliza Shlesinger (Season 6 Winner)
Shlesinger has been quite productive. The season 6 winner has done 5 stand-up specials for Netflix and in 2020 the streaming app also premiered The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show. She also hosted the dating show Excused and the TBS game show Separation Anxiety. Shlesinger was the first, and only, female comic to win Last Comic Standing.
3 Felipe Esparaza (Season 7 Winner)
The first Latin American person to win the contest show, Esparaza has gone on to do specials for Showtime, HBO, and Netflix since winning the title in 2010. He has hosted a podcast titled "What’s Up Fool?" since 2014.
2 Rod Man (Season 8)
The first victor after the show’s reboot, he has had a fairly meager career following his win on the reality contest show. He continues to do stand-up and runs his merch store and website and has gotten to perform on several late-night shows like Conan. But he has not found the same level of success following the show that others have.
1 Clayton English (Seaon 9)
The final winner of the show before its cancelation in 2015, English has since done a handful of movies and shows while still doing stand-up in the nightclub circuit. Before Last Comic Standing, he was on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne on TBS. His most recent film credit was in 2020's The War With Grandpa.
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