Eddie Pence
| Eddie Pence | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edwin Pence 1974 (age 51–52) Chantilly, Virginia, U.S. |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Virginia Tech (B.A.) Chapman University (M.F.A., Film Production) |
| 💼 Occupation | Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, director, podcaster |
| 📆 Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | The Ralph Report podcast; Eddie Pence's (Un)Special Comedy Special |
Eddie Pence (born Edwin Pence, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, director, and podcaster based in Los Angeles, California. Known for blending physical, observational, and personal humor, Pence rose to wider attention in 2004 when The Hollywood Reporter named him one of the "Top New Faces" at the Montreal Comedy Festival.[1] He is co-host of The Ralph Report, a daily podcast featuring Los Angeles radio personality Ralph Garman, and has appeared on numerous television programs including Comedy Central, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Fox News's Red Eye.
Pence placed fifth in the Seattle International Comedy Competition in 2010, where he was praised by reviewers for his physicality and fearlessness onstage.[2] His fans refer to themselves as "Eddiots," a nickname that emerged during the crowdfunding campaign for his debut one-hour comedy special in 2020.[3]
Early life and education
Edwin Pence was born in 1974 and raised in Chantilly, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. From a young age he harbored ambitions of working in both comedy and film. After graduating high school, Pence enrolled at Virginia Tech, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He subsequently was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program in Film Production at Chapman University in Orange County, California.
It was during his time at Chapman that Pence attempted stand-up comedy for the first time, performing a five-minute set at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. He ultimately chose to pursue stand-up and improvisation over a traditional film career, though his filmmaking background later informed his work as a writer, director, and producer.
Career
Stand-up and festival appearances
Throughout the 1990s, Pence toured as a stand-up comedian while honing his skills in improv and sketch comedy. In 2004, he performed at the prestigious Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter named him one of the festival's "Top New Faces" — a distinction that brought him to the attention of studio and television executives.[1] He was invited to return to Montreal in 2006.
In 2007, Pence performed at the HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival as well as HBO's The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. In 2010, he competed in the Seattle International Comedy Competition, finishing fifth in the final standings. Seattle Met magazine, which covered the finals independently, noted that Pence "won the crowd over with his fearlessness and physicality."[2] He has also been noted as a semi-finalist in the Boston Comedy Competition,[4] performed at the SLO Comedy Festival, and co-headlined tours with fellow comedian Sid Davis. A longtime favorite of the World Famous Improv in Hollywood, Pence continues to perform at comedy clubs and college venues across the country, and has appeared at Brad Garrett's Comedy Club at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.[5]
Television
Following his Montreal debut, Pence appeared on a number of television programs. Notable credits include Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and Crossballs: The Debate Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005), Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld on Fox News, History of the Joke, and Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black on The History Channel.[4]
In 2009, the mockumentary web series The Rise and Fall of Tuck Johnson was released, with Pence starring as the title character. The series, based on a pilot written by Pence, featured supporting performances from Kate Flannery, Ed Begley Jr., Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Jack Plotnick.[6] He later appeared in three episodes of the TruTV sketch series How to Be a Grown Up (2014) and performed on Gotham Comedy Live on Comedy Central that same year. Additional credits include NBC's Last Comic Driving and appearances on The Kira Soltanovich Show. In 2024 he appeared in an episode of the TV series Behind the Comedian.[7]
Podcasting
Pence co-hosts The Ralph Report alongside Los Angeles radio and entertainment personality Ralph Garman. The daily podcast is distributed on Patreon and covers pop culture, comedy, and entertainment news. Garman, widely known for his work on KROQ's Kevin and Bean Show, launched the podcast after leaving the station in 2017 and has described adding Pence as co-host as one of the best decisions he made for the show.[8]
Pence is titled the "Vice Host" of The Ralph Report, a name chosen because his surname matched that of then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the time the podcast launched.[8] In addition to The Ralph Report, Pence co-hosts The Ramble with comedian Jerry Rocha and Not Today... with Jenn Sterger, both available on major podcast platforms.[9] Earlier podcast credits include The Steel Chair Slamcast and Comedians Talking About Bigfoot, which debuted in April 2014.
Comedy special
In 2020, Pence released Eddie Pence's (Un)Special Comedy Special, his first one-hour stand-up special. The special was filmed at the DC Comedy Loft in Washington, D.C., and was entirely crowdfunded by his fanbase via Indiegogo.[10] The special received a "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critic Joey Magidson of The Hollywood News, who wrote that Pence is "among the most consistently funny people out there."[11]
Reviewer The Ultimate Rabbit described the special as "a solid hour of hysterics from a self-deprecating individual who is better at performing than he thinks," offering independent critical analysis of Pence's material, structure, and stage presence.[12]
The special is distributed through Comedy Dynamics and is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Comcast, Apple TV, and DirecTV. Material includes Pence's comedic takes on Star Wars, parenting, chihuahuas, and streaking.
Comedy style
Pence is known for combining physical, observational, and personal humor. Seattle Met magazine noted his "fearlessness and physicality" during his 2010 Seattle International Comedy Competition run.[2] Pence has cited silent film comedians Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, as well as The Three Stooges, as primary influences on his approach to physical performance.
Pence has described himself as naturally shy and introverted, noting that comedy served as a mechanism for overcoming reticence from an early age. His material frequently draws on personal experience, including fatherhood, pop culture — particularly Star Wars and comic books — and everyday absurdity.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role / Notes | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Crossballs: The Debate Show | Performer | Television (Comedy Central) |
| 2005 | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | Guest comedian | Television |
| 2007 | Live at Gotham | Performer | Television (Comedy Central) |
| 2009 | The Rise and Fall of Tuck Johnson | Tuck Johnson (lead); also writer | Web series |
| 2013 | The Kira Soltanovich Show | Guest | Television |
| 2014–15 | How to Be a Grown Up | Sketch performer (16 episodes) | Television (TruTV) |
| 2014 | Gotham Comedy Live | Himself | Television (Comedy Central) |
| 2014 | Laughs | Performer (3 episodes) | Television |
| 2015 | Out of the Bag | Actor | Short film |
| 2015 | The Thumb Wrestler | Actor | Short film |
| 2016 | Driv | Kyle | Short film |
| 2017 | C.A.K.E | Larry | Television film |
| 2020 | Eddie Pence's (Un)Special Comedy Special | Performer; also writer/producer | Streaming special |
| 2022 | Eddie, Jr. | Lead | Short film |
| 2024 | Behind the Comedian | Himself | Television series |
Podcography
| Title | Role | Years | Network / Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ralph Report | Vice Host (co-host) | 2017–present | Patreon |
| The Ramble | Co-host | 2019–present | Various |
| Not Today... | Co-host | 2024–present | Various |
| The Steel Chair Slamcast | Co-host | 2013–2014 | TradioV |
| Comedians Talking About Bigfoot | Co-host | 2014 | The Network Studios |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Hollywood Reporter, "Top New Faces," Montreal Comedy Festival, 2004.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Auggie Smith Wins Seattle Int'l Comedy Competition". Seattle Met. November 2010.
- ↑ "Eddie Pence: The (Un)Special Comedy Special". Comedy Dynamics. 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Eddie Pence". LA Talk Radio. 14 May 2015.
- ↑ "Brad Garrett – February 17, 2025". Brad Garrett Comedy Club. 2025-02-17.
- ↑ "The Rise and Fall of Tuck Johnson". IMDb.
- ↑ "Eddie Pence". IMDb.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Meet Ralph Garman of The Ralph Report". Voyage LA Magazine. 2018-08-14.
- ↑ "Not Today... with Eddie Pence and Jenn Sterger". Apple Podcasts.
- ↑ "The Trailer for 'Eddie Pence: The (Un)Special Comedy Special' Has Finally Arrived". The Ultimate Rabbit. 2020-08-07.
- ↑ "Eddie Pence: The (Un)special Comedy Special". Rotten Tomatoes. 2020.
- ↑ "'Eddie Pence: The (Un)special Comedy Special' is Endlessly Funny". The Ultimate Rabbit. 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Eddie Pence on IMDb
- Eddie Pence: The (Un)special Comedy Special at Rotten Tomatoes
Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American podcasters Category:American film directors Category:American screenwriters Category:Virginia Tech alumni Category:Chapman University alumni Category:People from Chantilly, Virginia Category:Comedians from Los Angeles
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