Famous Comedians In The US

The US audience is lucky enough to be bestowed with hundreds of comical talents who managed to create bursts of laughter in and outside of the US for generations. These famous comedians in the US not only brought us breaths of fresh air, they have become part of our lives, made possible by their longevity and unyielding talents. Among the famous comedians in the US, although the list goes on, are the following:

Richard Pryor who was born Richard Franklin Lenox Thomas Pryor was and will forever be a legendary comic hero, who managed to traverse over his childhood suffering and transform it into an inspiration. This man truly lead a rags-to-riches story growing up in a brothel, a victim of child abuse, and trekking up to the Hollywood limelight. He was known for his vulgarities and use of colorful language. He died in December 2005 after 20 years of fighting with multiple sclerosis.

Another comic hero was George Carlin who was known for being a counterculture musician. He professed to being an atheist and avid user of cocaine. In 1972, he was arrested for violating obscenity laws by broadcasting his uncensored version of one of his routines "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Radio or Television". Being one of the most famous comedians in the US, he was awarded a Hollywood Walk of Fame award in January 1987 and was an inductee to the Comedy Hall of Fame in November 1994.

Born as Leonard Alfred Schneider, famous comedians in the US should include Lenny Bruce, a controversial stand-up comedian in the 1950's and 60's. His stand-up routines included subjects that stirred the people's views regarding obscenity, abortion, politics, religion, race, the law, and the Catholic Church. He was paid $12 and spaghetti for his first stand-up performance in Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to the roster of most famous comedians in the US is Woody Allen, born as Allen Stewart Konigsberg, who started his career by selling gags that he wrote for an agent to earn money. His first published joke was "I am two with Nature". His talent in writing jokes won him the 1978 O. Henry Award for his short story "The Kugelmass Episode" that was published in The New Yorker on May 2, 1977. Allen also went into directing aside from starring in various movies in the 70's.

Steve Martin, another comedian to make it in the most famous comedians in the US, was a writer, producer, musician, and composer. This Texan was raised in Orange County, California. In his adolescent years, he worked at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott's Berry Farm as well as at the Magic Shop at Disneyland. In the 70's, Martin's appearances as a stand-up comedian on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Saturday Night Live contributed to the success of his first comedy album Let's Get Small.