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Joe Pera

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Joe Pera
Pera performing in character at Overload The Machine in 2011
Born
Joseph Pera

(1988-07-24) July 24, 1988 (age 37)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Alma materIthaca College
Years active2009–present
Comedy career
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • film
Genres
Subjects

Joseph Pera (born July 24, 1988[1][2]) is an American comedian, writer, and actor. He is best known as the creator and star of Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks with You, which entered development following the success of the 2016 special Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep, and ran for three seasons.[3]

Early life

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Joe Pera was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in the suburb of Amherst.[4][5] He studied film at Ithaca College, where he competed in and won the college's stand-up competition three times.[6] Pera graduated from Ithaca College in 2010.[7] He moved to New York City to pursue comedy and participated in open mic nights as often as possible.[8]

Career

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Known for his slow, "grandfatherly" delivery and his penchant for wearing sweaters, Pera created the Adult Swim Infomercials Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep.[9] This was followed by an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and another stand-alone Adult Swim special titled Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree.[10] Thanks to the success of those programs (all produced by Chestnut Walnut, founded by him and Conner O'Malley),[11] Pera developed a television series for Adult Swim, which premiered on May 20, 2018, titled Joe Pera Talks with You.[8] The show lasted for 3 seasons with Pera starring as a fictionalized version of himself, addressing the audience about seemingly mundane, everyday topics. In a interview Pera stated “Each episode is a quiet rumination on the beautiful mundanities of everyday life, I think part of the reason the show is so effective is that it tempers its kindness with brutal honesty.”[12] The show has received critical acclaim, with much of the praise going towards the show's unique tone and writing. The A.V. Club's Erik Adams wrote that "It’s a particular type of funny, of the soft-spoken, deadpan, and disarming type that Pera practices onstage and on the talk-show circuit.[13] However on July 7, 2022 Pera announced that the show had been canceled,[14] to many fans disappointment. After the announcement many tributes were made in the shows honor, writing for Collider, Chase Hutchinson stated “Pera made something that was truly and brilliantly one-of-a-kind.”[15]

He appeared on the talk show Conan on March 28, 2017, and on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on December 4, 2019.[16][17] In 2020 Adult Swim aired another special starting Pera titled Relaxing Old Footage With Joe Pera.[18] That same year a 4 minute short Pera had written alongside Joe Bennett was released titled Birds in which Pera also provided the voices.[19] In 2021, Joe Pera released a book named A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape which was illustrated by Joe Bennett.[20] Pera stated “It is exactly what its title suggests: a short read to occupy yourself with when you’re overwhelmed by everything on the other side of that bathroom door.”[21]

On January 31, 2023, Joe and Chestnut Walnut announced a podcast to help people fall asleep called, Drifting Off With Joe Pera. It is similar to his "Talks You To Sleep" series. Episodes are released on the first Sunday of every month, features a guest interview, a guest musician, and a philosophical monologue on a given topic. The podcast officially debuted in February and has gone on to receive critical acclaim.[22][23] On March 3, 2023, Joe made a brief appearance on EHFM's Radio show "No Dancing",[24] where he discussed his thoughts on moving slowly and reflectively and shared a piece of music he was working on. He appears at 31:40. On October 6, 2023, Pera released a 56-minute standup special titled Joe Pera: Slow and Steady on YouTube.[25][26]

In January of 2025 the second season of Drifting Off With Joe Pera debuted.[27] In April Pera released the full audio from his live Drifting off with Joe Pera show at the Brooklyn Opra House on his YouTube channel.[28] On July 8 2025 Pera released a short film on his YouTube channel that he created alongside Carmen Christopher, titled DOING BUSINESS AT THE END OF THE WORLD.[29]

Comedic style

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Pera is known to speak in a soft, measured, often quiet voice. With pauses playing an important role, as he doesn’t rush with the timing being long-paced. Pera avoids overt mean-spiritedness, with his humor instead coming from kindness, humility, from loving the world’s small quirks. Often making the familiar feel strange or interesting by paying attention to little things.[30][31] He is also known to mention his Buffalo upbringing.[32]

His jokes often build slowly; parts are simple, not relying much on big punchlines, shock, or rapid fire jokes. The pacing gives him breathing room. His comedy has been described as “cozy,” “grandfatherly,” comforting, and therapeutic. Almost like something someone might listen to wind down.[33][30] His show Joe Pera Talks with You was also credited with giving off the same cozy feeling by viewers.[34][35]

Pera has stated during shows his personality is a little exaggerated, adding “but really I talk as myself from experience and about the things I'm interested in and the things that I find funny.”[31]

His stage persona is somewhat unassuming, mild, nervous / awkward in benign ways. GQ described his clothing style as “simple and practical, the uniform of an old man”[36]

Personal life

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Pera is a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan. He has made dozens of posts on his Instagram showing his support for the team.[37]

Pera also has a huge interest in tomatoes, posting numerous photos of tomatoes on his Instagram. In an interview, he stated, "Oh, I've been into tomatoes for years. It's a bit of a challenge when so many people bring me tomatoes after shows and I have to eat them whether I'm in the mood for a tomato or not. Because people are so kind about offering them. They aren't the easiest produce to transport so I try to eat them fresh when someone brings them. And, it is hard to turn down a good heirloom tomato."[38]

In a video to his YouTube channel, Pera endorsed Democratic candidate India Walton for mayor of Buffalo, New York in the 2021 election.[39]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 5 Doctors Davis
2017 Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone Jim
2023 Elemental Fern Grouchwood (voice)
2024 Let’s Start a Cult Bo
2024 Boys Go to Jupiter Herschel Cretaceous Voice

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013–14 The Chris Gethard Show Zero Fucks Boyd 4 episodes
2014 New Timers Myron 2 episodes
Pancake Breakfast Critic with Joe Pera Himself 3 episodes; Produced with MTV Other
Adam Devine’s House Party 1 episode
2015 The Special Without Brett Davis
2016 Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep Short; part of Infomercials
Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree
2016-2023 Late Night With Seth Myers 7 episodes
2017 Conan March 28
Crown Prince Jim Short: writer
Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone Short
2018 The George Lucas Talk Show Himself Episode LV: Post-SOLO Show-Lo
2018–21 Joe Pera Talks with You 32 episodes; also creator, executive producer and writer
2019 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert December 4
2020 Relaxing Old Footage with Joe Pera Special
F Is for Family Alaquippa Ed (voice) 6 episodes
Birds All voices Short: writer
2022 Search Party Dr. Inane Episode: "Song of Songs"
2022-Present Bob's Burgers Christopher Episode: "Ferry On My Wayward Bob and Linda" & "The Shell Game"
2023 Joe Pera: Slow and Steady Himself Comedy special

YouTube series

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Perfect Week[40] Himself 7 episode mini-series hosted by JASH with trailer
Pancake Breakfast Critic[41] 3 episode mini-series hosted by MTV
2015 How To Make It in USA[42] 9 episode mini-series co-starring Conner O'Malley
2021 Townsends[43] Appears in 7 episodes
2023 Stavvy's World[44] Episode 21: "Dan Licata and Joe Pera"
2023 Drifting Off with Joe Pera[45] mini-series with co-stars

Bibliography

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Year Title
2021 A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape

References

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  1. ^ Burke, Jason (February 18, 2014). "Comedians Under 30 To Check Out This Year". Complex. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018. Joe Pera ... Age: 25
  2. ^ Pera, Joe (July 25, 2024). "A Wonderful Birthday Yesterday..." Instagram. Retrieved July 25, 2024. A wonderful birthday yesterday (July 24, 2024), for both me and JLo.
  3. ^ Maas, Tyler (July 7, 2022). "'Joe Pera Talks With You' has been canceled "for now"". Milwaukee Record. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Interview with Joe Pera: the comedian on the influences behind his adult swim show". 6Park. November 9, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "Amherst resident involved in creation of sitcom". AmherstBee. December 6, 2006. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Joe Pera". MASS MoCA. June 1, 2016. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  7. ^ Pirani, Steven (November 21, 2013). "Alumnus named finalist in Comedy Central contest". The Ithacan. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2020. With three victories in the Ithaca College Annual Stand-Up Competition during his undergraduate years, Joe Pera '10 ...
  8. ^ a b "Interview with Joe Pera". Texas Travesty. April 25, 2018. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Quah, Nicholas (February 8, 2023). "Joe Pera, The Sleep King". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Ciemcioch, Mark (December 9, 2016). "Let Joe Pera help you find a Christmas tree". Buffalo News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  11. ^ "Peaceful Reflections Of The Apocalypse by Tom Hunt – Animation Film @ Brooklyn Film Festival". Brooklynfilmfestival.org. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  12. ^ Conaboy, Kelly (December 13, 2019). "Joe Pera Attempts to Help Me Get a Christmas Tree". Vulture. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  13. ^ "Joe Pera Talks With You is the Adult Swim comedy that'll restore your soul". AV Club. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Hatfield, Amanda. "'Joe Pera Talks With You' has been cancelled (read Joe's statement)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Hutchinson, Chase (July 9, 2022). "What We Lost When We Lost 'Joe Pera Talks With You'". Collider. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  16. ^ "Team Coco". teamcoco.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Wright, Megh (December 5, 2019). "Joe Pera and Stephen Colbert Discuss the Soothing Joys of Grocery Shopping". Vulture. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "Watch Adult Swim Special Episodes for Free from Adult Swim". Adult Swim. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  19. ^ "Green Street Pictures". www.greenstreetpictures.com. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  20. ^ "A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape". us.macmillan.com/. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  21. ^ Frank, Allegra (November 5, 2021). "We Interviewed Joe Pera in His Bathroom". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  22. ^ "Critic Podcast Reviews - Drifting Off with Joe Pera". Great Pods. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  23. ^ McCann, Fiona. "Drifting Off with Joe Pera: Addictively soporific listening". The Irish Times. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  24. ^ "Mixcloud". www.mixcloud.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Minsker, Evan (October 7, 2023). "Watch Joe Pera's New Stand-Up Special Slow & Steady". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  26. ^ Pera, Joe (October 6, 2023). "Joe Pera: Slow & Steady". YouTube. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  27. ^ Joe Pera (January 13, 2025). Drifting Off w/ Joe Pera | S2E1 | Wind ft. Elori Saxl. Retrieved October 9, 2025 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ Joe Pera (April 22, 2025). Drifting Off: Live from the Brooklyn Opera House (Full Audio). Retrieved October 9, 2025 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  30. ^ a b Vadala, Nick (June 16, 2017). "Comedian Joe Pera brings his grandfatherly stylings to Philadelphia this weekend". Inquirer.com. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  31. ^ a b Scancarelli, Derek. "Joe Pera Talks 'Slow And Steady,' The Sopranos And Stand-Up Soundscapes". Forbes. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  32. ^ jackstin (June 1, 2016). "Joe Pera | MASS MoCA". Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  33. ^ "Exclusive: Comedian Joe Pera brings jokes at gentle pace". LaPantera 97.3. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  34. ^ "Talking With You About Joe Pera Talks With You". The Weather Vane. September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  35. ^ Bishop, Hunter (February 13, 2023). "'Joe Pera Talks with You' feels like it knows me". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  36. ^ Fedorov, Andrew (February 28, 2020). "Comedian Joe Pera Talks With You About Fashion". GQ. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  37. ^ Maas, Tyler (September 27, 2018). "Joe Pera talks with us about the Buffalo Bills (and Green Bay Packers)". Milwaukee Record. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  38. ^ Penne, Amy (September 16, 2024). "Joe Pera talks tomatoes, TV, and touring ahead of PYGMALION". Smile Politely. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  39. ^ Important phone call to Buffalo (with India Walton), October 19, 2021, retrieved September 10, 2023
  40. ^ "The Perfect Week - YouTube". YouTube.
  41. ^ "The Pancake Breakfast Critic - Joe Pera - YouTube". YouTube.
  42. ^ "How to Make It in USA - YouTube". YouTube.
  43. ^ "Joe Pera Makes a Stool for Our Cabin - Townsends Wilderness Homestead". October 27, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
  44. ^ Stavvy's World #21 - Dan Licata and Joe Pera, April 24, 2023, retrieved May 5, 2023
  45. ^ "'Drifting off with Joe Pera' - Sleep Podcast - YouTube". YouTube.
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