Langston Kerman

Biography:

Langston Kerman (born April 23, 1987) is an American actor, writer, and comedian known for his work on shows like Insecure, High Maintenance, Bless This Mess, The Boys, and English Teacher. He co-stars and writes for HBO Max’s South Side, and his debut comedy album, Lightskinned Feelings, was recognized as one of Vulture’s 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018.

Raised in Oak Park, Illinois, Kerman comes from a mixed-race background—his mother is African American, and his father is white and Jewish. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan in 2009 and briefly taught poetry at his former high school before pursuing an MFA in poetry at Boston University. He later shifted his focus to stand-up comedy.

Kerman’s acting credits include appearances on Adam DeVine’s House Party, High Maintenance, Strangers, and Comedy Bang! Bang! In 2016, he gained wider recognition for his recurring role as Jered in the first season of Issa Rae’s Insecure. That same year, he was selected by Chris Rock to write for the Academy Awards.

In 2018, Kerman released his Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special, Lightskinned Feelings (also titled White People Can Keep Secrets), alongside an album of the same name, which received critical acclaim. He has also lent his voice to the IMDb animated series You’re Not a Monster and appeared in The New Negroes on Comedy Central.

Kerman has had recurring roles in Bless This Mess and the second season of The Boys. In 2020, he launched the iHeartRadio podcast My Momma Told Me, where he humorously explores Black conspiracy theories with guest comedians.

In 2022, he co-created and co-starred in the Peacock series Bust Down. The following year, he joined the Hulu thriller The Other Black Girl, based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris.

In 2024, Kerman released his first Netflix comedy special, Bad Poetry, directed by John Mulaney. The special received widespread praise, with The New Yorker calling it a fresh return to comedy’s artistic roots, while Vulture and Cracked lauded his sharp storytelling and humor. The Daily Beast described him as one of the most exciting stand-ups working today.

Most recently, Kerman had a recurring role in the FX comedy English Teacher, which premiered in September 2024.

He is married and has two children—a daughter born in 2021 and a son born in 2024.