Age: 24
Hometown: Harvey, Ill.
Now Lives: In a one-bedroom apartment in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.
Claim to Fame: Mr. Young-White is a stand-up comedian and writer who was recently named a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.” His comedy draws on his life experiences — as a millennial, as a queer person of color — in a style that is spiked with social commentary.
He first made a name for himself by posting jokes on Twitter and Instagram, though a steady job means he has less time to spend on social media. “Twitter is honestly best enjoyed unemployed,” he said.
Big Break: Last year, Mr. Young-White flew to Los Angeles for an unpaid stand-up set at a Fox industry showcase. He opened with a raunchy joke about oral sex, and the room immediately tightened up. “I just, like, was slowly bombing,” he said.
But a producer for “American Vandal,” a Netflix show, was in the audience, and it led to his first writing credit. Soon after, he had another break: He performed at a stand-up showcase at the New York Comedy Festival, in the hopes of landing a spot on “Conan.” Instead, a booker for the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” took notice. Last December, Mr. Young-White made his national TV debut on “The Tonight Show,” with five minutes of (mostly) clean jokes.
Latest Project: Mr. Young-White was a writer on Season 2 of “American Vandal,” a series that parodies true crime documentaries like “Making a Murderer” by turning an investigative lens on high school vandalism. He also recently finished as a story editor on Season 3 of the Netflix animated series “Big Mouth.”
Next Thing: Earlier this month Mr. Young-White joined “The Daily Show,” as a regular correspondent alongside Dulcé Sloan and Desi Lydic. He also has a role in the coming romantic comedy “Someone Great,” starring Gina Rodriguez, as well as in the new season of “Crashing,” on HBO.
IRL Comedian: Mr. Young-White brings his life into his comedy for a simple reason: He knows his experience is not unique. As he sees it, he just tells the truth and hopes that the audience can connect with it. “There have been people who have come up to me in public and been like, ‘Hey, as a queer person of color, it really meant a lot to, like, see you doing stand-up on ‘Jimmy Fallon,’” he said. “That makes everything worth it at the end of the day.”
