Reginald Darnell Hunter (born March 26, 1969)[1][2] is an American stand-up comedian based in the United Kingdom.
Reginald D. Hunter | |
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Hunter in 2006 | |
Birth name | Reginald Darnell Hunter |
Born | Albany, Georgia, U.S. | March 26, 1969
Medium | |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1992–present |
Genres | |
Subject(s) | |
Website | reginalddhunter |
Early life and family
editHunter was born in Albany, Georgia, the youngest of nine.[2] He undertook an acting internship in Jackson, Mississippi, at age 20.[3] His mother died in 2004.[4]
Whilst appearing as a guest on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast in 2018, Hunter revealed that he has a daughter, then aged 16, whom he had met for the first time in 2016.[5]
Stand-up comedy
editHaving initially travelled to the UK at the age of 27 as a summer student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[6] Hunter became a comedian after performing his first comedy set as a dare, for which he received £100. Realising that he enjoyed performing comedy, and that it might be profitable, he turned his attention from acting to stand-up.[5]
In 2006 and 2008, Hunter participated in Project X Presents events.[citation needed] In 2013 he toured Ireland with his show In the Midst of Crackers.[7]
Hunter often uses variations of the term "nigga" in the titles of his shows. In 2006, Reginald D Hunter: Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas attracted some controversy, and the poster was banned from the London Underground.[8] His tour with Steve Hughes, called Trophy Nigga, played 55 venues around the UK, but not all the venues used the tour title. Hunter joked that this was because promoters didn't like the word "trophy".[citation needed]
In April 2013, Hunter performed at an engagement for the Professional Footballers' Association. Following the event, PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle accused Hunter of racism, as he had used the word "nigger" during his set. Carlisle also said that some of those present had found Hunter's material "highly offensive". In response, Hunter posted to his Facebook page many photos of himself taken after his set with people attending the event, with most smiling.[9][10]
Reviewing Hunter's 2024 stand-up tour in The Standard, Bruce Dessau wrote that Hunter "moves elegantly from big topic to big topic, concisely skewering each subject", describing him as "a truly talented comedian".[11] Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News, Kevin Quinn described Hunter in his most recent performances as "still not for the faint-hearted and easily offended," commenting that "he does seem a lot more reflective in middle-age".[12]
Edinburgh Fringe incident
editIn August 2024, during the Israel-Hamas war, Hunter made a joke likening gaslighting by an abusive spouse complaining of abuse to "being married to Israel" during his Edinburgh Fringe show.[13] During one performance, an Israeli couple objected to the joke, which heckling reportedly was met by disapproval from the audience until the couple left. He then reportedly used an anti-Jewish trope in an anecdote. Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised the jokes while also referring to past jokes referencing the Holocaust.[14][15][16] A planned show at the Eastwood Theatre in Giffnock was cancelled by the East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure organisation.[14]
Police Scotland concluded that “no crime was established.”[17] Issuing a statement after the event, Hunter commented that he is "staunchly anti-war and anti-bully", saying that "as a comedian, I do push boundaries in creating humour".[18]
Awards
editHunter was nominated for the Perrier Award in the 2003 and 2004 Edinburgh Festivals.[19]
He won the Writers' Guild Award for Comedy in 2006 for his show Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas.[20]
Television
editHunter made his TV debut on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998.
TV subsequent credits include:
2004
- Does Doug Know (Channel 4)
- Boozy Britain (Channel 4)
- Comedy Store Stand-up (Channel 5)
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4)
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC Two)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
2007
- News Knight (ITV1)
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
2008
- Good News Week (TEN) AUS
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- Spicks and Specks (ABC1) AUS
- Trexx and Flipside (BBC Three)
- Lawro and the Warlocks of Doom (6 Music)
2009
- QI (BBC Four / One / Two)
- Good News Week (TEN) AUS
- Argumental (Dave)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4)
- You Have Been Watching (Channel 4)
- Spicks and Specks (ABC1) AUS
- Would I Lie to You? (BBC One)
- It's Only a Theory (BBC Four)
- Live at the Apollo (BBC One)
2010
- The Bubble (BBC Two)
- Spicks and Specks (ABC1) AUS
- Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC One)
- You Have Been Watching (Channel 4)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- The Green Room with Paul Provenza (Showtime)
2011
- Stand and Deliver (RTÉ 2) IRL
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- This Week (BBC One - UK politics show)
- Something for the Weekend (BBC Two)
- The Hour (STV)
- Dave's One Night Stand (Dave)
2012
- The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- Channel 4's Comedy Gala (Channel 4)
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4)
- QI (BBC One)
2013
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- Was It Something I Said? (Channel 4)
2014
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
- QI (BBC Four / One / Two)
2015
- Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South (BBC One)[21]
- 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4)
2016
- Acting role in Man Down - 1 episode
2018
- Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the Border (BBC Two)
- Have I Got News for You (BBC One)
2021
- Richard Osman's House of Games (BBC One)
Radio
editHunter was one of the hosts of the E4 Laughs at Edinburgh podcast, showcasing the best comedy talent from the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[citation needed] He has had numerous appearances on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show The Unbelievable Truth.[22][23] He also appeared on Midweek (BBC Radio 4) on November 15, 2011.
Notes
edit- ^ U.S. Public Records Index, Vol. 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
- ^ a b Maxwell, Dominic (March 10, 2007). "The N-word is out". The Times (Times Newspapers).
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter interview: 'No matter how clear I am, people". Independent.co.uk. November 22, 2013.
- ^ "Black Comedy". October 6, 2004.
- ^ a b Herring, Richard (January 4, 2018). "Reginald D Hunter". Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast. Episode 160. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Reginald D Hunter: ‘The British really reward cleverness’
- ^ "Reg D Hunter promises crackin’ show", Cork Independent, April 4, 2013.
- ^ "Offensive' poster banned on Tube". BBC News. November 14, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "PFA's Carlisle says hiring comedian Hunter 'huge mistake'". BBC Sport. April 29, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter, The Horrible Aftermath". Facebook. April 28, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/comedy/reginald-d-hunter-leicester-square-theatre-review-b1149569.html
- ^ https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/whats-on/edinburgh-festival-fringe-2024-reginald-d-hunter-still-packs-a-punch-but-shows-his-more-fluffy-side-4739328
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter embroiled in row after Israeli pair are 'hounded out' of Edinburgh fringe show". Evening Standard. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Theatre cancels Reginald D Hunter show over antisemitism row". BBC News. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter embroiled in row after Israeli pair are 'hounded out' of Edinburgh fringe show". Evening Standard. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter at centre of antisemitism storm after Israeli couple 'branded genocidal by Fringe hecklers'". The Independent. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/reginald-d-hunter-edinburgh-fringe-israel-hate-crime-police-scotland-b1176823.html
- ^ https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/i-am-anti-bully-says-reginald-d-hunter-after-israeli-couple-hounded-out-of-his-fringe-show-j0uaf72x
- ^ "Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2011 - past winners". Comedyawards.co.uk. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ^ Parkin, Simon (June 1, 2017). "Reginald D Hunter on Trump, OJ, Putin and why he loves the UK". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South", BBC Two.
- ^ Episode 1, series 4. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ Episode 4, series 4. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
External links
edit- Official website
- "'Why should I be censored?'" London Evening Standard, December 1, 2006. Retrieved February 4, 2012
- Helen Lewis, "Reginald D Hunter: 'Old and middle-class people, if you scare them, they vote'", New Statesman, June 23, 2011, Retrieved March 3, 2012
- E4 Laughs at Edinburgh
- Reginald D. Hunter at IMDb