Drew Thomas (born 1971 or 1972) is an American comedian. Born in Jamaica, Thomas immigrated to New York when he was nine years old and was raised in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. He received degrees in theater from

Georgia Perimeter College Perimeter College at Georgia State University is a college of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Perimeter College was originally a public community college founded by an Atlanta area county board of education before merging w ...

and

Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia with two campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in the Kennesaw area and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was founded ...

. Right before becoming a comedian, he worked as a

car salesman An automobile salesperson is a retail salesperson who sells new or used cars. Unlike traditional retail sales, car sales are sometimes negotiable. Salesmen are employed by new car dealerships or used car dealerships. Car negotiation The pric ...

for about half a decade at an

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

car dealership A car dealership, or car dealer, is a business that sells new or used cars, at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. Car dealerships also often sell spare parts and automotive maintena ...

. At the beginning of his comedy career, he won two comedy competitions, and the magazine ''

Creative Loafing Creative Loafing is an Atlanta-based publisher of an arts and culture news and events newspaper/magazine. The company historically published a weekly publication that once had a 160,000 weekly circulation. While Creative Loafing is no longer p ...

'' named him the best local comedian in 2006. Thomas hosted the

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, often taking place at night (an open mic night), in which audience members may perform on ...

session Phat Comedy Showcase at Twisted Taco and Funny Farm Comedy Club in 2008. For three years, he opened for the comedian

Rodney Carrington Rodney Scott Carrington (born October 19, 1968) is an American Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, actor, country music artist and songwriter. He has released six major-label studio albums and a greatest hits package, on Mercury Records and Capi ...

's ''Laughter's Good'' tour. He opened for numerous singers and musical groups. Thomas is a frequent headliner at

The Comedy & Magic Club The Comedy & Magic Club is located in Hermosa Beach, California and opened in 1978 by Mike Lacey. The club's beachside location has made it a favorite destination for both comedians and audience members for a long time. Many of the top comics in th ...

Hermosa Beach, California Hermosa Beach (, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area; ...

, and Brad Garrett's Comedy Club in

MGM Grand Las Vegas The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The resort was developed by Kirk Kerkorian through his company, MGM Grand ...

. He made his television debut on a Robert Townsend comedy special, ''Partners in Crime'', in 2006. Thomas' other television appearances include

season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...

in 2008 and

season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...

in 2015 of the ''

Last Comic Standing ''Last Comic Standing'' is an American reality television talent competition show on NBC that aired from June 1, 2003, to August 9, 2010, and again in 2014 and 2015. Each season a comedian from an initially large group of hopefuls was picked as ...

'', ''

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airi ...

'' in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

, and the

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

television show ''Laughs'' in 2016. His comedy material focuses on relationship issues, recent news, and

everyday life Everyday life, daily life or routine life comprises the ways in which people typically act, think, and feel on a daily basis. Everyday life may be described as mundane, routine, natural, habitual, or Normality (behavior), normal. Human diurna ...

Early life and early career

Born in 1971 or 1972, Drew Thomas was raised in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

. When he was nine years old, Thomas immigrated to New York alongside his family. He grew up in

and received a theater degree from

. Before seeking to become a comedian, Thomas was a

for

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

vehicles at an Atlanta dealership for five or six years. Thomas cited several influences for becoming a comedian. While growing up in Jamaica, he watched British television shows, saying it was all that was available on television. Thomas said he enjoys

irony Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...

and the dry humor in British humor. He cited his father, a person with a good sense of humor, who performed at weddings. Another inspiration was a

comedy album A comedy album is an audio recording of comedic material from a comedian or group of comedians, usually performed either live or in a studio. Comedy albums may feature skits, humorous songs, and/or live recording of stand-up comedy performan ...

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...

. Thomas called

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...

his favorite comedian, saying Chappelle "is fearless, a great writer and will explore a topic beyond what a normal performer will". Once he committed to pursuing comedy professionally, Thomas began studying at the

, where he received a theater degree, his second college degree.

Career

At the beginning of his comedy career, Thomas won two comedy competitions and subsequently became a frequent performer at the Atlanta-based Punch Line Club. The arts and culture magazine ''

'' selected him as the best local comedian in 2006. In giving him the award, the magazine said, "With his quick wit and smooth delivery, Drew Thomas has become a force in Atlanta's comedy scene." When he received the award, Thomas had performed with the comedians

Bill Bellamy William Bellamy (born April 7, 1965) is an American actor and stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' ''Def Comedy Jam'', where he is credited for creating or coining the phrase "bo ...

Bill Burr {{Infobox comedian , image = Bill Burr by Gage Skidmore.jpg , alt = , caption = Burr in 2018 , birth_name = William Frederic Burr , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1968, 6, 10 , bi ...

D. L. Hughley Darryl Lynn Hughley (; born March 6, 1963) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hughley is best known as the original host of BET's '' ComicView'' from 1992 to 1993, the eponymous character on the ABC/ UPN sitcom '' The Hughleys'', and ...

Aries Spears Nairobi Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, and actor from New Jersey. Spears was a regular on Fox's sketch comedy series ''Mad TV'' (1997–2005), appearing in 198 episodes, making him the secon ...

, and

Ron White Ronald Dee White (born December 18, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and author, best known as a charter member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Nicknamed "Tater Salad", he is the author of the book ''I Had the Right to Remain Sil ...

during tours. Thomas in 2007 typically hosted Twisted Taco's Phat Comedy Showcase, an

session where between six and eight hopeful comedians would perform for five minutes. In 2008, Thomas was the host of the Phat Comedy Showcase put on at Twisted Taco on Tuesdays and at Funny Farm Comedy Club on Wednesdays. He spent the following four days of the week traveling to various places to perform comedy. He entertained at many clubs and had entertained at more than 75 colleges and universities by 2019. His work at Phat Comedy assisted in launching the careers of himself and numerous fellow stand-up comedians. For the comedian

's ''Laughter's Good'' tour, Thomas was the

opener Opener, Open'er or Openers may refer to: * Opener (album), ''Opener'' (album), an album by 8mm * Opener (baseball), a baseball strategy to use a relief pitcher to start a game * Open'er Festival, a contemporary music festival held in Gdynia, Poland ...

for three years. He performed at the numerous American and Canadian

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

s, and theaters at which the tour was held. He was the opening act for the singers

Morris Day Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1957) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time. Music career Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with Prince. Day and Pr ...

Al Green Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Tired of ...

Tito Jackson Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (October 15, 1953 – September 15, 2024) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons), a group who rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with the Motown la ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...

Jeffrey Osborne Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D. (band), L.T.D., with whom he began his musical career in 1970. B ...

and the musical groups

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men ( ) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanya Morris, Wanyá Mo ...

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (sometimes stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa) is an American hip-hop, hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (rapper), Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (rapper), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). ...

, and

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

. Thomas had a residency at Chumash Casino Resort in 2015 called Drew's Comedy Club. During an opening that year for Salt-N-Pepa at the

Chumash Casino Resort The Chumash Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians. Chumash is located near Santa Ynez Airport, in the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation, about east of Solvang, California. History Opened in its pres ...

, he greeted tardy arrivals with a mocking introduction. Observing that the audience enjoyed his performance, ''

Noozhawk ''Noozhawk'' is an online newspaper that provides coverage for Santa Barbara County, California. While initially focused on the greater Santa Barbara area, ''Noozhawk'' expanded its coverage to the northern part of the county in the summer of 2 ...

''s L. Paul Mann called Thomas "a fitting opening act". Thomas performed in Jamaica for International Comedy Fest in 2007, Come Mek We Laugh in 2010, and the Johnny Live Comedy Bar Special in 2019 at the Hope Botanical Gardens's Shell Bandstand venue. During his 2010 performance in Jamaica, he discussed relationships, Jamaican restaurants, and United States–based Jamaican mechanics in a showing that ''

The Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

''s Marcia Rowe called "hilarious". He is a frequent headliner at

, and Brad Garrett's Comedy Club in

Comedy material

Thomas' comedy material discusses relationship issues, recent news, and

. He examines life's natural contrasts such as "Evil Drew" against "Good Drew", the contrasts between

black people Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ...

and

white people White is a Race (human categorization), racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry. It is also a Human skin color, skin color specifier, although the definition can var ...

, and the comparison of what men and women go through. Thomas relates a joke that contrasts how men and women view getting married in which women are overjoyed while men are not. He starts the joke by saying, "When men talk about marriage to our friends, it sounds like something you get diagnosed with." In another joke, he is dating a

single mother A single parent is a person who has a child or children but does not have a spouse or live-in partner to assist in the upbringing or support of the child. Reasons for becoming a single parent include death, divorce, break-up, abandonment, bec ...

. Having met her only twice, he said "the school called me to come pick up her son. You can't put my name on the list to come pick up your son. I only seen this dude two times in the dark at your house." He directly engages the audience, frequently mocking the attire of people sitting near the stage.

Television career

Around 2006, Thomas made his television debut for a Robert Townsend comedy special, ''Partners in Crime'', that aired on the

Black Family Channel Black Family Channel (launched in 1999 as MBC Network) was an American cable television network which featured programming aimed at African-American audiences. The network's schedule included a variety of programs including religious programs, spo ...

. He did a

special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces ...

for Great American Pure Flix's show ''Comedy All Stars''. Thomas competed on two seasons of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

show ''

'',

in 2008 and

in 2015. He reached the show's finals. Thomas performed on ''

'' in

. He made

comedy series Television comedy is a category of broadcasting that has been present since the early days of entertainment media. While there are several genres of comedy, some of the first ones aired were variety shows. One of the first United States television ...

at the

and Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa. He appeared on the

television show ''Laughs'' in 2016.

Reception

Writing for '' Creative Loafing Charlotte'', Anita Overcash found that "his personal stories — centering in on everything from random occurrences to past relationships — are funny enough to make crowds laugh out loud." The ''

Chattanooga Times Free Press The ''Chattanooga Times Free Press'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is distributed in the metropolitan Chattanooga region of southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It is one of Tennessee's majo ...

'' said in 2018 that as Thomas discusses his relationship issues, recent news, and

, Thomas captivates his viewers. According to the newspaper, "His quick wit and smooth delivery are the perfect combination for laughing out loud." Yasmine Peru of ''

'' said in 2019 that Thomas is "known for his face-hurting laughter, his keen retorts on everyday life, his quick wit and smooth delivery" as he shares the misunderstandings and missteps in his relationships.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Drew 1970s births Living people 21st-century African-American people 21st-century American comedians African-American male comedians African-American stand-up comedians American male comedians American stand-up comedians Comedians from Atlanta Comedians from the Bronx Jamaican comedians Jamaican emigrants to the United States Kennesaw State University alumni People from Kingston, Jamaica Perimeter College at Georgia State University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)