Myq Kaplan (/mk/; born October 7, 1978[1]) is an American stand-up comedian. Born Michael Kaplan[2] in Livingston, New Jersey,[3][4] he is based in Boston[5] and New York City.[6]

Myq Kaplan
Kaplan in December 2011
Birth nameMichael Kaplan
Born (1978-10-07) October 7, 1978 (age 46)
Livingston, New Jersey
MediumStand-up comedian
Years active2005–present
Websitemyqkaplan.com

Education

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Kaplan received his bachelor's degree from Brandeis University in 2000[2] and a master's degree in linguistics from Boston University.[7] While a student at Boston University in 2005, he won its "funniest student" contest.[7]

Comedy career

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Kaplan tours North America regularly and has performed over 1,000 shows at comedy clubs.[7]

He was a semifinalist in the 2006 Boston Comedy Festival and in the 2006 Seattle Comedy Competition.[7] He was one of nine finalists in Comedy Central's 2007 Open Mic Fight competition. In 2008, a reader poll by Boston's The Phoenix named him Local Comedian of the Year.[8] He took part in Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2009.[5][9]

Television, internet and recordings

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Myq Kaplan has appeared on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and in promotional work for the network. He has been featured on ABC News Now.

On December 16, 2009, he performed for the first time on The Tonight Show.[10] Kaplan also appeared as a contestant on the competition TV series Last Comic Standing during the summer 2010.[11] He placed fifth in the competition.[12]

He is also a frequent guest on long running comedy podcast Keith and the Girl. Myq Kaplan has been a guest on the podcast "Comedy Bang! Bang!" three times, #110 (June 27, 2011) #658 (May 31, 2020), and #818 (June 26, 2023). Myq Kaplan has been a guest on the podcast "You Made It Weird With Pete Holmes" 2 times, one released on April 4, 2012 and as a returning guest released December 20, 2017 Kaplan hosts his own podcast Hang Out with Me.[13]

On April 30, 2010, his Comedy Central Presents special aired on Comedy Central. Myq Kaplan's comedy album Vegan Mind Meld was released April 27, 2010, and his second album, Please Be Seated was released in 2012. In August 2014, Myq Kaplan's one-hour standup special entitled Small, Dork, and Handsome appeared on Netflix for streaming.

On January 31, he was the first guest on Bombing with Mike Dorval, where he talked about his joke writing and a joke that bombed for The New York Times.[14]

Kaplan was also a contestant on the tenth season of America's Got Talent. He was eliminated in the Quarterfinals.

Personal life

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Kaplan is also a musician, primarily as a guitarist and vocalist. He is a vegan,[15] polyamorous [16] and once described himself as "atheistic".[17] However, he elaborated in a 2016 podcast that he has become more spiritual through use of psychedelics.[18]

Discography

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Comedy albums

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Music albums

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  • Please Be Seated w/ Micah Sherman (2012, BSeenMedia)
  • Many Mini Musics (2016, My Grandfather Was A Spy)

Podcast albums

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  • The Best of Super Hang, Vol. 1 (2014, Keith and The Girl)
  • The Long Shot Season 3 - Episode #318: "Road Trips (feat. Myq Kaplan)" (2015)
  • The Micah Myq Mega Mixtape w/ Micah Sherman (2014, Bandcamp, 9-tracks)[19]

Singles

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  • The Micah Myq Mega Mixtape w/ Micah Sherman (2016, BSeenMedia, 3-tracks)

Compilation appearances

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  • Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2010 (2010) - Track 3: "How Hitler Saved Christmas"[20]
  • Live from Jamestown: Latenight @ Lucy Comedy Fest 2013 (2014) - Track 14: "The Fast & Furious"[21]
  • The Comedy Holiday Album (2017) - Track 10: "Merry Passover"
  • Just for Laughs: Premium, Vol. 26 (2018) - Track 10: "Children (Jfl 2015)"
  • Just for Laughs: Funny AF, Vol. 6 (2019) - Track 13: "My Demographic (Jfl 2012)"

[22]

Film and television appearances

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Films

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  • JK LOL (Short, 2009) - Himself
  • Broken Mike (2012) - Himself
  • Like Me (2014) - Himself
  • Welcome to Bridgetown (2015) - Himself
  • Punching Henry (2016) - Zack
  • Off Stage: Myq Kaplan (2017) - Himself
  • Tasteless (2018) - Himself

TV series

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  • Louie (2010) - Myq Kaplan
  • Comedy Bang! Bang! (2015) - Lenny
  • The Comedy Show Show (2016) - Mitch Hedberg
  • Who Is? (2016) - Voice
  • Giving Up (2017) - Wake Performer
  • Tales from the Trip (2019) - Himself
  • Comedy Central Originals: High School Fails (2019) - Himself[23]
  • Broadway Comedy Club Presents (2020) - Contestant/Comic
  • Mystery Mansion (2021) - Eyeball

Comedy specials

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Stand-up appearances

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Videography

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Comedy animations

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  • Jews and Sea Creatures (2010)[34]
  • Axes and Brains (2014)[35]
  • Highs and Lose (2014)[36]
  • Nothing, Everything, and Eddie Murphy (2017)[37]
  • A Meditation to Help You Relax... (2020)[38]
  • The Longest Sidewalk in the World (2020)[39]

Music videos

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  • Bop 25 w/ Micah Sherman (2012)[40]
  • Movie Star w/ Micah Sherman (2013)[41]
  • Comedian's National Anthem w/ Micah Sherman (2013)[42]
  • Music's Fun (To Play) (2016)[43]
  • Sung Advice #1-8 (2017)[44]

Video podcasts

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References

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  1. ^ Myq Kaplan at MySpace
  2. ^ a b Channon, Alison. "Brandeis comedians take smarts to the stage", The Brandeis Hoot, 13 March 2009.
  3. ^ Wilkowe, Ellen S. "Things to do in Morris County, NJ: Last Comic Standing tour comes to Morristown, NJ, Jan. 15"[permanent dead link], Daily Record (Morristown), January 13, 2011. Accessed February 24, 2011. "One-time aspiring singer/songwriter Myq Kaplan, 32, formerly of Livingston and now of New York City, changed his tune … and converted to comedy."
  4. ^ Yaryshkin, Slava. Stand-up Comedy 101 Interview with Myq Kaplan Archived 2010-12-13 at the Wayback Machine, 6 April 2009.
  5. ^ a b Alterman, Sara Faith. "Montreal Comedy Festival: The New Faces showcase", The Boston Phoenix, 23 July 2009.
  6. ^ Gadino, Dylan P. Just For Laughs: New Faces" Archived 2009-08-01 at the Wayback Machine, Punchline, 27 July 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d Laskowski, Nicole. "The Last Comic Standing?", BU Today, 8 August 2007.
  8. ^ Readers' Pick: Best Local Comedian: Myq Kaplan, The Boston Phoenix, 2008.
  9. ^ Borden, Jane. "Just for Laughs in Montreal: Day One" Archived 2009-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Time Out New York, 23 July 2009.
  10. ^ Tonight Show video clip,[dead link] 16 December 2009.
  11. ^ Heisler, Steve (June 21, 2010). "New York Auditions Day 2". A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on June 24, 2010.
  12. ^ "'Last Comic Standing' crowns Felipe Esparza seventh-season champ", Reality TV World.com, August 10, 2010.
  13. ^ myqkaplan.com
  14. ^ "01 – Myq Kaplan | Rox Labs". Archived from the original on 2016-11-05. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  15. ^ Singer, Jasmin (August 24, 2011). "Art of the Animal: Myq Kaplan" (video). Art of the Animal, Video. Our Hen House.
  16. ^ "Shame On: Polyamory". Archived from the original on 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  17. ^ About Myq Kaplan (archived) at his official website Archived 2010-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Myq Kaplan".
  19. ^ "The Micah Myq Mega Mixtape by Myq Kaplan". Bandcamp. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  20. ^ "Various – Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2010". Discogs. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "Live from Jamestown: Latenight @ Lucy Comedy Fest 2013". Spotify. 6 May 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  22. ^ "Myq Kaplan". Apple Music. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Most Desperate Attempt to Escape the Friend Zone (feat. Myq Kaplan) - High School Fails". YouTube. 6 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  24. ^ "Myq Kaplan: Small, Dork and Handsome - The Whisper Is The Racist Accent". YouTube. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  25. ^ "Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson Archive". YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  26. ^ "Myq Kaplan Stand-Up 06/03/13". YouTube. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  27. ^ "Myq Kaplan Stand-Up 05/03/16 - CONAN on TBS". YouTube. 4 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "Myq Kaplan Stand-Up 08/21/17 - CONAN on TBS". YouTube. 22 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  29. ^ "Myq Kaplan Stand Up - 2012". YouTube. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  30. ^ "Myq Kaplan Stand-Up Performance - Late Night with Seth Meyers". YouTube. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  31. ^ "Myq Kaplan - Having Kids Is Like Doing Drugs". YouTube. 2 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "Myq Kaplan Standup". YouTube. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  33. ^ "Myq Kaplan - Comedy - 9/12/2018 - Paste Studios - New York, NY". YouTube. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  34. ^ "Jews and Sea Creatures - Myq Kaplan". YouTube. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  35. ^ "Axes and Brains, from "Meat Robot" by Myq Kaplan". YouTube. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  36. ^ "Highs and Lose, from "Meat Robot" by Myq Kaplan". YouTube. 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  37. ^ "Myq Kaplan: Nothing, Everything, and Eddie Murphy". YouTube. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  38. ^ "A Meditation to Help You Relax and Also to Help You Order My New Album "A.K.A." (So Much Help Here!)". YouTube. 18 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  39. ^ "Myq Kaplan Animated Standup from "A.K.A.": the Longest Sidewalk in the World". YouTube. May 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  40. ^ ""Bop 25" by Myq Kaplan and Micah Sherman". YouTube. 19 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  41. ^ "Movie Star music video by Myq Kaplan and Micah Sherman". YouTube. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  42. ^ "Comedian's National Anthem". YouTube. 12 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  43. ^ "Music's Fun (To Play) -- Myq Kaplan". YouTube. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  44. ^ "Sung Advice #1: I'm 40 and My Significant Other is 25 Help I Need Advice". YouTube. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  45. ^ "Myq Kaplan performs for RISK! at NYC PodFest - January 12, 2013". YouTube. 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  46. ^ "YKWD #162 - Shiny Helmet (MIKE CANNON, WENDI STARLING, MYQ KAPLAN)". YouTube. 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  47. ^ "Talking eyebrows with Myq Kaplan". YouTube. 7 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  48. ^ "QuipLeague w/ Moshe Kasher, Myq Kaplan, and More!". YouTube. 20 May 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.[dead YouTube link]
  49. ^ "The Comics' Spot with Comedian Michael Adam Kaplan". YouTube. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  50. ^ "Hanging w/ Myq A.K.A. Myq Kaplan #myqkaplan #raydevito #bobbiggerstaff". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  51. ^ "The Comedy Studio Podcast LIVE". YouTube. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  52. ^ "#22 Face to Facetime - Myq Kaplan the joy unitarian". YouTube. 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  53. ^ "The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour w/ Myq Kaplan | October 5, 2020". YouTube. 6 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  54. ^ "The Ted Alexandro Show Ep. 27 - Chomsky, NBA with Amin Elhassan, and Myq Kaplan - FULL EPISODE". YouTube. 12 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  55. ^ "Myq Kaplan : Is it a mistake to specialize?". YouTube. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  56. ^ "Myq Kaplan on Existentialism - The Rhett Sever Podcast #2". YouTube. 5 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
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