Joanna Firestone (born December 8, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer.[1] She played Sarah Conner on the television series Joe Pera Talks with You.
Biography
Joanna Firestone was born in 1986 to Jewish parents Fred and Marilyn Firestone.[2] She has a brother, Ben Firestone, who works in commercial real estate. She grew up in Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She graduated from Clayton High School and later Wesleyan University in Connecticut, with a degree in theatre.[3]
Firestone was a consulting producer on 21 episodes of The Chris Gethard Show and performed in three episodes of the series. In 2017, Firestone performed stand-up on Comedy Central as part of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Jo Firestone.[6]
In the past, Firestone was a writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Special Without Brett Davis. She has also performed on the Tonight Show, portraying U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos,[7] demonstrating products from the New York Toy Fair,[8] and appearing in other sketches opposite host Jimmy Fallon.[9]
In 2023, she was named the head writer of After Midnight, for which she is also a co-executive producer.[13]
Live performance
With Dylan Marron, Firestone wrote, performed in, and directed Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite,[14] which received a Capital Fringe Festival Director's Award in 2010.[15]
Firestone has performed at the UCB Theater in Manhattan, and around New York City.[16][17] About stand-up gigs in "cellar clubs," Firestone explained, "Doing comedy in New York, I've been conditioned to thrive in basements. I'm not ready to do a comedy show until I go down a flight of stairs."[18]
Radio and podcasts
Firestone is the host of the program Dr. Gameshow, which originated on WFMU radio and is now a podcast on the Maximum Fun network along with co-host Manolo Moreno.[19][20] She and her father Fred Firestone created the game Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers (published by Random House subsidiary Clarkson Potter, 2016).[21]
In February 2020, Firestone released the first episode of her podcast Everyday Decisions.[24]Everyday Decisions is a comedy and personal stories podcast where Firestone interviews friends, family, and fellow comedians about the past 24 hours of their day.
In March 2020 Firestone went on comedian Mike Recine's podcast The Sitdown.[25] In March 2021, she made a guest appearance on the YouTube channel of her childhood friend Claire Saffitz.[26]
Author
In October 2023, Firestone self-published Murder on Sex Island: A Luella van Horn Mystery.[27]
