Jak Knight

Stand-up comedian, writer and actor Jak Knight died at the age of 28 on Thursday night in Los Angeles, his family confirmed to TODAY.

He also was a renowned stand-up comic and toured worldwide. "I don’t know what to say about Jak Knight that he wouldn’t make fun of me for. There will never be anyone quite like you," actor Dani Fernandez wrote.

The sad news broke today that stand-up comic, writer, and actor Jak Knight passed away at age 28. According to Deadline, Knight's family revealed he died in ...

"Jak Knight is an LA-based stand-up comic, writer, and actor who can currently be seen on HBO Max's PAUSE WITH SAM JAY, where is also a writer and producer. Many will know Knight best as the voice of DeVon on Big Mouth. In addition to lending his voice to 28 episodes, the creative also wrote for the hit animated series for five seasons. He most recently co-created and starred in Peacock's Bust Down alongside Chris Redd, Sam Jay, and Langston Kerman. He also served as a co-executive producer and writer on HBO's Pause with Sam Jay and recently wrapped production on Chelsea Peretti's upcoming film, First Time Female Director.

The talent wrote for 'Black-ish' and 'Big Mouth' and recently co-created and starred opposite Chris Redd, Sam Jay and Langston Kerman in 'Bust Down.'

Knight credited stand-up legend Dave Chappelle and the animated Boondocks for inspiring his career in comedy. We will miss him tremendously.” Music producer, DJ and rapper Steven Ellison, best known by his stage name Flying Lotus or FlyLo, called Knight “unapologetically bold and hilarious.” “It’s surreal but it’s a lot of work, work.” After writing for a string of hit shows — from Netflix’s critically acclaimed raunchy comedy Big Mouth to ABC’s beloved Black-ish — Knight segued to co-creating, executive producing and starring in the new Peacock series Bust Down. “I was like, yeah, and that’s that.” Co-creators and identical twin brothers Keith and Kenneth Lucas “heard about me from somebody, I don’t know who, and they were like, ‘Aye, come hang out with us, come smoke,’” Knight recalled.

Knight also wrote for and appeared in Big Mouth, Pause With Sam Jay, and Black-ish.

Knight was 28. Originally from Seattle, Knight first made a name for himself in the Los Angeles comedy scene, scoring an early entertainment industry gig after an encounter with comedy duo The Lucas Brothers led to them offering him a writing job on their Adult Swim show Lucas Bros. Moving Company. From there, he continued to develop as both a writer and a stand-up, gaining wider recognition in 2018, when he was selected as one of several comics to do a 15-minute set for Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup. (A distinction Knight shared with Bust Down co-creator Sam Jay, whose Pause With Sam Jay saw Knight hire on as a writer, performer, and producer in recent years.) Jak Knight has died.

Actor and comedian Jak Knight, who voiced DeVon on Netflix's 'Big Mouth' and wrote for 'black-ish,' has died at the age of 28.

He also voiced the character of DeVon, a popular Black classmate of nerdy protagonists Nick and Andrew, appearing in 28 episodes. First making a name for himself in Hollywood as a stand-up comic, Knight served as a staff writer and later story editor for Netflix’s hormonally charged animated comedy Big Mouth, beginning with its series premiere in 2017. “Knight’s loved ones ask that their privacy please be respected during this extremely difficult time,” a family representative told The Hollywood Reporter.

Jak Knight, a comedian and writer who appeared on the Peacock series "Bust Down," has died. He was 28.

He was an incredibly funny original voice in comedy and a great guy who will be sorely missed." A painful loss to comedy." I can’t believe it."

Jak Knight—a stand-up comedian with writing credits on Big Mouth, Bust Down and Black-ish—has passed away at 28 years old, according to his loved ones.

"Jak Knight was a hysterical and honest comedian," the network tweeted on July 15. On stage, Knight performed in stand-up comedy shows around the world, according to his family's statement. During the course of his career, Knight held credits in both writing and acting.

Grief and disbelief permeated social media as friends and fans learned of Jak Knight's death: "Hilarious comedian and a great guy."

Whenever I was on a lineup with Jak Knight, I knew it was going to be a wildly funny night. Came to work everyday, was hella funny and did his thing. I remember being on a show with Jak Knight back when I was just starting out – I was so nervous and he was so encouraging and kind. Crushed by the passing of Jak Knight. Watch Bust Down NOW. I was lucky enough to spend years writing with and for Jak, and we taped our Netflix sets the same night. Jak was a tremendous writer & performer, years ahead of his age. Thinking of his friends and the comedy community today.

Stand-up comedian Jak Knight died aged 28 on Thursday night in Los Angeles, his family confirmed.

Knight’s career-defining achievement was in the world of stand-up. Tributes poured in after the sad news of his death came to light, with Comedy Central calling Knight a “hysterical and honest comedian” in a tribute. He toured globally and became a well-known comic in Europe. In 2018, Knight was invited to star in Netflix’s special dubbed “The Comedy Lineup.”

Stand-up comedian Jak Knight has died at 28, his family confirmed. Knight co-created and starred in Peacock's Bust Down. He also wrote for five seasons of ...

Vulture previously characterized Knight’s comedic voice as a “sly, cross-cutting energy, often beginning with familiar scenarios — often sex, especially sex — and then slicing past […] into territory that is weirder and more intense.” He was recognized by both Comedy Central and Time Out as a Comic to Watch, and in 2021, Vulture also named him an up-and-coming comedian to keep an eye on. “Knight’s loved ones ask that their privacy please be respected during this extremely difficult time,” the rep said in a statement. Jak Knight, the LA-based comedian who co-created and starred in Peacock’s Bust Down, has died at 28.

Stand-up comedian, writer and actor Jak Knight died at the age of 28 on Thursday night in Los Angeles, his family confirmed to TODAY.

He was an incredibly funny original voice in comedy and a great guy who will be sorely missed,” Dillion wrote. In a statement posted to Twitter, Comedy Central wrote that Knight was a “hysterical and honest comedian” whom they will miss “tremendously.” He was featured in a 2018 Netflix special as part of “The Comedy Lineup” series.

Jak Knight, the comedian, writer, and actor best known for his work on 'Bust Down,' 'Big Mouth,' and 'Pause With Sam Jay,' has died at 28.

And fellow comedian Kumail Nanjiani shared his condolences, writing on his Twitter account, "Rest In Peace Jak Knight. Hilarious comedian and a great guy. The comedy world expressed its sadness upon hearing the news on Friday. Comedy Central's official Twitter account posted, "Jak Knight was a hysterical and honest comedian. He also voiced the character of DeVon. His voiceover work also included the video game NBA 2K17 and the Fox series American Dad!. He recently co-created Bust Down, which premiered on Peacock in March, with Sam Jay, Langston Kerman, and Chris Redd. The series, which Knight also executive-produced, starred each of them and followed a group of friends working low-paying jobs at an Indiana casino. Knight also collaborated with Jay on the HBO series Pause with Sam Jay, serving as a co-executive producer and writer. Knight's family confirmed the news to EW. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Jak Knight's peers are honoring him following the heartbreaking news on Friday, July 15 that the 28-year-old comedian died. A cause of death wasn't shared.

"Jak Knight was such a force. "This was just a sometimes meanly honest, beyond kind, sweet, more helpful than he will ever know, flawed idiot that I loved," Storm continued. "Jak, is my friend that I started doing open mics with at a sh-- money laundering front cafe while a smoothie blender was grinding what could only be rocks and bolts," Moses said. "I met Jak Knight when he was a teenager. A painful loss to comedy." "I don’t know what to say," Solomon Georgio tweeted.

Hollywood remembered comedian and Bust Down actor Jak Knight following his death at the age of 28 on Friday, July 15. Kumail Nanjiani, Joel Kim Booster, ...

Mr. Knight, who was a stand-up comedian, died on Thursday in Los Angeles, his family said.

His 30-minute Netflix stand-up special aired in 2018 as part of “The Comedy Lineup” series. Starting in March, Mr. Knight starred with Chris Redd, Sam Jay and Langston Kerman in the Peacock series “Bust Down,” which he also helped to create. From 2017-21, he was a writer and producer for the hit animated sitcom “Big Mouth” and voiced the character Devon. Mr. Knight worked as a writer for the ABC comedy “Black-ish” from 2019-20.