Jennifer "Jen" Kirkman (born in Newton, Massachusetts on August 28, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian, television writer and actress, best known for her appearances on E!'s late-night talk show Chelsea Lately and the web series Drunk History. In 2011, she wrote for the NBC sitcom Perfect Couples.
Kirkman was the narrator of HBO’s Drunk History, which received the jury prize for "Best Short Film" at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. She was also a cast member of VH1’s short-lived sketch comedy show Acceptable.TV, and made regular voice-over appearances on Adult Swim's Home Movies and Current TV’s political satire cartoon SuperNews.
Most notably, Kirkman is a staff writer and roundtable regular on E!’s Chelsea Lately. On June 3, 2010, she announced she would be leaving Chelsea Lately to join the writing staff for Perfect Couples, a romantic situation comedy which premiered as a mid-season replacement on NBC on January 20, 2011. She continued to make occasional roundtable appearances on Chelsea Lately, beginning in late 2010. Perfect Couples was removed from the NBC schedule on March 11, 2011 and Kirkman returned to the writing staff of Chelsea Lately in April 2011.
Kirkman performs stand-up regularly in Los Angeles, California, at the Hollywood Improv, The Laugh Factory, Largo and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She has performed nationwide with comedians Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt, Mike Birbiglia and Chelsea Handler. In 2009 and 2010, she performed as part of the Comedians of Chelsea Lately. She has also made appearances on several American television shows, including performances on Conan, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, Late Friday, Premium Blend and Special Sauce. She appears regularly with Paul F. Tompkins on the monthly Pod F. Tompkast podcast.
In 2006, Kirkman released her debut comedy album, Self Help. Her second album, Hail to the Freaks, was recorded live in one night at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on December 11, 2010. It will be released on May 17, 2011 with a bonus disk of additional material.
In 2009, Entertainment Weekly named Kirkman one of the "Top 12 Rising Stars in Comedy." In May 2010, both MSN and The Huffington Post named her one of the top comedians to follow on social networking service Twitter.
On August 21, 2009, she married writer/director Neil Mahoney in a private ceremony at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She is a longtime vegetarian.
Kirkman was the narrator of HBO’s Drunk History, which received the jury prize for "Best Short Film" at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. She was also a cast member of VH1’s short-lived sketch comedy show Acceptable.TV, and made regular voice-over appearances on Adult Swim's Home Movies and Current TV’s political satire cartoon SuperNews.
Most notably, Kirkman is a staff writer and roundtable regular on E!’s Chelsea Lately. On June 3, 2010, she announced she would be leaving Chelsea Lately to join the writing staff for Perfect Couples, a romantic situation comedy which premiered as a mid-season replacement on NBC on January 20, 2011. She continued to make occasional roundtable appearances on Chelsea Lately, beginning in late 2010. Perfect Couples was removed from the NBC schedule on March 11, 2011 and Kirkman returned to the writing staff of Chelsea Lately in April 2011.
Kirkman performs stand-up regularly in Los Angeles, California, at the Hollywood Improv, The Laugh Factory, Largo and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She has performed nationwide with comedians Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt, Mike Birbiglia and Chelsea Handler. In 2009 and 2010, she performed as part of the Comedians of Chelsea Lately. She has also made appearances on several American television shows, including performances on Conan, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, Late Friday, Premium Blend and Special Sauce. She appears regularly with Paul F. Tompkins on the monthly Pod F. Tompkast podcast.
In 2006, Kirkman released her debut comedy album, Self Help. Her second album, Hail to the Freaks, was recorded live in one night at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on December 11, 2010. It will be released on May 17, 2011 with a bonus disk of additional material.
In 2009, Entertainment Weekly named Kirkman one of the "Top 12 Rising Stars in Comedy." In May 2010, both MSN and The Huffington Post named her one of the top comedians to follow on social networking service Twitter.
On August 21, 2009, she married writer/director Neil Mahoney in a private ceremony at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She is a longtime vegetarian.