# Nate Jackson (comedian)
**Nate Jackson** (born 1983) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and club owner from Lacey, Washington, known for fully improvised crowd work that he performs as the centerpiece of his shows rather than as a break between prepared jokes. He built his career in the Tacoma comedy scene, founded the Super Funny Comedy Club there, and reached a national audience in 2025 with his debut Netflix special *Nate Jackson: Super Funny*.[1](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-07/nate-jackson-super-funny-netflix-special-crowdwork)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983, Lacey, Washington; based in Tacoma[1](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html) • [3](https://briefly.co.za/facts-lifehacks/celebrities-biographies/221537-meet-nate-jackson-fastest-rising-comedians-us/) |
| Start in comedy | Dared by a friend to enter a comedy contest while at Eastern Washington University[4](https://tommyts.com/bios/nate-jackson/) |
| Comedy club | Founded Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club in Tacoma in 2020; described by its operators as the only Black-owned club in the Pacific Northwest[5](https://superfunnycomedyclub.com/about/) |
| Netflix special | *Nate Jackson: Super Funny*, released July 8, 2025; 1 hour 3 minutes, directed by Marcus Russell Price; premiered at #3 on the Netflix Top 10[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nate_jackson_super_funny) • [7](https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/artists/nate-jackson) |
| Online reach | More than 4 million TikTok followers and 700 million global views[7](https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/artists/nate-jackson) |
| Screen roles | Recurring as "The Junk Yard Dog" on NBC's *Young Rock*; appearances on *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, *Wild 'N Out*, *All Def Comedy*, and *Hart of the City*; films *Spirited* and *Good Fortune*[8](https://natejacksoncomedy2.squarespace.com/bio) |
| Touring | Big Dog Comedy Tour began September 19, 2025 at the Victoria Theatre in Dayton, Ohio[9](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?page=1&tt_scene=anchor_view) |
## Early life and start in comedy
Jackson grew up in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia, and attended Eastern Washington University, where he studied organizational communications.[1](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html) His entry into comedy came from a dare: a friend challenged him to enter a comedy contest, he accepted, and he has described that contest as the start of his career.[4](https://tommyts.com/bios/nate-jackson/) He performed in clubs in and around Spokane while still a full-time student.[1](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html)
After graduating he moved to Hollywood to pursue comedy, working the Los Angeles club circuit in the early 2000s. "The Haha Cafe. The Improv. The Laugh Factory," he told the *Atlanta Journal-Constitution*. "I went everywhere, every night of the week, two or three clubs a night."[10](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/rising-star-stand-up-comic-nate-jackson-has-become-the-king-of-crowd-work/VQ63YTHU45GHJPWX5J2OPVCTQU/) He later returned to Washington, ran comedy rooms around the greater [Puget Sound](https://www.edgepedia.org/puget-sound) area, and consolidated them into a weekly Thursday show, the **Super Funny Comedy Show**, which he started in 2010.[4](https://tommyts.com/bios/nate-jackson/) That show booked touring headliners such as [Lil Rel Howery](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-rel-howery), Tiffany Haddish, Leslie Jones, and [Deon Cole](https://www.edgepedia.org/deon-cole), and it became the foundation of his later club.[11](https://www.aol.com/nate-jackson-made-name-viral-100000241.html)
In 2010 he won the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition, whose earlier recipients have included [Jamie Foxx](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-foxx) and Don "D.C." Curry.[12](https://superfunnycomedyclub.com/tm-attraction/nate-jackson/) • [1](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html) In 2019, Time Out LA named him one of its "Top 10 Comedians to Watch," and in 2017 he wrote for Leslie Jones at the [BET Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/bet-awards).[13](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?tt_scene=anchor_view)
## Crowd work and the TikTok rise
**Crowd work** is the improvised banter between a comedian and audience members, traditionally a brief change of pace between prepared bits. Jackson made it the main event. Since at least 2024 he has performed a monthly all-crowd-work show at his Tacoma club, spending up to 90 minutes on stage doing nothing but interacting with the audience.[14](https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article296001509.html) A February 2024 taping of one such hour-long show, released online, drew more than 173,000 views in four days.[10](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/rising-star-stand-up-comic-nate-jackson-has-become-the-king-of-crowd-work/VQ63YTHU45GHJPWX5J2OPVCTQU/)
He has said he initially resisted making crowd work central to his act, because a joke worked on for months ought to land harder than an off-the-cuff remark, but that "organic humor wins almost every single time." He treats the form as structured rather than random, steering interactions from a setup through misdirection to a payoff that can make an entire show feel pre-planned.[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-07/nate-jackson-super-funny-netflix-special-crowdwork) He also frames the roasting as good-natured: as a member of the [Omega Psi Phi](https://www.edgepedia.org/omega-psi-phi) fraternity, he cites its principle "to uplift" and says he wants audience members to leave feeling good even after being roasted.[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-07/nate-jackson-super-funny-netflix-special-crowdwork)
[Social media](https://www.edgepedia.org/social-media) turned this style into a national following. Jackson experimented with Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat before TikTok, where clips of his crowd work accumulated more than 4 million followers and 700 million global views.[10](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/rising-star-stand-up-comic-nate-jackson-has-become-the-king-of-crowd-work/VQ63YTHU45GHJPWX5J2OPVCTQU/) • [7](https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/artists/nate-jackson) He has described social media as his "day-time hustle" alongside stand-up, and the cycle of stage to short-form video and back has filled his club weeks and theater dates.[10](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/rising-star-stand-up-comic-nate-jackson-has-become-the-king-of-crowd-work/VQ63YTHU45GHJPWX5J2OPVCTQU/) • [15](https://www.natejackson.org/tickets)
## Super Funny Comedy Club
In 2020 Jackson opened **Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club** in Tacoma, converting the weekly show he had run since 2010 into a full-service venue with multiple shows weekly. The club's own history describes it as the only Black-owned comedy club in the [Pacific Northwest](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-northwest), and a [Ticketmaster](https://www.edgepedia.org/ticketmaster) biography calls it the largest Black-owned comedy club in America.[5](https://superfunnycomedyclub.com/about/) • [13](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?tt_scene=anchor_view) Jackson had announced the project in June 2020 with a partner, telling the *Tacoma News Tribune*, "Honestly this is the biggest club in Pacific Northwest history."[16](https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/article243677012.html)
The club serves as his home base between tours, a place where he mentors newer comics through workshops, curates showcases for diverse voices, and runs charity events such as holiday toy drives.[15](https://www.natejackson.org/tickets) • [8](https://natejacksoncomedy2.squarespace.com/bio)
## Television, film, and the Netflix special
Jackson's television credits include MTV's *Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out*, on which he also served as a consulting producer, HBO's *All Def Comedy*, Comedy Central's *Kevin Hart's Hart of the City*, Bounce TV's *Off The Chain*, BET's *Comic View*, TruTV's *Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks*, and HBO's *Curb Your Enthusiasm*.[13](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?tt_scene=anchor_view) • [17](https://www.overture.org/media/q3souoos/102824_nate-jackson-at-overture-press-release_approved.pdf) He had a recurring role as "The Junk Yard Dog" on NBC's *Young Rock*, the sitcom based on [Dwayne Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/dwayne-johnson)'s life, appearing in five episodes.[8](https://natejacksoncomedy2.squarespace.com/bio) • [14](https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article296001509.html) His film work includes the Apple TV+ movie *Spirited* and [Aziz Ansari](https://www.edgepedia.org/aziz-ansari)'s *Good Fortune*, alongside [Keanu Reeves](https://www.edgepedia.org/keanu-reeves), Seth Rogen, and Keke Palmer, and he has a featured role in Peacock's reboot of *The Office*.[8](https://natejacksoncomedy2.squarespace.com/bio) • [17](https://www.overture.org/media/q3souoos/102824_nate-jackson-at-overture-press-release_approved.pdf) • [18](https://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/events/detail/nate-jackson)
His first one-hour Netflix special, *Nate Jackson: Super Funny*, was taped at sold-out January 2025 shows at Seattle's Neptune Theatre and released on July 8, 2025, premiering at #3 on the Netflix Top 10.[14](https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article296001509.html) • [7](https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/artists/nate-jackson) The 63-minute special, directed by Marcus Russell Price, gives his improvised crowd work equal billing with his written material, blending it with takes on topics from judgment-free gyms to catfishing.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nate_jackson_super_funny)
## Touring
The **Big Dog Comedy Tour**, his first major theater run, began on September 19, 2025 at the Victoria Theatre in [Dayton, Ohio](https://www.edgepedia.org/dayton-ohio), and continued through May 2026, with dates across the United States and later stops in Australia and New Zealand.[9](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?page=1&tt_scene=anchor_view) • [19](https://www.natejackson.org/tour) A typical night pairs an opener with a 60-to-75-minute headlining set built around crowd work, storytelling, and a tour DJ whose music cues fuel his interactive bits.[19](https://www.natejackson.org/tour)
## Name collisions
At least two other public figures share the name. A former [Denver Broncos](https://www.edgepedia.org/denver-broncos) tight end named Nate Jackson wrote a book about his playing career, which the comedian says periodically pushed the athlete's pages above his own in search results; he also shares his name with a deputy entertainment and arts editor at the *Los Angeles Times*, whose July 2025 profile of the comedian was written by one Nate Jackson about another.[11](https://www.aol.com/nate-jackson-made-name-viral-100000241.html) • [20](https://www.latimes.com/people/nate-jackson)
## References
1. [Nate Jackson – Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/nate-jackson.html)
2. [Nate Jackson made his name on viral crowd work, but his comedy is so much more, Los Angeles Times (July 7, 2025)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-07/nate-jackson-super-funny-netflix-special-crowdwork)
3. [Meet Nate Jackson: one of the fastest-rising comedians in the US, Briefly](https://briefly.co.za/facts-lifehacks/celebrities-biographies/221537-meet-nate-jackson-fastest-rising-comedians-us/)
4. [Nate Jackson, Tommy T's Comedy Club biography](https://tommyts.com/bios/nate-jackson/)
5. [About Super Funny, Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club](https://superfunnycomedyclub.com/about/)
6. [Nate Jackson: Super Funny, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nate_jackson_super_funny)
7. [Nate Jackson, Netflix Is A Joke Festival 2026](https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/artists/nate-jackson)
8. [About, Nate Jackson official biography](https://natejacksoncomedy2.squarespace.com/bio)
9. [Nate Jackson Tickets, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?page=1&tt_scene=anchor_view)
10. [Rising star stand-up comic Nate Jackson has become the king of crowd work, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 5, 2024)](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/rising-star-stand-up-comic-nate-jackson-has-become-the-king-of-crowd-work/VQ63YTHU45GHJPWX5J2OPVCTQU/)
11. [Nate Jackson made a career on viral crowd work, but his name was built on much more than that, Los Angeles Times via AOL (July 7, 2025)](https://www.aol.com/nate-jackson-made-name-viral-100000241.html)
12. [Nate Jackson, Super Funny Comedy Club attraction page](https://superfunnycomedyclub.com/tm-attraction/nate-jackson/)
13. [Nate Jackson Tickets, Ticketmaster artist page](https://www.ticketmaster.com/nate-jackson-tickets/artist/1322986?tt_scene=anchor_view)
14. [Tacoma's Nate Jackson's star is rising with 'The Office' role and Netflix comedy special, Tacoma News Tribune (December 25, 2024)](https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article296001509.html)
15. [Nate Jackson Tickets & Tour Dates 2026](https://www.natejackson.org/tickets)
16. [Lacey native Nate Jackson brings comedy home to the Northwest with new Tacoma club, Tacoma News Tribune (June 25, 2020)](https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/article243677012.html)
17. [Nate Jackson at Overture Center press release (October 28, 2024)](https://www.overture.org/media/q3souoos/102824_nate-jackson-at-overture-press-release_approved.pdf)
18. [Nate Jackson, The Auditorium Theatre event page](https://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/events/detail/nate-jackson)
19. [Nate Jackson Tour 2026](https://www.natejackson.org/tour)
20. [Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times staff page](https://www.latimes.com/people/nate-jackson)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1980 onward › Surnames A to M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license