# Robert Kelly (comedian)
**Robert Kelly** (born 1970), also known informally as **Bobby Kelly** and nicknamed "Kells Bells", is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcast host from [Medford, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/medford-massachusetts), a suburb just north of Boston[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6740702928) • [2](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/robert-kelly) • [3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html). His comedy is drawn from his own life and relationships, which his own biography describes as making it "honest, abrasively funny, yet refreshingly vulnerable"[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/). On television he has played [Louis C.K.](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-c-k)'s brother Robbie on the FX series *Louie* and the drummer Bam Bam on [Denis Leary](https://www.edgepedia.org/denis-leary)'s *Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll*, and he hosts or co-hosts several podcasts, including *You Know What Dude?* and *The Bonfire* on SiriusXM[2](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/robert-kelly) • [5](https://time.com/3953682/sex-drugs-rock-roll-denis-leary-review/) • [4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970, United States[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6740702928) |
| Hometown | Medford, Massachusetts; built his career in the Boston and New York comedy scenes[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html) |
| Signature TV roles | Louie C.K.'s brother Robbie on *Louie* (FX, 2010 to 2015); Bam Bam on Denis Leary's *Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll* (FX)[2](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/robert-kelly) • [5](https://time.com/3953682/sex-drugs-rock-roll-denis-leary-review/) |
| Arena touring | Feature on Dane Cook's "Isolated Incident Tour" in 2009, performing for over 1 million people in 80 arenas across the country[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly) |
| Podcasts | Host of *You Know What Dude?*; co-host of *The Bonfire* on SiriusXM, *The Regz*, *Bone To Pick* with Paul Virzi, and *Calta and Kelly* with Mike Calta[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/) • [7](https://vanyaland.com/2026/10/14/micd-up-robert-kelly-brings-the-tude-we-all-love-to-laugh-boston/) |
| Specials | *Robert Kelly: Live at the Village Underground* (2014) and *Kill Box* (2022), self-released through robertkellylive.com[8](https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/06/27/episode-101-robert-kelly/) • [4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/) |
## Early life and start in comedy
Kelly grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, and has described a difficult childhood: at 10, he says, he was drinking whiskey, and at 13 he was on the streets and getting busted[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html). The Laugh Factory biography similarly describes his early days as a kid growing up in Boston in and out of Juvenile Hall[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly).
Getting sober at 15 set his career in motion. He discovered stand-up comedy while attending the International Conference of Young People in [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://www.edgepedia.org/alcoholics-anonymous) when it was held at Boston's Park Plaza in 1987, the same age at which he got clean and sober, and then sought out classic records by [Richard Pryor](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-pryor) and [Bill Cosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-cosby)[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html). He has discussed getting sober at 15 in interviews ahead of his shows, including one before a Raleigh date[9](https://www.wral.com/archive/17560951/). He then started going to Nick's Comedy Stop, where he saw Boston comics such as Steve Sweeney and Don Gavin[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html).
His early comedy circle connected him with comics he later worked alongside. He formed an improv group that auditioned and welcomed a young [Dane Cook](https://www.edgepedia.org/dane-cook), a run that ended in a notoriously bad gig at [Boston Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-garden); he later started over in stand-up and roomed with [Bill Burr](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-burr) when he moved to New York City[8](https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/06/27/episode-101-robert-kelly/). In a GiantMouse interview he named getting booed off stage at the Boston Garden early in his career with his improv troupe, Al and the Monkeys, as a formative moment[10](https://www.giantmouse.com/blogs/news/knifestyles-robert-kelly). Apple Music's artist profile likewise credits an improv comedy troupe as the place he met Dane Cook, beginning a friendship that lasted as the two split into solo stand-up careers[11](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/robert-kelly/277045250).
## Stand-up career
Kelly describes his delivery as distinctly Boston. "Boston comedy is a machine gun," he told *The Boston Globe*, adding "I'm definitely a Boston comic"; he contrasts that joke-dense style with comedy that has evolved toward more pauses and quiet time[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html) • [12](https://www.straight.com/arts/579281/robert-kellys-dick-jokes-now-come-heart). His subject matter sits squarely in "working blue" territory: sex, bodily functions, and unsparing self-deprecation about his own weight, delivered with what the *Globe* called a cheerful, headlong lack of propriety[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html).
**Touring.** Kelly has toured clubs, colleges, and theaters nationwide, with repeat performances at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/). He traveled across the country on the "Tourgasm Live" tour with Dane Cook and [Gary Gulman](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-gulman), a 2005 stand-up tour that wound up as the HBO series *Tourgasm* in 2006[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly) • [13](https://glamorosi.blogspot.com/2018/09/Interview-Robert-Kelly-Discusses-TV-Comedy-Life.html). In 2009 he performed for over 1 million people in 80 arenas across the country as a feature on Dane Cook's "Isolated Incident Tour"; that year he also opened for Cook at what was then GM Place in Vancouver[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly) • [12](https://www.straight.com/arts/579281/robert-kellys-dick-jokes-now-come-heart). Festival appearances include [Just for Laughs](https://www.edgepedia.org/just-for-laughs) in Montreal in 2008 and 2010, the South Beach Comedy Festival, HBO's Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, and the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen in 2007[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly).
**Specials.** Kelly has favored self-release over traditional distribution. In 2014 he sold his stand-up concert film on his own site, on his own terms, and the one-hour special *Robert Kelly: Live at the Village Underground* debuted on [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central)[8](https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/06/27/episode-101-robert-kelly/) • [14](https://device.report/m/4dc2538a2164a7d20174f3bd78c57b44cf54d570738d100e0f7d0a655f47d8c3.pdf). He taped that first special at the Village Underground in New York in June 2013, at a show that sold out[15](https://www.villagevoice.com/you-know-what-dude-its-robert-kelly-live-from-the-village-underground/). His most recent one-hour special, *Kill Box*, is sold through his website rather than a streaming service[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/). He has also appeared on Netflix's *The Degenerates* season 2[14](https://device.report/m/4dc2538a2164a7d20174f3bd78c57b44cf54d570738d100e0f7d0a655f47d8c3.pdf).
His weight has been part of his act and, more recently, of his life story. By the early 2020s he had lost 140 pounds after bariatric surgery, a change he has discussed in interviews[16](https://www.timesunion.com/theater/article/robert-kelly-interview-cohoes-19816200.php). In a 2026 radio interview he joked about the timing, saying he was upset that he had gastric bypass surgery a year before GLP-1 drugs became widely discussed[17](https://kygo.com/interview-comedian-robert-kelly-is-excited-the-patriots-are-in-the-super-bowl-and-excited-to-perform-at-comedy-works/).
## Acting
Kelly's best-known acting roles came from friendships with two comics-turned-showrunners. Louis C.K. cast him in a recurring role as his brother Robbie on the FX series *Louie*; he appeared during the first, fourth, and fifth seasons between 2010 and 2015, and has rated the performance among the best of his acting career[2](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/robert-kelly) • [3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html). Denis Leary chose Kelly to play Bam Bam, the drummer of the reunited band the Heathens, on the FX comedy *Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll*; for the part Kelly learned to play the drums through Skype lessons three times a week from an instructor in Scotland[5](https://time.com/3953682/sex-drugs-rock-roll-denis-leary-review/) • [3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html).
In film, Kelly played the role of Bobby in the 2022 comedy *Fourth of July*[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/). His other screen credits include roles in *Trainwreck*, *Unsane*, *Ghost Town*, *Good Luck Chuck*, and guest appearances on *Maron*, *Nurse Jackie*, *Inside Amy Schumer*, and *Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn*[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/) • [6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly). His television comedy credits also include the Comedy Central special *Comics Anonymous*, *Comedy Central Presents: Robert Kelly*, HBO's *Tourgasm*, *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, *Premium Blend*, and *The Carson Daly Show*[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly), and he has performed on *The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon* and appears recurring on the Comedy Central series *This Week At The Comedy Cellar*[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/).
## Podcasting
Kelly entered podcasting early. He founded his own podcast network, Riotcast, and hosts *You Know What Dude?*, a weekly show built around comedians new and old trying to one-up and out-wit each other, with no topics and no filter[8](https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/06/27/episode-101-robert-kelly/) • [18](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robert-kellys-you-know-what-dude/id371045355). He has described the show as what you get if you sat at the back table of any comedy club, and he records live and unedited extra versions through Patreon[19](https://badfeelingmag.com/everybody-here-is-a-killer-robert-kelly-on-the-nasty-show-at-just-for-laughs-interview/) • [18](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robert-kellys-you-know-what-dude/id371045355).
Several of his frequent podcast collaborators have joined him in other shows. Kelly co-hosts *The Bonfire* on SiriusXM alongside fellow comedian [Big Jay Oakerson](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-jay-oakerson), and co-hosts *The Regz* with [Dan Soder](https://www.edgepedia.org/dan-soder), Luis J. Gomez, and Joe List[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/) • [7](https://vanyaland.com/2026/10/14/micd-up-robert-kelly-brings-the-tude-we-all-love-to-laugh-boston/). He also co-hosts *Bone To Pick* with Paul Virzi and *Calta and Kelly* with Mike Calta[4](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/).
## Reception
Kelly has long carried the "comic's comic" label: the *Boston Globe* describes him as a heavy-duty jokester who treats every gig like a comedians' hang[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html). On [Ticketmaster](https://www.edgepedia.org/ticketmaster) his shows carry a 4.7 out of 5 rating from 103 reviews[20](https://www.ticketmaster.com/robert-kelly-tickets/artist/1150487?tt_scene=anchor_view). His long association with Denis Leary's Boston benefit show Comics Come Home has continued: he delivered one of the most uproarious sets at the 20th annual edition at TD Garden, and he remains on the bill for the show's 2026 edition at the same venue[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html) • [21](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917uQNf/robert-kelly-events).
Kelly lives in New York City with his wife and their two dogs, according to his Laugh Factory biography[6](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly).
## References
1. [Robert Kelly, Apple Snapshot profile](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6740702928)
2. [Robert Kelly, Standupedia](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/robert-kelly)
3. [James Sullivan, "Kelly's having too much fun to be embarrassed," The Boston Globe, May 11, 2015](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/11/kelly-having-too-much-fun-embarrassed/ejz8qBbCF6ST0aqHCY72IL/story.html)
4. [Biography, Robert Kelly Live](https://robertkellylive.com/biography/)
5. [Review: Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll Delivers Rock of the Aged, TIME, July 2015](https://time.com/3953682/sex-drugs-rock-roll-denis-leary-review/)
6. [Robert Kelly, Laugh Factory comedian profile](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/RobertKelly)
7. [Jason Greenough, "Mic'd Up: Robert Kelly brings the 'tude we all love to Laugh Boston," Vanyaland, October 14, 2026](https://vanyaland.com/2026/10/14/micd-up-robert-kelly-brings-the-tude-we-all-love-to-laugh-boston/)
8. [Sean L. McCarthy, "Episode #101: Robert Kelly," The Comic's Comic, June 27, 2016](https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/06/27/episode-101-robert-kelly/)
9. ["'Sober at 15': Boston comedian talks addiction ahead of Raleigh show," WRAL](https://www.wral.com/archive/17560951/)
10. ["Knifestyles: Robert Kelly," GiantMouse](https://www.giantmouse.com/blogs/news/knifestyles-robert-kelly)
11. [Robert Kelly, Apple Music artist profile](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/robert-kelly/277045250)
12. ["Robert Kelly's dick jokes now come from the heart," The Georgia Straight](https://www.straight.com/arts/579281/robert-kellys-dick-jokes-now-come-heart)
13. ["Interview: Robert Kelly Discusses TV, Comedy and Life," Glamorosi, September 2018](https://glamorosi.blogspot.com/2018/09/Interview-Robert-Kelly-Discusses-TV-Comedy-Life.html)
14. ["In Theaters July 1, 2" promotional listing including Robert Kelly bio](https://device.report/m/4dc2538a2164a7d20174f3bd78c57b44cf54d570738d100e0f7d0a655f47d8c3.pdf)
15. ["You Know What Dude? It's Robert Kelly Live From the Village Underground," The Village Voice](https://www.villagevoice.com/you-know-what-dude-its-robert-kelly-live-from-the-village-underground/)
16. [Steve Barnes, "Podcast and video: Steve Barnes interviews comedian Robert Kelly," Times Union](https://www.timesunion.com/theater/article/robert-kelly-interview-cohoes-19816200.php)
17. ["Interview: Comedian Robert Kelly is excited the Patriots are in the Big Game," 98.5 KYGO, February 6, 2026](https://kygo.com/interview-comedian-robert-kelly-is-excited-the-patriots-are-in-the-super-bowl-and-excited-to-perform-at-comedy-works/)
18. [Robert Kelly's You Know What Dude!, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robert-kellys-you-know-what-dude/id371045355)
19. ["'Everybody here is a killer': Robert Kelly on The Nasty Show at Just for Laughs," Bad Feeling Magazine](https://badfeelingmag.com/everybody-here-is-a-killer-robert-kelly-on-the-nasty-show-at-just-for-laughs-interview/)
20. [Robert Kelly Tickets, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/robert-kelly-tickets/artist/1150487?tt_scene=anchor_view)
21. [Robert Kelly, 2026 Tour Dates, Live Nation](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917uQNf/robert-kelly-events)
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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 1970–1979*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: 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