The “Hollywood Reporter” says that comedy is surging in popularity, so they’ve put together a list of the most powerful people in comedy.
They say attendance at comedy clubs in the U.S. is up 20% since a decade ago, and top touring acts can pull in up to eight figures.
There are 40 entries on the list, but some of them include multiple people. And they’re not all comedians or actors, there are also writers, directors, TV executives, agents, and producers. Here are the highlights…
Dave Chappelle
Tina Fey
Donald Glover
Kevin Hart
Gabriel Iglesias
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Seth MacFarlane
Melissa McCarthy
Kate McKinnon
Kumail Nanjiani
Amy Poehler
Chris Rock
Adam Sandler
Amy Schumer
Jerry Seinfeld
Comic ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
Will Ferrell and his creative partner Adam McKay
Seth Rogen and his creative partner Evan Goldberg
Director Judd Apatow, who did “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”
The “Stand-Ups on the Rise”: Michelle Wolf, Ali Wong, and John Mulaney
The “Late-Night Hosts”: Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, James Corden, Samantha Bee, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, and Conan O’Brien.
(HollywoodReporter.com has the full list, along with write-ups on each.)