The Most Powerful Stars In Comedy!

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.)