Daniel Dwight Tosh is an American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer. He is known for his deliberately offensive and controversial style of black comedy, as the host of the Comedy Central television showTosh.0, and as the star of stand-up comedy tours and specials.
Hey, $15 an hour to annoy people! I really was not preparing myself for the future at all. I had interviews lined up. I sat through one real interview and I was like, 'I wouldn't hire me.' I left halfway through the orientation. That's the closest thing I ever got to a real job.
Tosh moved to Los Angeles, but attributes his decision to work in comedy to being raised in Florida, which he considers "flat, hot, and dumb."
Career
Tosh started touring the comedy club circuit almost immediately after graduating from college. He appeared as one of the "New Faces" at the 1998 Just for Laughs in Montreal. His act was televised in 2000 in Montreal at the Théâtre Saint-Denis. Tosh's career break came in 2001 with a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. He made appearances on programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central's Premium Blend. He hosted a local late-night comedy show in Florida called Tens, and served as a spokesman in Taco Bell commercials. Tosh has been a regular guest on radio shows such as The Bob & Tom Show, Loveline, and Kevin and Bean. In 2003, he performed in his own 30-minute special on Comedy Central Presents. On June 17, 2007, Comedy Central aired his stand-up special: '. He hosted an episode of Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Tosh appeared in an episode of MTV's Punk'd as a criminal who broke into Mekhi Phifer's car. He played a fictional version of himself on "Elevator" produced by HBO's Runawaybox and had a small role as Cowboy Hat in the feature filmThe Love Guru starring Mike Myers. Of his own acting ability, Tosh says, "I’m not a good actor. I can play myself, and a much gayer version of myself. That’s about my range." Tosh had said he planned to end his career on his 38th birthday, May 29, 2013, if he had not by that time succeeded as a comedian. He said he would do this by committing suicide or retiring to the beach. He kept a countdown clock on his website that gave the number of days, minutes, and seconds until his 38th birthday which is when "Daniel's Groundhog Day Ends," a reference to the Bill Murray film. Tosh has described a comic's routine life on the road as "Groundhog Day". His special, ', premiered on Comedy Central on March 6, 2011, with 3.25 million viewers and a 1.9/5 share. It was later released on DVD. Tosh was an executive producer of, and the voice of "Malloy" in, the Comedy Central animated sitcom Brickleberry. The show was cancelled after three seasons on January 7, 2015. In 2013, Forbes estimated Tosh's net worth at $11 million, tied for ninth place in its list of all top-earning comedians whose income is primarily from stage ticket sales. In 2012, Tosh was criticized for an interaction with a female audience member during a set at a Hollywood comedy club. After telling a series of jokes about rape, an audience member remarked that "rape jokes are never funny". Tosh responded by saying it would be funny if the audience member herself were raped by multiple men. The exchange prompted a lengthy debate over the appropriateness of jokes about rape. Tosh later apologized for the joke.
''Tosh.0''
Tosh's Comedy Central television show Tosh.0 premiered on June 5, 2009, based on showcasing Internet video clips. His mocking humor is described as "envelope pushing" and frequently features punchlines that are intentionally self-deprecating, racist, sexist, or homophobic. Tosh's explanation of his non-politically correct humor is "I'm not a misogynistic and racist person...But I do find those jokes funny, so I say them."
In 2011, Forbes reported that Tosh's 60-date nationwide stand-up tour was sold out. In 2014, he performed sold out shows at an average ticket price at $161.94, according to Forbes.
