Ikechukwu Ufomadu
Ufomadu on stage in 2016
Other namesIke Ufomadu
EducationNew York University (BFA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • writer
Websitewww.ikehimself.com

Ikechukwu "Ike" Ufomadu is an American comedian, actor, and writer. In 2022, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Series for his work on Cake.

Career

Ufomadu studied drama at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008.[1]

Ufomadu has performed comedy in shows throughout New York City.[2] His deadpan style has been described as "so slow, so dry and so demanding of your attention".[3] He often puts on, in his words, an "old-school entertainment type" persona harkening back to the mid-20th century.[3][4] In 2015, he hosted Ike at Night, a live-theater series in the style of talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[5] It featured a comedic opening monologue and guest interviews with an "emphasis on politics and multicultural issues".[5] Later "Ike" shows included Nightcap by Ike, Ike's Wonderful World of Leisure, Ike by Chance, and Ike for the Holidays, several of which were staged at Joe's Pub in Manhattan.[2][6][7]

In 2018, Ufomadu acted in Clare Barron's off-Broadway play Dance Nation; he was part of the original cast that received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble.[8] Ben Brantley of The New York Times commended Ufomadu's "appealing, low-key presence" in the female-led play.[9]

Inspector Ike, a low-budget detective comedy film inspired by Columbo, was released in 2020.[10] Paste magazine wrote that the title character was "skillfully played straight-faced" by Ufomadu, who co-wrote the film with director Graham Mason.[11] Ufomadu voiced Dr. Ike Bloom on Tooning Out the News, an animated satirical news show produced by Stephen Colbert, beginning in 2020.[12]

Ufomadu and Mason contributed the recurring segment "Words with Ike" to the fifth season of FXX's short-form comedy anthology Cake in 2021.[12][13] Vulture wrote that the vocabulary-exploring segment "drives home a feeling that Ufomadu loves comedy because he loves language".[12] For "Words with Ike", Ufomadu was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.[14]

The comedian appeared on six episodes of Showtime's talk show Ziwe in 2022.[15] Vulture included Ufomadu on its list of 24 "Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2022".[12]

References

  1. ↑ "2022 Primetime Emmy Nominations". tisch.nyu.edu. New York University. July 18, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Ikechukwu Ufomadu: Ike for the Holidays". Time Out. November 14, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Alloway, Meredith (August 14, 2018). "Meet the Brooklyn Comedians Whose Work You Already Love". Playboy. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ Logan, Brian (August 17, 2023). "Amusements by Ikechukwu Ufomadu review – inscrutably cool anti-comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Isherwood, Charles (January 11, 2015). "'Hereeeee's Ikechukwu!' (Complete With Sidekick and Fake Cityscape)". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  6. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (January 11, 2018). "What's New in NYC Theater". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Nightcap by Ike". Time Out. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ Evans, Greg (April 25, 2019). "'Oklahoma!' Revival Tops New York Drama Desk Award Nominations; 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Snubbed". Deadline. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ Brantley, Ben (May 8, 2018). "Review: 'Dance Nation,' the Power and the Terror of Girls at 13". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  10. ↑ Kenny, Glenn (February 17, 2022). "'Inspector Ike' Review: A Murder Mystery Send-Up, '70s-TV style". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. ↑ Docalovich, Katarina (March 3, 2022). "Inspector Ike's Throwback Detective Riff Is a Comfort-Food Cult Classic in the Making". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Alter, Rebecca; Fox, Jesse David; Gularte, Alejandra; Kroeger, Jake; Pandya, Hershal; VanArendonk, Kathryn (September 6, 2022). "The Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2022". Vulture. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  13. ↑ "About Cake TV Show". fxnow.fxnetworks.com. FX Networks. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Words With Ike (Cake)". emmys.com. Television Academy. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Ziwe Season 2". sho.com. Showtime. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022.
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