Jonah Ray

Class of 2000; comedian, writer.

What is Jonah Ray known for?

Born on August 3, 1982, in Kailua, Hawaii, Jonah Ray Rodrigues, professionally known as Jonah Ray, is a renowned American actor, comedian, and writer. His journey to success started in his homeland, where he engaged with local rock/punk bands before moving to Los Angeles. In LA, he initially explored opportunities in punk rock before finally focusing on writing and performing comedy.

Jonah began his television career as a writer's assistant for The Andy Milonakis Show. He continued to diversify his career and worked as a writer and performer on Showtime's sketch comedy pilot The Offensive Show. He has performed sketches and stand-up acts at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles and has made appearances on multiple TV programs.

One of his notable stints was co-hosting a weekly comedy show called The Meltdown with Kumail Nanjiani. The show was so successful that Comedy Central produced a television version of it, which ran for three seasons from 2014 to 2016.

Jonah was also a co-host of The Nerdist Podcast and television show. Additionally, he launched a podcast titled Jonah Raydio in 2012, featuring guests from various independent music scenes.

In a major career highlight, in 2015 he was chosen by Joel Hodgson to be the host of the continuation series of the popular show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Successfully funded through Kickstarter, the series was released worldwide by Netflix in 2017, with Jonah playing the character Jonah Heston for seasons 11 and 12.

On the music front, Jonah has a record label called Literally Figurative Records which aims to feature "a comic on one side and band they are friends with on the other." Further demonstrating his versatility, Ray has also recorded a seven-inch record of his stand-up comedy and released videos from South by Southwest on comedy website Super Deluxe.

With his multifaceted career trajectory in comedy, writing, acting, and music, Jonah Ray, a proud alumnus of Kalaheo High School, continues to make a significant mark in the entertainment world.