Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, TV personality, political analyst, and author who hosts The Daily Show. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 20, 1984. His stand-up comedy often includes jokes about growing up in South Africa.
His father was Swiss white and his mother was South African Xhosa. Interracial relationships were illegal during apartheid, so Noah’s parents hid their connection until he was born. Noah was raised in Soweto, a Black-only area outside Johannesburg, by his mother and grandmother. Because mixed-race children were often removed from their parents, they hid Noah from the authorities. At age 10, apartheid ended.
Noah had an uncredited role in Isidingo in 2002. Before Noah’s Ark, he hosted a family-friendly educational TV show. 22-year-old friends challenged him to perform at a nightclub. He entertained the audience with stories about his friends and daily life. Noah continued performing at comedy clubs and gained a following. As his reputation expanded in South Africa, he began hosting sports and dating shows and giving prizes. Noah was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.
Noah’s 2009 solo comedy show, The Daywalker, launched. The 1,100-seat Johannesburg theater sold out, and the DVD topped the charts. Later, he hosted Tonight with Trevor Noah (2010–11). In 2012, Noah debuted The Racist at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. South African comedian Noah debuted on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012. 2013’s Trevor Noah: African American starred Noah. His comedy tours throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East were quite successful, despite his declining fame in the U.S.
Noah began appearing on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2014. Noah replaced Stewart the next year. Trevor Noah’s Daily Show followed the half-hour news format. The opening statement sometimes included satirical or sarcastic punchlines and a recap of the day’s news. Usually, a “mockumentary” follows by entertaining reporting on an odd or notable subject. The show finished with a celebrity or politician interview. Noah’s popularity grew with The Daily Show, especially as he started covering international news.
Noah continues his global stand-up tour while hosting The Daily Show. Trevor Noah produced Lost in Translation (2015), Afraid of the Dark (2017), and Son of Patricia (2018). Noah partnered with American media giant Viacom in 2018 to launch Day Zero Productions. In the same year, he launched the Johannesburg-based Trevor Noah Foundation to help young people become successful adults. Noah founded On Second Thought in 2019 to discuss sports, race, and science. He hosted the Grammys in 2021 and 2022.
Noah’s 2016 memoir is Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. Later, he created It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime, a younger-targeted edition (2019).
English