Sarcastic comedian stands up on campus tonight


Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari will be performing stand-up tonight at USC’s Bovard Auditorium. Students anticipate a packed show as the 26-year-old star stops by campus to promote his new CD and DVD, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, which is a recorded performance of the comedian’s first Comedy Central standup special.

The young actor got his start in the world of comedy performing stand-up around New York City while attending New York University. In 2005, Ansari teamed up with fellow comedians Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer, along with director Jason Woliner, to write short films. The group made the sketch comedy show Human Giant, which aired on MTV in 2007.

Ansari currently stars on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, playing a mischievous and swaggering government official who hawkishly flirts with women. With the show in its second season, Ansari has received a considerable amount of praise from critics for his sarcastic brand of humor.

Recently it was announced that Judd Apatow and Universal Pictures have picked up three movie pitches from Aziz Ansari and Jason Woliner. In an interview, Ansari expressed his astonishment, as he did not expect Apatow and Universal Pictures to be interested in realizing all three films. This Apatow and Ansari deal, however, is not the first time the two have worked together. Ansari played an energetic standup comedian named Randy in Apatow’s 2009 comedy/drama film Funny People. The fictional character, Randy, had received such a positive response following Funny People that Ansari plans on centering one of the three movies with Universal on the character. Dates as to when the films will be completed have not yet been announced, but Ansari’s unique brand of dry comedy will be on full display in Bovard tonight.

Event info:

Aziz Ansari

Feb. 8 — 8 p.m.

USC Bovard Auditorium

FREE