Stand-up comedy may have gotten popular in the present time, and people’s inclination towards it has made it a regular genre to enjoy. This new-found love for comedy doesn’t imply that stand-up comedy didn’t exist because it did, but with less people knowing about it and experiencing it. The list of comedians in today’s time has a lot of names, but one name that has been ruling the stand-up comedy area since the 1990s is Big Jay Oakerson.
One of the easily known names in present times, Oakerson made his name as a comedian for his unusual, laid-back style and unique, dirty delivery. Though he started slow by doing comedy at local clubs, his popularity and talent opened many doors of opportunities in the entertainment sector, and he nailed each of them. We will analyse his career graph, success, and net worth.
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Early Life
Oakerson was born as Jason Michael Oakerson on 7th December 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was raised and later moved to Blackwood, in Gloucester Township, New Jersey. This event brought huge changes in his life as he moved there with his mother and step-father. His real parents were divorced, and not much about them or his siblings is available publicly.
The separation of his parents did impact him, but he took it positively, and much of his early comedy had references from his own experience. The lack of a father figure in his life somewhere shaped his determination and also laid the foundation for taking comedy as a career.
He went to Camden County College in New Jersey for a very brief period, but dropped out to focus more on his comedy career, where he belonged.
Beginning of Career
After dropping out of college, Oakerson started exploring stand-up comedy and started to perform in Philadelphia in the 1990s at local clubs, but he needed to make money as well, so he also did some odd jobs like chauffeur. His earlier performances were raw and helped him gain experience and skills. After a decade of working in local clubs and open mics, he relocated to New York in the 2000s.
He relocated to New York, where he delved deeper into his comedy skills and gave performances at famous places like Caroline’s on Broadway and The Comedy Cellar. He connected with the audience by delivering raw humor. At the same time, he also did an opening comedy act for famous comedians like Dave Attell.
In the middle of the 2000s, his breakthrough finally came, and he was given a chance to appear on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, which further opened the door to having his own show, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special in 2006. His television appearance helped him gain a larger audience. In the late 2000s, he started to perform at various national locations, along with appearing in shows like “P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy (HBO). He also made a reputation of a comedian with the best skills of crowd work.
In the 2010s, he kept on working on television and comedy and appeared in “Louie (FX),” “Inside Army Schumer,” and “This Is Not Happening.” In 2014, he released his first full-length comedy album, “An American Storyteller.” In 2015, he co-launched a show with Dan Soder on SiriusXM’s Comedy Central Radio, “The Bonfire.” He later turned the show into a fiction talk and had long conversations mixing different genres.
At present, he continues to appear on Television along with running two successful radio shows and podcasts, “The Bonfire” and “Legion of Skanks.” He has also appeared on Netflix’s show “The Degenerated (Season 2).
Shot to Fame
He shot to fame when he appeared on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend further followed with his own show, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special in 2006.
Relationships
Much of his personal life has been kept away from the limelight, and all we know is that he was previously married and has a daughter named Isabella.
Major Sources of Income and Net Worth
It is assumed that Oakerson has a net worth of $2 million to $3.5 million, which he accumulated by doing stand-up comedy. His income is also generated by hosting shows, television appearances, and radio and podcast.
