Don Reed

Don Reed is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, producer, and storyteller whose career spans television, film, stage, and broadcasting. Reed was recruited to UCLA for intercollegiate speech and debate competition, where he became a national champion in competitive events including Speech to Entertain, Poetry, and Dramatic readings—a foundation that has informed every dimension of his career. While performing stand-up comedy at NACA, Reed caught the attention of comedian Sinbad, who helped him secure roles in two episodes of "A Different World," the television spin-off of "The Cosby Show." He also appeared on the HBO television program "Dream On," Robert Townsend's HBO special "Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime," and the film "The Meteor Man." Reed received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards: one each for "Dream On," "The Cosby Show," and "Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime."

After a run Off-Broadway with one of his one-man storytelling shows, Reed was selected by the executive producers of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to perform stand-up for the live studio audience daily as the warm-up comedian for more than 1,000 episodes. He is the first African American warm-up comedian for a major late-night show. Reed later co-headed the Voice Over/Radio Division for NBC Advertising & Promotion, where he wrote, directed, and produced advertising for a wide range of NBC programming, including "Will & Grace," "Saturday Night Live," and "30 Rock." His voice-over work includes credits for "Spiderman," "The Flintstones," "2 Broke Girls," and network promos.

Reed is known for his solo theatrical shows, debuting with the autobiographical "East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player" and presenting a total of five solo shows. Publications such as The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, and New York Times have recognized his impact on the solo performance scene, with shows running Off-Broadway in New York City as well as in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. His show "East 14th" received the Theater Bay Area Award for Outstanding Production of a Solo Show and was an NAACP Double Nominee for Best Actor and Best Playwright. His second show, "The Kipling Hotel: The 80's," was also a nominee in the playwright category. Reed was honored with the Snap Judgment NPR/WNYC Performance of the Year for his story "I Miss Toni," which has been used as a teaching tool from high schools to American University's Fine Arts Masters Program in Washington, D.C.

Reed co-starred in the Amazon Prime streaming comedy series "Bartlett," alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of "Hamilton." He also secured an agreement with Carson Entertainment Group to access the entire library of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" for his solo production "The Never Too Late Show." Reed became an author with Simon & Schuster, writing a memoir based on his solo shows. He also created, hosts, and produces "Redwood Nights: Storytelling Under the Stars" at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, California. As a keynote speaker on diversity and inclusion, Reed brings storytelling, comedy, and performance expertise to corporate and public audiences across stage, screen, and radio.