Ismo Leikola

Ismo Leikola, known professionally as ISMO, is a Finnish stand-up comedian, author, musician, screenwriter, and YouTuber recognized for transforming the nuances of language and culture into globally relatable comedy. Prior to his comedy career, Leikola studied physics and philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, where he was introduced to stand-up at the campus bar Ilokivi and made his debut performance. This experience led him to study stand-up comedy through VHS tapes of Eddie Murphy and Eddie Izzard, and within a short period, he began performing across Finland. Leikola started performing in English while visiting the United Kingdom, a move that contributed to his emergence as a distinctive voice in international comedy.

Leikola gained prominence as one of Finland's leading performers, writing and starring in two seasons of his sitcom "ISMO" and releasing several DVD specials. His debut DVD special, "Good Gig and a Hell of a Lot of Extras," achieved platinum sales, while "Ismo Leikola: Growing as a Person" reached gold status shortly after its release. His nine-part comedy show "ISMO" for Finnish broadcaster Elisa Viihde was nominated for best Television Comedy Series at the Golden Venla gala hosted by the Finnish Television Academy. Leikola is a six-time recipient of the Audience Favourite Comedian Award at the Tomaatteja! Tomaatteja! stand-up festival in Finland.

Leikola won the "Funniest Person in the World" contest hosted by the Laugh Factory, a Hollywood comedy club, marking his U.S. debut. After relocating to Los Angeles, he established a presence on the American comedy circuit. Leikola appeared on "Conan," becoming the first Finnish comedian to feature on an American talk show. His segment analyzing the English word "ass" became the most-watched stand-up comedy clip in the show's history and remains one of the most viewed late-night sets, with over 80 million views.

Leikola has appeared on national television programs including "Last Call with Carson Daly," "Conan," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," and NBC's "Bring the Funny." He is known for his unique approach to dissecting languages and collaborated with Merriam-Webster on a digital comedy series focused on the English language. Leikola performed for 45,000 people at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as an opening act for Gabriel Iglesias. He has toured in more than 25 U.S. states and internationally, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

Leikola published the international edition of his bestselling book "US & us: Surviving Hollywood With Comedy," which became one of the most listened-to audiobooks in Finland. The book offers insights into stand-up comedy in the United States and explores the differences between Finnish and American cultures. Leikola's comedy often features philosophical and science-based themes, with a focus on analyzing the Finnish and English languages, logic, and the breakdown of concepts. He has also co-hosted Top Gear Suomi on MTV3 alongside Teemu Selänne and Christoffer Strandberg, demonstrating his versatility within the entertainment industry and his ongoing influence in global comedy.