Reginald D. Hunter Explained

Reginald D. Hunter
Birth Name:Reginald Darnell Hunter
Birth Date:26 March 1969
Birth Place:Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality:American
Active:1992–present

Reginald Darnell Hunter (born March 26, 1969)[1] [2] is an American stand-up comedian based in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Hunter was born in Albany, Georgia, the youngest of nine.[2]

He undertook an acting internship in Jackson, Mississippi, at age 20.[3]

Career

Stand-up

Having initially travelled to the UK at the age of 27 as a summer student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[4] Hunter became a comedian after performing his first comedy set as a dare, for which he received £100. Realising that he enjoyed performing comedy, and that it might be profitable, he turned his attention from acting to stand-up.

In 2006 and 2008, Hunter participated in Project X Presents events. In 2013 he toured Ireland with his show In the Midst of Crackers.[5]

Hunter often uses variations of the term "nigga" in the titles of his shows. In 2006, Reginald D Hunter: Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas attracted some controversy, and the poster was banned from the London Underground.[6] His tour with Steve Hughes, called Trophy Nigga, played 55 venues around the UK, but not all the venues used the tour title. Hunter joked that this was because promoters didn't like the word "trophy".

In April 2013, Hunter performed at an engagement for the Professional Footballers' Association. Following the event, PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle accused Hunter of racism, as he had used the word "nigger" during his set. Carlisle also said that some of those present had found Hunter's material "highly offensive". In response, Hunter posted to his Facebook page many photos of himself taken after his set with people attending the event, with most smiling.[7] [8]

Reviewing Hunter's 2024 stand-up tour in The Standard, Bruce Dessau wrote that Hunter "moves elegantly from big topic to big topic, concisely skewering each subject", describing him as "a truly talented comedian".[9] Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News, Kevin Quinn described Hunter in his most recent performances as "still not for the faint-hearted and easily offended," commenting that "he does seem a lot more reflective in middle-age".[10]

Edinburgh Fringe 2024 incident

In August 2024, during the Israel-Hamas war, Hunter made a joke likening gaslighting by an abusive spouse complaining of abuse to "being married to Israel" during his Edinburgh Fringe show.[11] During one performance, an Israeli couple objected to the joke, which heckling reportedly was met by disapproval from the audience until the couple left. He then reportedly used an anti-Jewish trope in an anecdote about The Jewish Chronicle. Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised the jokes while also referring to his 2006 joke about freedom of thought and the banning of Holocaust denial in some countries.[12] [13] [14] A planned show at the Eastwood Theatre in Giffnock, which has Scotland's largest Jewish congregation, was cancelled by the East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure organisation because of, they said "a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion".

Police Scotland concluded that “no crime was established.”[15] Hunter commented after the event that he is "staunchly anti-war and anti-bully", saying that "as a comedian, I do push boundaries in creating humour".[16] British comedy news website Chortle later named the couple as Mark Lewis, a lawyer who worked on the News International phone hacking scandal and is an honorary patron of and longstanding legal advisor to the Campaign Against Antisemitism, and Mandy Blumenthal, the director of Likud-Herut UK, a major right-wing Israeli political party led at the time by Benjamin Netanyahu.[17]

Broadcast

Audio

Hunter was one of the hosts of the E4 Laughs at Edinburgh podcast, showcasing the best comedy talent from the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has had numerous appearances on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show The Unbelievable Truth.[18] [19] He also appeared on Midweek (BBC Radio 4) on November 15, 2011.

Television

Hunter made his TV debut on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998. He has since appeared many times.

Awards

Hunter was nominated for the Perrier Award in the 2003 and 2004 Edinburgh Festivals.[20]

He won the Writers' Guild Award for Comedy in 2006 for his show Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas.[21]

Personal life

His mother died in 2004.[22] He has a daughter, born in 2002.[23]

Television credits

Hunter's credits include:

1998

2004

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2021

External links

Notes and References

  1. U.S. Public Records Index, Vol. 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
  2. Maxwell, Dominic (March 10, 2007). "The N-word is out". The Times (Times Newspapers).
  3. Web site: Reginald D Hunter interview: 'No matter how clear I am, people. Independent.co.uk. November 22, 2013.
  4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/comedians/reginald-d-hunter-british-reward-cleverness-edinburgh/ Reginald D Hunter: ‘The British really reward cleverness’
  5. http://corkindependent.com/20130404/setlist/reg-d-hunter-promises-crackin-show-S62271.html "Reg D Hunter promises crackin’ show"
  6. News: Offensive' poster banned on Tube. January 5, 2018. BBC News. November 14, 2006.
  7. Web site: PFA's Carlisle says hiring comedian Hunter 'huge mistake'. April 29, 2013. BBC Sport. April 30, 2013 .
  8. Web site: Reginald D Hunter, The Horrible Aftermath. April 28, 2013. Facebook. April 28, 2013.
  9. Web site: Reginald D Hunter at Leicester Square Theatre: A comedy virtuoso at work . April 5, 2024 .
  10. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/whats-on/edinburgh-festival-fringe-2024-reginald-d-hunter-still-packs-a-punch-but-shows-his-more-fluffy-side-4739328
  11. News: Reginald D Hunter embroiled in row after Israeli pair are 'hounded out' of Edinburgh fringe show. August 13, 2024. Evening Standard. August 13, 2024.
  12. Web site: Theatre cancels Reginald D Hunter show over antisemitism row . . 17 August 2024 . 16 August 2024.
  13. News: Reginald D Hunter embroiled in row after Israeli pair are 'hounded out' of Edinburgh fringe show. August 13, 2024. Evening Standard. August 13, 2024.
  14. News: Reginald D Hunter at centre of antisemitism storm after Israeli couple 'branded genocidal by Fringe hecklers'. August 13, 2024. The Independent. August 13, 2024.
  15. Web site: Fringe show cleared by police over alleged 'hate crime' after Israeli's 'hounded out' .
  16. Web site: 'I am anti-bully' says Reginald D Hunter after Israeli couple hounded out of his Fringe show .
  17. Web site: 18 August 2024. 'We never made Reginald D Hunter be antisemitic'. 18 August 2024. Chortle.
  18. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n0qr8 Episode 1, series 4
  19. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007mf4f/broadcasts/2014/07 Episode 4, series 4
  20. Web site: Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2011 - past winners . Comedyawards.co.uk . January 7, 2012.
  21. News: Parkin. Simon. Reginald D Hunter on Trump, OJ, Putin and why he loves the UK. January 5, 2018. Norwich Evening News. June 1, 2017.
  22. Web site: Black Comedy. October 6, 2004.
  23. Reginald D Hunter . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/RF-Z5PzsKag . 2021-12-21 . live. YouTube . . 160 . Richard . Herring . January 4, 2018 . August 23, 2021 .
  24. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02j952b "Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South"