Arj Barker
Encyclopedia
Arjan Singh known by the stage name
Arj Barker, is an American
stand-up comedian
and actor
from San Anselmo, California
. He has toured in the United States
, Australia
, New Zealand
, and Europe
. He was born to an engineer father and artist mother, and is half-Indian, half-European
. His father is of Sikh
heritage.
in 1997, followed by appearances on the shows Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and The Glass House
. He twice hosted Comedy Central Presents
, first on 20 September 2000 and 31 March 2006. Arj was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties
. He appeared on the Australian show Thank God You're Here
on 18 October 2006, 19 September 2007 and 17 June 2009.
Barker co-wrote and performed in The Marijuana-Logues
, an Off-Broadway
show in New York
, with Doug Benson
and Tony Camin. The title of the show was a parody of The Vagina Monologues
. NBC
gave Barker the lead role for sitcom Nearly Nirvana, originally scheduled for 2004. However, Barker was replaced in the lead role by the show's creator, Ajay Sahgal
, and the show never aired.
Arj Barker appeared in the HBO sitcom Flight of the Conchords
, playing Bret and Jemaine's indifferent friend Dave. Arj has subsequently enjoyed success in Australia, and presently resides there.
. The cat has acquired his own MySpace blog, which lists his hobbies as eating, watching TV, paper chains, star gazing, train spotting, golf caddying, bowling, fly fishing and chess. The series has been syndicated to AtomFilms.
The episode "Unlucky in Love" won the Annecy 2006 animated film festival Internet Selection. The series also has a planned spin-off called Bouncy the Dog.
, where he advanced to the Los Angeles semi-final round. He then failed to progress to the final 10 in the semi-final round.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Arj Barker, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
from San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, in the western United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet . It is located about north of San Francisco. Neighboring towns include San Rafael to the east, Fairfax to the west, and Ross to the...
. He has toured in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was born to an engineer father and artist mother, and is half-Indian, half-European
European American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
. His father is of Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
heritage.
Career
Arj Barker appeared on Premium BlendPremium Blend
Premium Blend was a television show that aired on the American cable television channel Comedy Central from 1997 to 2005.The program features a well-known stand up comedian as an emcee who introduces four or five lesser known comedians looking for a big break on television...
in 1997, followed by appearances on the shows Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and The Glass House
The Glass House (TV series)
The Glass House was a half-hour Australian comedy talk show which screened on the ABC from 2001 to 2006.It was hosted by stand-up comedian Wil Anderson, and co-hosted by fellow television and radio comedians Corinne Grant and Dave Hughes...
. He twice hosted Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
, first on 20 September 2000 and 31 March 2006. Arj was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties
Shorties Watchin' Shorties
Shorties Watchin' Shorties was a television show broadcast on Comedy Central that is now on DVD. The show is made up of various short animated clips with audio from comedians' stand up routines. It also features two "shorties," a pair of babies voiced by Nick DiPaolo and Patrice O'Neal who watch...
. He appeared on the Australian show Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
on 18 October 2006, 19 September 2007 and 17 June 2009.
Barker co-wrote and performed in The Marijuana-Logues
The Marijuana-Logues
The Marijuana-Logues is an Off-Broadway comedy show in New York City. Arj Barker, Doug Benson and Tony Camin are the creators and performers. It is a four man stand-up comedy show, with the majority of the humor centered around the drug marijuana. The show's title is a play on the long-running...
, an Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
show in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, with Doug Benson
Doug Benson
Douglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season....
and Tony Camin. The title of the show was a parody of The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
gave Barker the lead role for sitcom Nearly Nirvana, originally scheduled for 2004. However, Barker was replaced in the lead role by the show's creator, Ajay Sahgal
Ajay Sahgal
Ajay Sahgal is a Canadian-born American novelist, television writer, screenwriter, director and producer.-Career:His novel "Pool" was published in 1994 by Groove/Atlantic. He wrote, directed and produced the comedy short "It's A Shame About Ray"...
, and the show never aired.
Arj Barker appeared in the HBO sitcom Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords (TV series)
Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
, playing Bret and Jemaine's indifferent friend Dave. Arj has subsequently enjoyed success in Australia, and presently resides there.
Arj and Poopy
Arj also has his own Flash series, Arj and Poopy, based on some of his stand-up material, that stars him and his cat, Poopy, who talks by farting. The series is animated by Bernard DerrimanBernard Derriman
Bernard Derriman is an Animation Director born and raised in Australia.He began his career in animation at Walt Disney Studios in Sydney. He was an animator there until 2006, working on both television series and films....
. The cat has acquired his own MySpace blog, which lists his hobbies as eating, watching TV, paper chains, star gazing, train spotting, golf caddying, bowling, fly fishing and chess. The series has been syndicated to AtomFilms.
The episode "Unlucky in Love" won the Annecy 2006 animated film festival Internet Selection. The series also has a planned spin-off called Bouncy the Dog.
List of episodes
- "Experimentation"
- "Venetian Rowing Machine"
- "Philosopher"
- "Brutally Ambushed"
- "Long Distance Relationship"
- "Shpants"
- "Unlucky in Love"
- "Yoga"
- "Oh, Christmas tree"
- "Congo Windfall"
- "Poetreet"
Last Comic Standing
Arj was featured as a contestant on the first episode of the fifth season of Last Comic StandingLast Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, where he advanced to the Los Angeles semi-final round. He then failed to progress to the final 10 in the semi-final round.
Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Arj Barker: Issue Were Here Arj Barker: Issue Were Here Arj Barker: Issue Were Here is the debut live album from stand-up comedian Arj Barker, which is a recording from a live performance at the 1999 Sydney International Comedy Festival in Australia.-Track listing:#"Intro" – 1:45#"Aussie Issues" – 3:11... |
| 2010 | Arj Barker: LYAO Arj Barker: LYAO Arj Barker: LYAO is the second live album from stand-up comedian Arj Barker. Warner Bros. Records/Degenerate Records comic Arj Barker released his second comedy album, LYAO, on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, after the Comedy Central special premiered Saturday, Jan. 23. LYAO is also available on CD/DVD... |
DVD releases
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Live |
| 2008 | Balls |
| 2010 | Forever |