Jonah Ray is an American comic book actor and writer, best known as the current host of the podcast titled Mystery Science Theater 3000. He is also one of the stars of the Comedy Central podcast titled The Fusion with Jonas and Kumail as well as The Nerdist Podcast.
The talented star began his career in comedy theater in 2004 and has been active in the American entertainment industry for over 10 years. He has released two stand-up comedy albums which include It’s Crazy Mixed Plumbing and Hello Mister Magic Plane Person, Hello. Learn more about his biography, family and other interesting facts below.
Jonah Ray Biography
He was born as Jonah Ray Rodrigues on the 3rd day of August 1982; Ray is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii but was raised in the town of Kailua, located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. As a child, the talented comedian grew up dreaming of becoming a showman and today he is living his dream by doing what he knows how to do best. He completed his basic education in Hawaii before moving to Los Angeles, where he eventually began his acting career. Jonah is also a talented singer and has been in several rock bands since he was growing up.
Career
Jonah started his career as a musician in Los Angeles and later moved into acting and writing. He made his first stint as a writer on The Andy Milonakis Show. Subsequently, he became a writer and comedian on the Showtime series called The Offensive Show. Ray went on to make guest appearances on other popular television shows such as The Sarah Silverman Show, Crossballs, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Soup, and Saul of the Molemen, among others.
In 2013, Jonah Ray started hosting the comedy show called The Collapse with Kumail Nanjiani. Later that same year, the comedy powerhouse took over the show and changed its name to The Fusion starring Jonas and Kumail. The show debuted in July 2014 and ended in 2016 after three seasons. He also started his own podcast titled Jonah Raydio which features many independent music stars including Har Mar Superstar, Andrew Jackson Jihad and Man Man.
In 2015, Joel Hodgson who is the creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 comedy series announced that the series would be hosted by Jonah Ray. The show raised funds through a successful campaign on Kickstarter and was subsequently released on Netflix in April 2017. Jonah Ray has starred in the popular podcast titled The Nerdist alongside Chris Harwick and Matt Mira to date.
In addition to comedy, Ray has appeared in other television series and films, including Icons, Back on Topps, Nerdist: Race of the Force: Skateboard Cop, Hidden America with Jonah Ray, Take My Wife, and Maron. , among others. He has also performed voice roles on TripTank, Fantasy Hospital, and SuperNews
Jonah Ray’s Family: Father and Wife
Jonah Ray was born to American parents, there is not much information about his father. In June 2018, while celebrating Father’s Day, Jonah posted his dad’s photo along with his older brother’s on Twitter. There, he revealed that it was the first Father’s Day he celebrated without his dad. He also gave a shout out to those who lost their fathers. Apparently, the comedian isn’t his parents’ only child; he has other siblings but has not shared any information about them.
While he’s been in the limelight courtesy of his comedy career, Ray’s love life isn’t as popular as his career. The comedian prefers to keep his love life under the radar to avoid getting embroiled in controversy. Meanwhile, he is married with his long time sweetheart and the love of his life named Deanna Rooney.
The duo got hitched in 2013 and there aren’t many details regarding his wife or their marriage. Ray has featured his wife on his podcasts, including Hidden America with Jonah Ray, Not a Monster, and Like, Share, Die, just to mention a few. The couple do not yet have children, but may plan to have them in the future. They currently reside in Los Angeles and there are no signs of any marital issues between them.
Height and other interesting facts
Jonah Ray stands at a height of 1.96m (6ft 5in).
He was born and raised in Hawaii.
He started his career as a musician before switching to comedy.
Ray is one of the stars of the show called The Nerdist Podcast.
He has written and hosted his own podcast, including Hidden America with Jonah Ray, Jonah Raydio, and many more.
He married his sweetheart Deanna Rooney in 2013.