Biographie
Dubbed "America's Funniest Muslim" by CNN, Azhar Usman ranks among the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World," according to Georgetown University. Standup legend Dave Chappelle—whom Azhar has opened for over 50 times—remarked in 2010: "Azhar Usman is untouchable. He's like a comedian from the future." Since then, Azhar has become a trailblazer in "Muslim comedy," collaborating with prominent figures such as Hasan Minhaj, Hannibal Buress, Ramy Youssef, and Mo Amer. As a comedian, actor, and television comedy writer, he now offers creative producing and consulting through his boutique firm, Numinous Company, based in Chicago. As an actor, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the recurring comedic role of Najaf the Gyro King in Disney+'s groundbreaking 2022 limited series, "Ms. Marvel."
A multifaceted media professional, Azhar excels both on-camera and behind the scenes, contributing as writer, producer, and talent across varied creative projects. He was executive producer and co-founding principal of Kalijaga Media LLC, an independent production company he operated with longtime collaborator Mo Amer. This partnership led to Mo's first Netflix one-hour stand-up special, "The Vagabond" (2018), with Azhar as Consulting Producer. He also served as Creative Advisor on Season 1 of Hulu’s acclaimed A24-produced series "Ramy" (starring Ramy Youssef), Staff Writer and Executive Creative Advisor in Season 2—co-writing an episode with Youssef—and Co-Executive Producer and Staff Writer on Season 3, again co-writing an episode. During the 2020 pandemic, he was Staff Writer on another A24 project, "Mo," for Netflix, which premiered to critical acclaim (100% on Rotten Tomatoes) in Fall 2022.
As a stand-up comedian, Azhar has been featured in over 100 major media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Times of India, DAWN (Pakistan), Al-Ahram (Egypt), Jawa Pos (Indonesia), and The Economist. In 2005, ABC's Nightline dedicated a full episode to his life and rising comedy career. A former attorney, Azhar continues to perform globally at comedy clubs, theaters, festivals, campuses, conferences, conventions, and private events. Over two decades, he has performed in more than twenty countries across five continents. His self-produced underground comedy album, "Square the Circle" (2003), developed a cult following among English-speaking Muslim audiences worldwide. In early 2017, he became a paid regular at the renowned Comedy Cellar in New York City.
Azhar has appeared in numerous documentaries (BBC, CBC, ABC, Al-Jazeera, PBS), starred in the award-winning independent film "Mooz-Lum" (with Danny Glover and Nia Long, directed by Qasim Basir), and created original sketch characters for television (MTV, E4) and digital platforms (Tinku's World). As "Vijay the VJ," he was a veejay for MTV Desi in 2005, interviewing stars like Snoop Dogg, Shakira, Hulk Hogan, Pitbull, and Carmen Electra at the MTV Video Music Awards. He produced critically acclaimed shorts including "The Boundary" (starring Alexander Siddig, directed by Julius Onah, sold to HBO); co-wrote and produced the stand-up concert film "Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert" (directed by Andrea Kalin, limited US theatrical release in 2008); appeared in "Triumph's Election Special 2016" on Hulu (produced by Funny or Die; executive produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel); served as creative consultant on Hannibal Buress’ Netflix specials "Comedy Camisado" (2016) and "Miami Nights" (2020); featured in Bassem Youssef’s 2016 comedy series "Democracy Handbook" on Fusion's F-Comedy platform; and held a recurring role in both seasons of Amazon Studios' original series "Patriot" (created, written, and directed by Steve Conrad).
Azhar earned a BA in Communication with a Spanish minor from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. Fluent in four languages, he lives with his wife, visual artist Jennifer Usman, in Chicago's southwest suburbs.
