Biography
Multi-award-winning South African-New Zealander Urzila Carlson is one of Australia and New Zealand's biggest comedy stars. A global touring powerhouse, she's taken her trademark deadpan delivery and cheeky wit to sold-out audiences across Australasia, North America and the UK, building an enormous international fanbase through both her live work and high- profile screen appearances.
In 2019, Urzila became the highest-selling comedian in the 33-year history of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival-one of the world's three largest comedy festivals-and made her Netflix debut in Comedians Around the World. That same year, the re-release of her memoir Rolling With the Punchlines cemented her status as a best-selling author.
Her long list of accolades includes four Melbourne International Comedy Festival People's Choice Awards (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), the Rielly Comedy Award (2019), six New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards for Best Female Comedian, and Sydney Comedy Festival's Director's Choice Award (2017).
Urzila made her Netflix stand-up debut with the globally released hour-long special Overqualified Loser(2020) and joined the panel of The Masked Singer Australia the same year. She is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast That's Enough Already! and has appeared on Taskmaster NZ, QI (UK), Have You Been Paying Attention? (Au) and in the animated feature Ozi (2024), alongside Laura Dern, Donald Sutherland and RuPaul.
In 2025, Urzila starred with Amy Schumer and Will Forte in the hit Netflix rom-com Kinda Pregnant which was viewed 25.1 million times in its first week, making it the most-watched title on Netflix from Feb. 3 to Feb. 10 and the number 1 movie globally. To add to this success, Netflix released their 'What We Watched' report for January to June 2025. Kinda Pregnant ranked at number 12 with an incredible 58.9 million views.
Her latest stand-up show, You Don't Say, has sold out tours across Australia, New Zealand, North America and the UK, and will be performed on the Sydney Opera House Steps this December.
There's no doubt Carlson is a slick act - she debuted on the Netflix stand-up comedy event series Comedians of the World - but it's her everyday-ness that makes her so good at her craft. - Stuff NZ
Effortlessly likeable... stream of belly-laughs. - The Age, Melbourne
Carlson's a master of the form. Audiences across New Zealand have known it for years, and turned out in droves in recognition of that. Now, it's the world's turn. - The SpinOff NZ
