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Don Reed (HBO, Snap Judgment, East 14th) is a versatile comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and solo performer, acclaimed as a "solo show powerhouse" and known for his dynamic blend of storytelling, characters, sound effects, impersonations, and improvisation. His appearance on a Robert Townsend HBO special featuring emerging comedians caught the attention of key Hollywood figures, leading to recurring and guest roles on shows like "A Different World" and "The Cosby Show." Around this time, Don took valuable advice that encouraged him to join the NACA college circuit, where he performed standup at over 300 colleges.
Simultaneously, Don began doing audience warm-up for several sitcoms, which opened doors to writing and creative consulting roles on those shows. Over the next several years, he worked behind the scenes, writing, producing, and performing voice-over roles on projects such as "Spiderman," "The Flintstones," and "Johnny Quest." He also wrote and directed several short films for HBO, one of which he cast himself in, inadvertently reigniting his on-camera and performing career. His HBO shorts attracted Paramount Television’s attention, resulting in a series regular and writer role on the sketch comedy show "Off Limits." His performances there led to a regular spot on NBC’s "The RERUN Show," produced by the creators of "MAD TV." His credits also include appearances on Comedy Central, Showtime Aspen Comedy Festival, and serving as Co-Executive Producer of "Celebrity Home Videos."
Over time, Don evolved into what publications like The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times have dubbed a "solo show powerhouse," creating, performing, directing, and producing five solo shows Off-Broadway and in theaters throughout San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. His signature show, the award-winning "East 14th," won the 2016 Theater Bay Area Award for Outstanding Production of a Solo Show and earned him two NAACP nominations for Best Actor and Best Playwright. His second show, "The Kipling Hotel: The 80s," was nominated for Best Playwright in 2017. Don has shared numerous poignant and humorous stories on NPR/WNYC’s Snap Judgment, which airs in over 380 cities nationwide and is downloaded more than two million times monthly. He has toured extensively, performing for thousands, and in 2016 received Snap Judgment’s Performance of the Year award for his groundbreaking story "I Miss Toni," which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and is used as an educational resource from high schools to American University’s Fine Arts Masters Program in Washington, D.C., offering a deeply moving yet humorous perspective on supporting and loving a transgender family member.
In addition, Don spent two years as a promo producer/executive at NBC, working on shows such as Will & Grace, SNL, the Golden Globes, Frasier, Friends, Scrubs, and Law & Order. He later founded his own advertising and promotion company specializing in entertainment copywriting, creating content for movie trailers, promos, and video games for numerous Fortune 500 entertainment companies. His clients have included Columbia/Sony, ABC, NBC, FOX, HBO, TBS, FX, MLB, NFL, along with projects like "Chappelle's Show," "The Simpsons," "The Shield," Xbox, PlayStation, "Ultimate Spiderman," "Shrek SuperSlam," "Call of Duty," "Halo," and many others.
