Ikechukwu Ufomadu

Ikechukwu "Ike" Ufomadu is an American comedian, actor, and writer. In 2022, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Series for his work on Cake.

Ikechukwu Ufomadu
Ufomadu on stage in 2016
Other namesIke Ufomadu
EducationNew York University (BFA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • writer
Websitewww.ikehimself.com

Career

Ufomadu studied drama at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008.[1]

Ufomadu has performed comedy in shows throughout New York City.[2] His deadpan style has been described as "so slow, so dry and so demanding of your attention".[3] He often puts on, in his words, an "old-school entertainment type" persona harkening back to the mid-20th century.[3][4] In 2015, he hosted Ike at Night, a live-theater series in the style of talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[5] It featured a comedic opening monologue and guest interviews with an "emphasis on politics and multicultural issues".[5] Later "Ike" shows included Nightcap by Ike, Ike's Wonderful World of Leisure, Ike by Chance, and Ike for the Holidays, several of which were staged at Joe's Pub in Manhattan.[2][6][7]

In 2018, Ufomadu acted in Clare Barron's off-Broadway play Dance Nation; he was part of the original cast that received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble.[8] Ben Brantley of The New York Times commended Ufomadu's "appealing, low-key presence" in the female-led play.[9]

Inspector Ike, a low-budget detective comedy film inspired by Columbo, was released in 2020.[10] Paste magazine wrote that the title character was "skillfully played straight-faced" by Ufomadu, who co-wrote the film with director Graham Mason.[11] Ufomadu voiced Dr. Ike Bloom on Tooning Out the News, an animated satirical news show produced by Stephen Colbert, beginning in 2020.[12]

Ufomadu and Mason contributed the recurring segment "Words with Ike" to the fifth season of FXX's short-form comedy anthology Cake in 2021.[12][13] Vulture wrote that the vocabulary-exploring segment "drives home a feeling that Ufomadu loves comedy because he loves language".[12] For "Words with Ike", Ufomadu was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.[14]

The comedian appeared on six episodes of Showtime's talk show Ziwe in 2022.[15] Vulture included Ufomadu on its list of 24 "Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2022".[12]

References
  1. "2022 Primetime Emmy Nominations". tisch.nyu.edu. New York University. July 18, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. "Ikechukwu Ufomadu: Ike for the Holidays". Time Out. November 14, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  3. Alloway, Meredith (August 14, 2018). "Meet the Brooklyn Comedians Whose Work You Already Love". Playboy. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  4. Logan, Brian (August 17, 2023). "Amusements by Ikechukwu Ufomadu review – inscrutably cool anti-comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  5. Isherwood, Charles (January 11, 2015). "'Hereeeee's Ikechukwu!' (Complete With Sidekick and Fake Cityscape)". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  6. Soloski, Alexis (January 11, 2018). "What's New in NYC Theater". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  7. "Nightcap by Ike". Time Out. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  8. Evans, Greg (April 25, 2019). "'Oklahoma!' Revival Tops New York Drama Desk Award Nominations; 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Snubbed". Deadline. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  9. Brantley, Ben (May 8, 2018). "Review: 'Dance Nation,' the Power and the Terror of Girls at 13". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  10. Kenny, Glenn (February 17, 2022). "'Inspector Ike' Review: A Murder Mystery Send-Up, '70s-TV style". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. Docalovich, Katarina (March 3, 2022). "Inspector Ike's Throwback Detective Riff Is a Comfort-Food Cult Classic in the Making". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  12. Alter, Rebecca; Fox, Jesse David; Gularte, Alejandra; Kroeger, Jake; Pandya, Hershal; VanArendonk, Kathryn (September 6, 2022). "The Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2022". Vulture. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  13. "About Cake TV Show". fxnow.fxnetworks.com. FX Networks. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022.
  14. "Words With Ike (Cake)". emmys.com. Television Academy. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  15. "Ziwe Season 2". sho.com. Showtime. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022.
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