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Jordan Firstman
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Jordan Firstman (born July 8, 1991) is an American writer, producer, comedian, and singer living in Los Angeles, California.[2] He is known for the short films Men Don't Whisper (2017), the Sundance-nominated Call Your Father (2016),[3] and for the feature film Rotting in the Sun (2023).[4] Firstman rose to prominence for his short skits, called Impressions, shared on Instagram Live in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Key Information
Career
[edit]In 2016, at a time when he was a writer for the television series Search Party,[6] Firstman wrote and starred in Call Your Father, a satirical short film exploring the ups-and-downs of an intergenerational gay couple.[7] The following year, he and co-writer Charles Rogers created Men Don't Whisper, a comedic short film about an "emasculated" gay couple who try to regain their masculinity by seducing several women.[8] The film was screened at Sundance and South by Southwest, and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere.[9]
In early 2020, Firstman wrote an ode to gay representation in film, sung by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, as well as Laura Dern at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards.[10] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Firstman began posting videos to Instagram of his various impersonations and impressions, such as "the town gossip who-has-no-more-gossip-during-quarantine", "Summer 2020", "Banana Bread's Publicist" and "all the clothes people are not wearing right now".[11] His comedic skits have been met with positive response from fans and celebrities alike, including Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Chrissy Teigen. Actress Ruby McCollister has said of Firstman's comedy: "You're putting a home base to the meme" (by incorporating video, text and creator, all at once).[12] For Thom Browne's SS2021 fashion show, which was set during the future 2132 Olympics on the Moon, Firstman and model Grace Mahary roleplayed as commentators as runway models walked, held at the Los Angeles Coliseum (an Art Deco relic, where the 1932 Summer Olympics were held).[3][13]
In 2022, he appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Ms. Marvel, which aired on Disney+.[14]
In 2023, Sebastián Silva premiered his film Rotting in the Sun at the Sundance Film Festival. Firstman was cast in the lead role as a fictionalized version of himself. The film was notable for featuring unsimulated sex, with Firstman himself engaging in oral sex.[15]
In 2024, he appeared as a guest on the Grindr-created YouTube podcast Who's the A**hole, hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race alum and entertainer Katya Zamolodchikova.[16] In 2025, he signed a recording contract with Capitol Records.[17] He released his debut comedy album, Secrets on April 11, 2025, based on confessions his followers sent to his Instagram account. It features guest appearances by Rachel Sennott, Suki Waterhouse, Julia Fox, Rufus Wainwright, Laundry Day, Jimmy Pop, and his mother.[1]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Call Your Father | Josh | Lead role; also writer and director; short film | [7] |
| 2017 | Men Don't Whisper | Peyton | Lead role; also writer and director; short film | [9] |
| 2023 | Rotting in the Sun | Jordan Firstman | Lead role | |
| You People | Danny | Supporting role |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Real Life | Casting director | ||
| Beards | Jonathan | |||
| 2015 | Daddy | Hot man | ||
| EastSiders | Mitchell | |||
| 2016 | Gay of Thrones | |||
| 2016–2017 | Search Party | Luke | Recurring role; also writer | [6] |
| 2017 | Last Meal | Brian the Zombie | ||
| 2019 | This Close | Richard Broomson | ||
| Tales from the Closet | ||||
| 2021 | Cinema Toast | Sebastian | Also writer | |
| Miracle Workers | Kaya | |||
| 2022 | Ms. Marvel | Mr. Wilson | Recurring role | [14] |
| 2024-2025 | English Teacher | Malcolm | Recurring role | |
| 2025 | I Love LA | Dylan | Post-production | [18] |
As producer
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Big Mouth | Consulting producer (10 episodes) |
Personal life
[edit]Firstman grew up in Northport, New York to a Jewish family.[19][20][21][22] He is openly gay.[23][24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Moss, Charles (April 11, 2025). "Jordan Firstman Has Some 'Secrets' He Wants to Share". Spin. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ^ "Jordan Firstman: One of Coveteur's 10 Most Influential People Online Now". Coveteur. May 20, 2020. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Trebay, Guy (October 7, 2020). "The Gender Reveal That Doesn't". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "IMDB". IMDb. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ Nordstrom, Leigh (July 16, 2020). "Jordan Firstman Turns Lockdown Into Lemonade". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Jordan Firstman / Lessons Learned in Isolation, Lessons Learned Alongside Others". Flaunt. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Premiere: 'Call Your Father' Highlights Generational Differences Between Gay Men". out.com. October 3, 2017. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Clyne, Luke Kelly (October 4, 2017). "Jordan Firstman Needs a Feature". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Men Don't Whisper by Jordan Firstman | Comedy Short Film". Short of the Week. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "Jordan Firstman's "Impressions" Are a Glimpse at Hollywood's Future". W Magazine | Women's Fashion & Celebrity News. August 7, 2020. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Eksouzian-Cavadas, Ana (September 16, 2020). "The funniest comedian impersonators serving realness during Covid-19". Vogue Australia. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Murphy, Chris (May 28, 2020). "Ariana Grande Loves Jordan Firstman's 'Wild' Impressions". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Schneier, Matthew (October 5, 2020). "Live From Space, It's the Future of Fashion Shows". The Cut. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Gay Comedian Jordan Firstman Joins the MCU in 'Ms. Marvel' Series". out.com. March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (January 23, 2023). "Social Media Star Jordan Firstman Brings Real Oral Sex Scenes to Sundance: 'I Originally Wanted the Biggest We Could Find'". Variety. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
- ^ "Who's the A**hole? with Katya (feat. Jordan Firstman) | Grindr". February 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Daw, Stephen (March 10, 2025). "How Jordan Firstman Turned a Popular Instagram Series Into His Debut Album". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 1, 2025). "Josh Hutcherson Joins HBO's Rachel Sennott Comedy Series In Recasting". Deadline.
- ^ Hazelhurst, Beatrice (March 16, 2021). "Jordan Firstman and the Art of the Asshole". Playboy. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "18 Things to Know About Jewish Writer and Comedian Jordan Firstman". November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Jordan Firstman, Writer/Director/Actor of Sold on L.A. Dreamers and ambition - ShortFilmWindow".
- ^ Nordstrom, Leigh (July 16, 2020). "Jordan Firstman Turns Lockdown Into Lemonade". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Jordan Firstman".
- ^ "Jordan Firstman Tells Robert Pattinson What It's Like to be Gay and Relevant". September 28, 2023.
External links
[edit]Jordan Firstman
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Childhood and Family Background
Jordan Firstman was born on July 8, 1991, in Long Island, New York, to a Jewish family.[1][2] He grew up in the suburban town of Northport, experiencing what he has described as a quintessential 1990s childhood in a middle-class household.[7][8] His parents, Richard Firstman and Jamie Talan, both worked as reporters for the Newsday newspaper before co-authoring true crime books, including The Death of Innocents, which detailed a high-profile case of violent crime in Texas.[2][9] Firstman has twin siblings, both of whom are queer, aligning with his own openly gay identity in a family environment marked by journalistic influences rather than overt creative pursuits in entertainment.[10][6]Education and Early Influences
Firstman grew up attending schools in suburban Long Island, New York, where he participated in chorus during childhood and developed an early gravitation toward music as his preferred art form.[10] He later recalled finding school quite challenging overall.[10] In middle school, Firstman positioned himself as the class clown, emphasizing fun and hedonism as core motivators while deprioritizing more serious academic or intellectual pursuits, traits he described as blending neurotic depression with a drive for enjoyment.[11] These experiences cultivated his initial affinity for performance and humor. During high school, musical influences such as The Strokes provided a formative impact, shaping his creative sensibilities in ways that later informed his comedic style.[10] No records indicate formal higher education, with Firstman transitioning to creative endeavors in his late teens through self-directed exploration in the New York area.Career Beginnings
Entry into Comedy and Writing
After relocating to Los Angeles in 2011 at age 20, Jordan Firstman supported himself through entry-level jobs, including operating photo booths at private events such as bar mitzvahs and dinner parties for two years, as well as working at We Rock the Spectrum, a gym catering to children with autism spectrum disorders.[9][2][12] He explored improv classes as an avenue into comedy but found the participants and scene incompatible with his style, prompting a shift toward writing and self-directed projects.[6] Firstman's initial forays into comedic writing materialized in 2013 when he launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his debut short film, The Disgustings, a biting satire depicting two narcissistic friends navigating Los Angeles.[6] The film premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival in 2014, marking an early verifiable credit in independent comedy production.[9] He followed this with Sold. in 2015, another self-written and directed short that lampooned a screenwriter's futile attempt to escape industry conversations during a getaway.[13] These low-budget efforts, often shared on Vimeo for niche audiences, highlighted his nascent approach to observational humor rooted in entertainment-world absurdities and personal frustrations from peripheral industry roles.[11] Despite such outputs, Firstman continued odd jobs amid limited opportunities, reflecting the competitive barriers for newcomers in Los Angeles comedy circles during the mid-2010s.[9]Initial Projects and Collaborations
Firstman's entry into filmmaking occurred in the mid-2010s through self-produced short films distributed on platforms like Vimeo, where he honed his skills in writing, directing, and performing comedic narratives centered on queer identity and interpersonal dynamics.[11] In 2015, he wrote, directed, and starred in the short film Sold, which premiered as a highlight on the LGBT film festival circuit, earning praise for its sharp exploration of desire and transaction in a comedic framework.[14] Building on this, Firstman released Call Your Father in 2016, a dark comedy short he again wrote, directed, and led, depicting two men forming an unlikely romantic connection after a mistaken phone call; the film received a Sundance nomination, marking an early validation of his ability to blend absurdity with emotional realism in under 20 minutes.[15][9] He followed with Men Don't Whisper in 2017, another self-directed short examining masculinity through a gay couple's attempt to reclaim confidence via heterosexual encounters, which circulated in indie comedy channels and further demonstrated his recurring thematic focus on gender performance and relational tension.[16] Concurrently, Firstman transitioned into television writing around age 23, securing his initial professional gig on the TBS series Search Party starting with its 2016 debut season, where he contributed to scripts amid collaborations with creators like Tanya Sarno and the production team, contributing to the show's satirical take on millennial ambition and contributing to its multi-season run.[17][9] These early endeavors, predating widespread online recognition, provided foundational experience in ensemble dynamics and iterative feedback, with festival nods and series credits yielding modest but targeted exposure in comedy and queer cinema circles rather than broad commercial metrics.Rise Through Social Media
Viral Impressions and Short-Form Content
Firstman's series of short-form "impressions" videos emerged in early 2020 during the COVID-19 quarantine period, primarily on Instagram with cross-posting to TikTok, where he portrayed exaggerated personas of non-traditional subjects like the publicist for banana bread or conceptual entities such as a haircut.[18] [8] These clips, often under 60 seconds and filmed in a simple vertical format with Firstman addressing the camera directly, mimicked the cadence and self-importance of public-facing figures applied to absurd, everyday or cultural phenomena, such as social media influencers or quarantine obsessions.[6] The content's mechanics relied on rapid iteration—frequent posts capitalizing on pandemic-era isolation for timely relatability—rather than high production values, allowing for quick audience testing and refinement based on initial engagement metrics like likes and shares.[19] Key viral instances included the banana bread publicist impression, which satirized overhyped food trends and propelled shares across platforms by aligning with early lockdown baking fads.[20] An April 17, 2020, Instagram compilation of impressions garnered 89,000 likes and over 2,100 comments, demonstrating early algorithmic favor through high interaction rates on Instagram's Reels and Stories features.[21] Similarly, impressions of haircuts exaggerated the performative anxiety of personal grooming decisions, resonating with viewers navigating remote work aesthetics and amassing views via reposts that highlighted the videos' precision in capturing neurotic self-presentation.[8] The strategy emphasized consistency over virality gambles, with Firstman posting multiple impressions weekly to build a niche audience attuned to his deadpan delivery of ironic authority, fostering organic growth through user-generated content like fan recreations and memes that extended reach beyond initial algorithmic pushes.[22] This approach, grounded in leveraging platform preferences for authentic, persona-driven humor amid 2020's content scarcity, resulted in sustained engagement, as evidenced by the series' role in elevating his follower count from obscurity to hundreds of thousands by mid-year.[23]Development of the "Secrets" Series
Firstman initiated the "Secrets" series on Instagram in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging followers to submit anonymous personal confessions through direct messages as a means of audience engagement amid social isolation.[24] The format relied on user-generated content, with submissions typically consisting of brief, candid disclosures about intimate dilemmas, regrets, or taboo desires, which Firstman curated for anonymity to protect submitters while preserving the raw essence of the revelations.[25] In developing the series, Firstman anonymized selected secrets and repurposed them into comedic vignettes, often via Instagram Stories or short videos where he provided wry commentary or improvised musical renditions that exaggerated the confessions' absurdities without malice, fostering an empathetic lens on shared human vulnerabilities.[25] For instance, mundane or confessional prompts—such as interpersonal awkwardness or unspoken cravings—were transformed into skits or song snippets that highlighted their universality, blending mockery with relatability to elicit viewer laughter and identification.[4] By 2021 and into 2022, the series evolved from ephemeral Stories into more structured TikTok adaptations, solidifying as Firstman's signature interactive style by leveraging algorithmic virality to amplify user-driven narratives and distinguishing it from his solo impression work through its collaborative, confessional core.[9] This progression marked a shift toward sustained audience participation, with the format's resonance evident in its expansion across platforms, though initially secondary to his impressions in popularity.[25]Acting and Production Work
Television Roles and Appearances
Firstman appeared as Mr. Wilson, a high school teacher, in three episodes of the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe series Ms. Marvel: "Generation Why" (June 8, 2022), "Crushed" (June 15, 2022), and "No Normal" (July 13, 2022). This role marked one of his early forays into scripted television acting outside of comedy sketches, contributing to the series' ensemble portrayal of Pakistani-American suburban life.[1] In the TBS/HBO Max dark comedy-mystery series Search Party, Firstman portrayed the character Luke across unspecified episodes during its 2016-2022 run, blending acting with his writing contributions to the show.[1] His involvement highlighted a transition from behind-the-scenes work to on-screen presence in a narrative-driven format.[26] Firstman guest-starred in an episode of FX's Dave (2020-2023), leveraging his comedic timing in the rapper-centric series created by and starring Lil Dicky, though specific character details remain limited in public credits.[27] This appearance underscored his versatility in supporting roles within music-infused comedy television.[28] He recurred as Malcolm in FX's English Teacher (2024), playing the on-again, off-again boyfriend of lead character Evan—a fun-loving, spontaneous figure with occasional toxic traits—who complicates Evan's professional boundaries at a suburban high school.[29] The series, which premiered on September 23, 2024, received a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb from over 10,000 users, with Firstman's performance noted for injecting chaotic energy into interpersonal dynamics.[30] Critics praised the show's authentic depiction of queer educator challenges, where Malcolm's arc demonstrates Firstman's range in dramatic relational tension beyond pure humor.Film Roles and Directing Efforts
Jordan Firstman directed the short film Sold in 2014, in which he also starred alongside Lisha Brooks and Elisha Yaffe, portraying a screenwriter attempting to escape discussions about show business while out of town.[31] His subsequent short Call Your Father (2016), which he wrote, directed, and led as Josh, explores themes of identity through a dark comedy lens and earned a nomination at the Sundance Film Festival.[15] The film later streamed on the Criterion Channel starting June 1, 2020.[32] In 2017, Firstman wrote and directed Men Don't Whisper, taking the lead role of Peyton in this indie short emphasizing comedic elements of interpersonal dynamics.[33] These early directing efforts, often self-produced on limited budgets, highlighted Firstman's focus on queer-themed humor and personal storytelling in short-form indie cinema.[33] Firstman's feature film acting debut came in Rotting in the Sun (2023), a black comedy thriller directed by Sebastián Silva, where he portrayed a fictionalized version of himself as a social media influencer encountered at a gay nudist beach.[34] The film, co-written by Silva and Pedro Peirano, features Firstman in scenes blending explicit comedy with existential satire, including collaborative discussions on script development that mirror real-life interactions between the leads.[35] Premiering as a Sundance hit, it achieved an IMDb user rating of 6.9/10 based on over 4,600 votes and became available for streaming on MUBI.[34] Produced independently with a focus on meta-narrative elements critiquing influencer culture, the project marked Firstman's transition to larger-scale indie features while retaining his signature irreverent style.[36]Producing and Writing Credits
Jordan Firstman contributed as a writer to the HBO Max series Search Party, penning episodes during its run from 2016 to 2022, and later served as a producer for its fourth season, enabling him to exert influence over narrative direction in a dark comedy format that aligned with his satirical style.[37][29] He also wrote for HBO's The Other Two, contributing to its second season in 2022, where his scripts helped navigate themes of fame and family dynamics in the entertainment industry.[29] These television writing roles demonstrated his ability to collaborate within established production teams, transitioning from staff writer to producer by leveraging episode contributions that informed broader creative decisions.[27] As a consulting producer on Netflix's animated series Big Mouth, Firstman provided input on writing and production for multiple seasons starting around 2017, focusing on adolescent sexuality and humor while voicing characters to maintain tonal consistency.[29][27] This dual role underscored his navigation of animation pipelines, where producer oversight ensured alignment between script development and voice performance, contributing to the show's sustained run of over seven seasons by 2024. His writing extended to FX's English Teacher in 2024, where he penned material for the series exploring educational and personal absurdities.[1] In independent short films, Firstman exercised full creative control as writer and director. He wrote and directed Call Your Father (2016), a 19-minute satirical exploration of generational gay identity that earned a nomination at the Sundance Film Festival.[15] Similarly, Men Don't Whisper (2017), a 22-minute comedy on interpersonal dynamics, was written and directed by Firstman, distributed via platforms like Vimeo to build his portfolio.[38] Earlier works include Sold (2014), a 13-minute short he directed about Hollywood avoidance, and The Disgustings (2014), a 12-minute piece co-starring comedian Drew Droege.[13][39] These projects highlighted his early command over writing-to-production workflows, often self-financed and distributed online, which informed his later industry advancements without reliance on major studio backing.[33]| Project | Year | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Search Party | 2016–2022 | Writer; Producer (Season 4) |
| The Other Two | 2019–2022 | Writer |
| Big Mouth | 2017– | Consulting Producer; Writer |
| English Teacher | 2024 | Writer |
| Call Your Father | 2016 | Writer, Director |
| Men Don't Whisper | 2017 | Writer, Director |
