Joe Torry
Who Joe Torry is
Joe Torry is a stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter raised in St. Louis who performed on HBO's Def Comedy Jam from its first season and hosted the show in 1994 and 1995. His film roles include Chicago in John Singleton's Poetic Justice, House Party, Strictly Business, Tales from the Hood and Sprung, and on television he had a recurring role on ER and appeared on NYPD Blue and Girlfriends. He received the Robin Harris Legend Honor award at the LOL Comedy Honors in 2017 and founded the Giving Back the Love Foundation in 1996.
At a glance
- Came up through
- Def Comedy Jam
- On screen
- Def Comedy Jam, ER, NYPD Blue and 8 more
- Next on stage
- 27 November 2026 — Denver Improv, Denver, CO
On stage
- Friday 27 November 2026, 7:30 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO · the listing ↗
- Friday 27 November 2026, 9:45 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO · the listing ↗
- Saturday 28 November 2026, 6:30 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO · the listing ↗
- Saturday 28 November 2026, 9:15 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO · the listing ↗
- Sunday 29 November 2026, 6:00 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO · the listing ↗
These nights have gone by — the Comedy Calendar has what is next.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Def Comedy Jam stand-up, 1992; host, seasons 4–5, HBO, 1994–1995
- ER Chris Law, recurring, 1997
- NYPD Blue Willis, 1999
- Girlfriends Mel, recurring, 2003–2004
- Zane's The Jump Off Chandler Bishop, 2013
- Phat Tuesdays himself, 2022
- Poetic Justice Chicago, film, 1993
- House Party film, 1990
- Strictly Business Darryl, film, 1991
- Tales from the Hood Stack, film, 1995
- Sprung Clyde, film, 1997
Where they got their start
- Def Comedy Jam performed from its first season, then host, 1992; host 1994–1995
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through Def Comedy Jam:
Comedians like Joe Torry
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Adele Givens also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Ali Siddiq also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Aries Spears also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Bill Bellamy also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Bruce Bruce also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Chris Tucker also came through Def Comedy Jam
- Craig Robinson also came through Def Comedy Jam
- D'Lai also came through Def Comedy Jam
Career timeline
- 1990House Party (film, 1990) On screen
- 1991Strictly Business (Darryl, film, 1991) On screen
- 1992Def Comedy Jam (stand-up, 1992; host, seasons 4–5, HBO, 1994–1995) On screen
- 1993Poetic Justice (Chicago, film, 1993) On screen
- 1995Tales from the Hood (Stack, film, 1995) On screen
- 1997ER (Chris Law, recurring, 1997) On screen
- 1997Sprung (Clyde, film, 1997) On screen
- 1999NYPD Blue (Willis, 1999) On screen
- 2003Girlfriends (Mel, recurring, 2003–2004) On screen
- 2013Zane's The Jump Off (Chandler Bishop, 2013) On screen
- 2022Phat Tuesdays (himself, 2022) On screen
Questions about Joe Torry
Where is Joe Torry performing next?
Friday 27 November 2026, 7:30 PM at Denver Improv, Denver, CO, then 4 more dates on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar. Each show's own listing has the last word.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Def Comedy Jam, ER, NYPD Blue, Girlfriends, Zane's The Jump Off and Phat Tuesdays, among 11 credits.
Where did they get their start?
Def Comedy Jam (performed from its first season, then host).
Who are some comedians like them?
Adele Givens (also came through Def Comedy Jam), Ali Siddiq (also came through Def Comedy Jam), Aries Spears (also came through Def Comedy Jam), Bill Bellamy (also came through Def Comedy Jam) and Bruce Bruce (also came through Def Comedy Jam).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Joe Torry ↗ Raised in St. Louis; Lincoln University; Def Comedy Jam (1992; host 1994–1995); film and television credits
- The Improv (Denver) — Joe Torry ↗ Shows on 27-29 November 2026; HBO's Def Comedy Jam; Robin Harris Legend Honor award at the LOL Comedy Honors (2017); Giving Back the Love Foundation (1996)
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 29 September 2026