John Ridley
Who John Ridley is
Former stand-up comedian who left the club circuit to concentrate on writing, filmmaking and television creation. His later career includes writing 12 Years a Slave, creating American Crime, directing Let It Fall and writing/directing Shirley. His WTF appearance specifically revisited his years performing stand-up with Marc Maron before he moved into writing and film.
At a glance
- Born
- 1965
- Podcasts
- Stray Dogs, Love Is a Racket, Everybody Smokes in Hell and 2 more
- On screen
- 12 Years a Slave, American Crime, Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 and 3 more
- WTF with Marc Maron
- Episode 629
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- 12 Years a Slave
- American Crime
- Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992
- Shirley
- Undercover Brother
- Three Kings
Podcasts
- Stray Dogs novel, 1997
- Love Is a Racket novel, 1998
- Everybody Smokes in Hell novel, 1999
- The Drift novel, 2002
- The American Way graphic novel
Comedians like John Ridley
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.
- Chris Kattan also in Undercover Brother
- Eddie Griffin also in Undercover Brother
Career timeline
- 1965Born
- 1982Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 On screen
- 1997Stray Dogs (novel, 1997) Book
- 1998Love Is a Racket (novel, 1998) Book
- 1999Everybody Smokes in Hell (novel, 1999) Book
- 2002The Drift (novel, 2002) Book
Questions about John Ridley
What podcast does John Ridley host?
Stray Dogs, Love Is a Racket, Everybody Smokes in Hell, The Drift and The American Way.
What TV shows and films are they in?
12 Years a Slave, American Crime, Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992, Shirley, Undercover Brother and Three Kings.
When were they born?
In 1965.
Have they been on WTF with Marc Maron?
Yes — episode 629.
Who are some comedians like them?
Chris Kattan (also in Undercover Brother) and Eddie Griffin (also in Undercover Brother).
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
- WTF with Marc Maron — Episode 629 John Ridley ↗ former stand-up career and move into writing/film/television
- Apple TV — John Ridley ↗ writer/director/producer career and major works
- TV Guide — John Ridley credits ↗ Shirley, American Crime and directing/writing credits
- Wikipedia — John Ridley ↗ Books: Stray Dogs (novel, 1997); Love Is a Racket (novel, 1998); Everybody Smokes in Hell (novel, 1999); The Drift (novel, 2002); The American Way (graphic…
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 25 September 2026