Jay Pharoah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Pharoah
Pharoah in 2016
Birth name	Jared Antonio Farrow
Born	(1987-10-14) October 14, 1987 (age 37) Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film
Education	Tidewater Community College (AA, AS) Virginia Commonwealth University
Years active	2010–present
Genres	Observational comedy impressions sketch comedy satire
Subject(s)	African-American culture American politics pop culture racism race relations current events

Jared Antonio Farrow (born October 14, 1987), known as Jay Pharoah, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 2010 to 2016. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as the 55th greatest Saturday Night Live cast member.

Early Life and Education

Pharoah was born and grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. He started doing impersonations when he was just six years old. He says his first voice was Iago from the Disney movie Aladdin. His father entered him in a talent show soon after, where he placed fifth.

In 2005, Pharoah finished high school at Indian River High School in Chesapeake. One of his funny characters, Principal Daniel Frye, was inspired by his old principal, James Frye. Pharoah earned two associate degrees from Tidewater Community College in 2008 and 2010. He also briefly attended Virginia Commonwealth University.

Comedy Career Highlights

Jay Pharoah performing in 2016

Jay Pharoah began performing stand-up comedy in Virginia when he was 15. He performed in local theaters and comedy clubs. He even toured with famous comedians like Corey Holcomb and Charlie Murphy.

Famous Impressions

Pharoah became well-known for his many celebrity impressions. He could perfectly imitate people like Barack Obama, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, DMX, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Denzel Washington. His impression of Barack Obama became very popular on YouTube, helping him gain wider attention.

Time on Saturday Night Live (2010–2016)

In 2010, Saturday Night Live (SNL) hired Jay Pharoah as a featured performer. He joined the show for its 36th season. The show's producer, Lorne Michaels, once said Pharoah "does a really good Obama."

Pharoah's first SNL appearance was on September 25, 2010. Many people, including Rob Moynihan from TV Guide, saw him as a "breakout player" that season. He impressed audiences with his takes on many celebrities. In 2012, he took over the role of impersonating Barack Obama on SNL. He continued to be a main cast member until 2016.

Other Acting Roles

Besides SNL, Pharoah has acted in several movies. He appeared in the independent film Lola Versus in 2012. In 2014, he had a small part in the movie Ride Along, which starred Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. He also appeared in Balls Out, a sports comedy with other SNL cast members.

In 2016, he was in a commercial for Old Navy with fellow SNL stars. After leaving SNL in August 2016, Pharoah co-hosted the American Music Awards of 2016 with model Gigi Hadid. He has also been working on his first music album. In 2024, Pharoah started hosting The Quiz with Balls on Fox.

Personal Life

In June 2020, Jay Pharoah shared a video about an experience he had with police. He was stopped by officers in his neighborhood because he looked like someone they were looking for. After the officers checked his identity, they apologized and let him go. He shared this video to support discussions about fairness and safety.

Filmography

Film Roles

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television Roles

Video Games

• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016) – Andre