Joe Rogan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Rogan
Rogan in 2017
Born	Joseph James Rogan (1967-08-11) August 11, 1967 (age 57) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Podcaster color commentator comedian actor television host
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Jessica Ditzel ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	3 (1 adopted)
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up podcast television film
Genres	Observational comedy black comedy insult comedy cringe comedy satire
Subject(s)	American culture American politics sports current events religion pop culture
YouTube information
Genre	Podcasting
Subscribers	18.8M
Total views	5.72 billion
Subscriber and view counts updated as of Dec 16, 2024.

Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He is best known for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience. This popular podcast features discussions with celebrity guests on many topics. These include current events, comedy, science, and martial arts. His podcast is one of the most watched in the world.

Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He started his comedy career in 1988 in the Boston area. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he appeared in TV shows like Hardball and NewsRadio. In 1997, he began working for the UFC as an interviewer and commentator.

He released his first comedy special in 2000. From 2001 to 2006, he hosted the game show Fear Factor. After Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up comedy. He launched The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2009. By 2015, it became one of the most popular podcasts globally.

In 2020, Spotify made a deal to have his podcast exclusively. This helped his audience grow even more. In 2024, he renewed his deal with Spotify. The podcast is now available on other platforms too.

Early Life and Martial Arts

Rogan in a 1985 yearbook

Joseph James Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 11, 1967. His parents divorced when he was five years old. He moved with his mother to San Francisco, California, at age seven. Later, they moved to Gainesville, Florida, and then settled in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. He finished high school in 1985.

Rogan became interested in martial arts when he was a teenager. He felt that martial arts gave him confidence. He learned that he could do difficult things and succeed. This was very important to him.

At age 14, he started karate. A year later, he began taekwondo. When he was 19, he won a US Open Championship taekwondo tournament. He was also a state champion in Massachusetts for four years. He even became a taekwondo instructor. He stopped competing at age 21 due to frequent headaches. He briefly attended the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Career Journey

Starting Stand-Up Comedy

Rogan did not plan to be a professional comedian at first. He thought about a career in kickboxing. But he loved comedy and enjoyed making his friends laugh. His friends encouraged him to try stand-up.

On August 27, 1988, he performed his first stand-up routine. This was at an open-mic night in Boston. While working on comedy, he had many jobs. He taught martial arts, delivered newspapers, and drove a limousine. A talent manager named Jeff Sussman saw his act and offered to help him.

In 1990, Rogan moved to New York City. He worked hard to make a living as a comedian. He looked up to comedians like Richard Jeni and Sam Kinison.

Acting on Television

In 1994, Rogan moved to Los Angeles. He got his first TV appearance on MTV. This led to a deal with Disney. He landed his first big acting role in the 1994 sitcom Hardball. He played Frank Valente, a young baseball player.

From 1995 to 1999, Rogan starred in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio. He played Joe Garrelli, an electrician. Rogan found acting easy but got tired of playing the same character. He saw it as a good way to earn money while focusing on his stand-up comedy.

UFC Commentator and Fear Factor

Rogan (right) posing with Gerald Strebendt in a boxing ring, 2002

Rogan started working for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1997. He was a backstage interviewer. He became interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after watching a UFC fight in 1994. He left the UFC after two years because the travel costs were too high.

In 2001, new owners took over the UFC. The president, Dana White, offered Rogan a job as a color commentator. Rogan first said no, but then agreed to work for free tickets. After about 15 free shows, he started getting paid. He worked with Mike Goldberg until 2016. Rogan has won several awards for being a top MMA announcer.

In 1999, Rogan signed a deal to release comedy albums. His first album, I'm Gonna Be Dead Some Day..., came out in 2000. He also started a blog on his website to share ideas.

In 2001, NBC asked Rogan to host Fear Factor. He first thought the show was too extreme. But his manager convinced him to take the job. Hosting Fear Factor made him well-known across the country. The show ran for six seasons until 2006.

His role on Fear Factor led to other TV chances. He appeared on Just Shoot Me and co-hosted The Man Show on Comedy Central.

Comedy Specials and Podcast Growth

Rogan commentating for the UFC in 2006

After Fear Factor, Rogan focused more on his stand-up comedy. He felt that TV had made him less creative. He used money from TV to film his comedy tours. He shared clips on his website. In 2005, he filmed his second comedy special, Joe Rogan: Live.

In 2007, Comedy Central Records released his fourth special, Shiny Happy Jihad.

In 2009, Rogan hosted the CBS show Game Show in My Head. It was a short-lived show where contestants tried to get people to do funny things for money. He hosted it because the idea was interesting to him.

In 2011, Rogan returned to host the final season of Fear Factor. He also played a character in the comedy film Zookeeper. In 2012, he played himself in the film Here Comes the Boom.

In 2013, Rogan hosted Joe Rogan Questions Everything on the SyFy network. This show explored topics like Bigfoot and UFOs. It featured experts and scientists.

The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast

Rogan performing stand-up in 2011

In December 2009, Rogan started a free podcast with his friend Brian Redban. It began as a weekly live broadcast. By August 2010, it was named The Joe Rogan Experience. It quickly became one of the top podcasts on iTunes.

The podcast features many guests. They discuss current events, philosophy, comedy, and more. By 2015, the podcast had millions of downloads each month. This made it one of the most popular free podcasts in the world.

In 2020, Rogan signed a big deal with Spotify. This made The Joe Rogan Experience available exclusively on Spotify starting in 2021. The podcast includes both audio and video. In 2024, Rogan renewed his deal with Spotify, and the podcast is no longer exclusive to them. In December 2024, Spotify confirmed it was the top podcast on their platform for the fifth year in a row.

Other Ventures

Rogan is a co-founder of Onnit, a company that sells supplements and fitness products. He often talks about Onnit products on his podcast. In 2021, Onnit was sold to Unilever.

Rogan also owns a comedy club in Austin, Texas. It is called the Comedy Mothership and opened in March 2023.

Personal Life

Family and Home

Rogan married Jessica Ditzel in 2009. They have two daughters. Rogan is also a stepfather to Jessica's daughter from a previous relationship. In 2008, they moved to Colorado but returned to California. In 2020, the family moved to a home in Austin, Texas.

In 2019, he shared that he is a distant cousin of My Chemical Romance band members Gerard Way and Mikey Way.

Martial Arts Training

Rogan has a strong interest in jiu-jitsu. He started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1996. He holds black belts in two different styles of jiu-jitsu. One is under Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. The other is a gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Jean Jacques Machado.

Health

Rogan has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes patches of skin to lose their color.

Filmography

Films

Television

Comedy Specials

Video Games

Selected Documentaries

Publications

• Foreword to Endure: How to Work Hard, Outlast, and Keep Hammering, by Cameron Hanes, with an afterword by David Goggins. St. Martin's Press (2022). ISBN: 978-1250279293.

Awards and Honors

• Teen Choice Award
  • Choice TV Reality/Variety Host for Fear Factor (2003, Nominated)
• World MMA Awards
  • 2011 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2012 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2014 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2015 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2016 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2017 MMA Personality of the Year
  • 2019 – July 2020 MMA Personality of the Year
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Best Television Announcer (2010, 2011)

See also

In Spanish: Joe Rogan para niños

• List of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
• List of United States stand-up comedians