Jo Firestone

Jo Firestone, born Joanna Firestone in 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri, is an accomplished actress, comedian, and television writer. She grew up in Clayton, Missouri, and graduated from Clayton High School before earning a degree in theatre from Wesleyan University. Firestone currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Her career began with significant involvement in live comedy. In 2010, she co-wrote, performed, and directed “Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite” with Dylan Marron, which earned a Capital Fringe Festival Director’s Award. Firestone has regularly performed at the UCB Theater in Manhattan and across New York City. She transitioned into television writing, notably serving as a writer for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” from 2016 to 2018, contributing to 144 episodes. During her time there, she also appeared on the show in various sketches. She was also a writer and producer for “The Special Without Brett Davis” from 2015 to 2017.

Firestone has a notable acting career, portraying Sarah Conner, a band teacher, on “Joe Pera Talks with You” from 2018 to 2021, a role that spanned six episodes and established her character as Joe Pera’s doomsday prepper girlfriend. Her television acting credits also include appearances in “Search Party,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “Broad City,” “High Maintenance,” and “Shrill.” In 2023, she appeared as a member of the council of energy vampires in an episode of “What We Do in the Shadows.” Pushing her career forward, Firestone became the head writer and co-executive producer for CBS’s “After Midnight” in 2023, scheduled for 2024–2025, contributing to 53 episodes as head writer and 30 episodes as co-executive producer. Her podcast work includes co-hosting “Dr. Gameshow” and hosting Comedy Central’s “Everyday Decisions.” She has also authored several books, including “Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers” (2016) with her father, Fred Firestone, and self-published “Murder on Sex Island: A Luella van Horn Mystery” in 2023.