Nimesh Patel

Nimesh Patel is a stand-up comedian and television writer known for his trailblazing work in comedy. Born in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, in 1986, Patel grew up in an Indian Gujarati Hindu family that immigrated from India in the 1970s. He moved to New York City to attend New York University, initially pursuing pre-med before switching to a degree in Finance, which he completed in 2008. After graduating, Patel began his comedy career, performing stand-up at The Stress Factory while working during the day.

In 2015, Patel’s talent was recognized when Chris Rock discovered him performing in Brooklyn, leading to Patel joining Rock’s writing team for the 88th Academy Awards. Patel also contributed to Hasan Minhaj’s 2017 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner appearance. His big break came in 2017 when he became the first Indian American writer for Saturday Night Live, focusing on Weekend Update jokes. His exceptional work earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in 2018.

Patel has made notable appearances on @midnight, Comedy Knockout, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He has also been a panelist at the Foreign Affairs Symposium at Johns Hopkins University. Despite a controversy in 2018 during a Columbia University event, Patel responded by posting the full set online to address the situation.

Patel, a regular at the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village, now lives in Brooklyn. His comedy is influenced by Chris Rock, Larry David, and Patrice O’Neal. He married Amy Havel in 2020 and enjoys cricket as his favorite sport.