Barry Katz is an Emmy and Grammy nominated tv-film-record producer, podcast host, and talent manager who is universally known for helping launch the careers of some of the most extraordinary comedy artists in the business— including Dave Chappelle, Nick Swardson, Louie CK, Felipe Esparza, Bill Burr, Frank Caliendo, Whitney Cummings, Bert Kreischer, Bill Bellamy, Anthony Clark, Jim Gaffigan, Patrice O’Neal, Neal Brennan, Jim Norton, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Ross, Wanda Sykes, Gary Gulman, Marc Maron, Dane Cook, and “SNL" stars Darrell Hammond, Jay Mohr, Melissa Villasenor, Jim Breuer, and Tracy Morgan.
Throughout his career, Katz has sold 37 out of 38 stand-up comedy specials he produced and has brokered an unprecedented 100 tv development deals, created 3 television shows, and executive produced over 50 different specials, documentaries, reality shows, and scripted series including the YouTube TV produced “Telethon for America” (with Natalie Portman, Pete Davidson, Charlize Theron, Jim Jefferies, Jane Fonda, and Chelsea Handler), NBC’s “Whitney,” Netflix’s “The Road Trick,” FOX’s “Action,” HBO’s “Tourgasm,” Showtime’s “Jay Mohr: Happy. And A Lot,” History Channel’s “Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery,” TBS’s “Frank TV,” Comedy Central’s “Whitney Cummings: Money Shot,” the syndicated Bellamy/Tim Meadows/ Jon Lovitz/Vivica Fox sitcom “Mr. Box Office,” and 7 seasons of the Emmy-nominated NBC series “Last Comic Standing.”
Katz started his involvement in the film business when he helped Chappelle and Neal Brennan (who eventually went on to create “Chappelle’s Show”) sell the cult classic “Half Baked” to Universal Studios and went on to produce several films after that, including “Employee of the Month” (starring Jessica Simpson and Cook), “Good Luck Chuck” (starring Jessica Alba), “My Best Friend’s Girl” (starring Kate Hudson and Alec Baldwin), I Killed JFK (about the only living person in history to admit to killing Kennedy), and “Misery Loves Comedy” (starring Tom Hanks, Amy Schumer, and Larry David). In the recording world, he has produced multiple gold, platinum, and double platinum albums, while becoming the only manager/producer to debut a comedy album in the top 5 of Billboards national charts–twice.
Additionally, Katz is the co-founder of Comedy Dynamics, which is presently one of the largest independent comedy production
and distribution companies in the world…and was one of the driving forces behind the sale of the Emmy nominated Roasts to Comedy Central, which has become the biggest franchise in the network’s history.
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There are so many inspiring podcasts with fabulous stars out there. But their careers feel light years away from ours, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be great to hear from the guy who just booked his first pilot? Or the kid finally doing a studio pic after a bunch of low budget indies? Or the woman who’s been a series regular a few times but is only now becoming a name? What about the guy who’s been on a show for years and you know his face but what’shisnameagain? Or that actress who is now a freakin’ showrunner???? How’d THEY do it, right? How did they transition from relative obscurity, bartending and bottle service, to buying that house in Brentwood? We’re producing “Kahnversations,” a podcast that provides access to THOSE people -- your immediate predecessors -- so that you can learn from them while their battle scars are still fresh.
In “Kahnversations,” our own Ryan Bailey interviews some of Lesly Kahn & Company’s working actors, directors, and writers in order to learn how they got started in Hollywood, the challenges and hurdles they faced, and how they overcame the odds. (They also dish out some crazy stories!) Listen in and enjoy as these entertainers speak candidly about their paths, processes, and experiences. You might even hear a bit about how Lesly and the Kahnstitute have influenced and shaped their careers.
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