Black Twitter asked “Who?” when Jerrod Carmichael was announced as host of the 2023 Golden Globe Awards on Thursday.
Most of us had never heard of the 35-year-old comedian and actor until today.
Carmichael is known for his self-titled series “The Carmichael Show” with Loretta Devine and Lil Rel Howery. He also voiced a lead character in the animated series Lucas Bros Moving Co.
He was largely unknown until he came out as gay in his HBO special, “Rothaniel.” The special won an Emmy Award.
In his special, filmed at a New York jazz club, Carmichael said he kept his “secret” from his immediate family, friends, colleagues and fans because he was ashamed.
“I thought I’d never, ever come out,” he said. “At many points in my life I thought I’d rather die than confront the truth of that, like, to actually say it to people.”
In his 2019 HBO documentary short “Home Videos,” Carmichael told his mother that he had intimate relationships with men. He said coming out to his mom hurt their relationship. She hasn’t spoken to him since.
But he said coming out made him feel “freer.”
Carmichael had a strained relationship with his father, who frequently cheated on his mother.
Coming out has given Carmichael’s career a boost. He recently hosted Saturday Night Live and he has more acting gigs lined up.
