Most viewers know late-night shows by the person behind the desk. Behind that desk sits a room of writers who spend their days turning the news and the host’s personality into a monologue by evening. It’s fast, unglamorous work, and it has trained a surprising number of comedians.
The seven names below all spent time writing for late-night talk programs before they became known for their own stand-up, series, or characters. Their paths differ, but the writers’ room shows up in every one of them.
Louis C.K.
Before he had his own series, Louis C.K. worked as a writer on several comedy and talk programs. His credits include Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Late Show with David Letterman, as well as The Dana Carvey Show and The Chris Rock Show. That mix of sketch and talk show writing shaped his joke construction.
He later created and starred in Louie, which ran on FX starting in 2010. His career changed sharply in 2017, when he acknowledged sexual misconduct allegations. He is included here because of his writing history, which is well documented.
Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin got his television start as a writer on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He was also known for his one liners and drawings on a large pad, a style that suited the quick turnaround of a talk show.
He went on to become a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In 2009 he starred in Important Things with Demetri Martin on Comedy Central, a sketch and stand-up series built around his own voice.
Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel joined the writing staff of Late Night with Conan O’Brien when it launched in 1993. He had already worked on Saturday Night Live, where he created the animated segment TV Funhouse. Conan’s show became a home for his more absurd ideas.
His best known creation there is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a puppet he performed and voiced. Triumph made regular appearances on the show and later turned up at movie premieres and political events, always poking at whoever was nearby.
Jon Glaser
Jon Glaser wrote for Late Night with Conan O’Brien in the early 2000s, after years in New York’s improv scene. Writers on that show were expected to produce weird, specific sketches week after week. That discipline carried into his later work.
He created and starred in the Adult Swim series Delocated, and he played the recurring character Jeremy Jamm on Parks and Recreation. His comedy still leans toward the strange and committed, much like the Conan era he came from.
Michelle Wolf
Michelle Wolf wrote for Late Night with Seth Meyers in its early years, starting around 2014. She then moved to The Daily Show, where she worked as a writer and appeared as a contributor. Both jobs asked for topical jokes that could be written and shot within hours.
Her profile rose when she hosted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2018. Later that year, Netflix launched her weekly series The Break with Michelle Wolf, which was cancelled after one season.
Amber Ruffin
Amber Ruffin joined the writing staff of Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014. She was widely reported to be the first Black woman to write for a network late-night talk show. On air, she also became known for recurring segments such as Amber Says What.
In 2020 she launched The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock, a weekly talk show she hosted, which ran for three seasons before ending in 2022. She has continued to work in television and publishing since, including co-writing books with her sister Lacey Lamar.
Jena Friedman
Jena Friedman worked as a writer for Late Show with David Letterman, one of the most competitive writing jobs in comedy. She also spent time at The Daily Show, where she worked on field pieces and segments. Both gigs gave her a grounding in satire that tackles uncomfortable subjects directly.
She went on to make Soft Focus with Jena Friedman for Adult Swim, a mock interview and documentary style show. Her stand-up and specials continue that deadpan approach, which treats serious news as raw material for dark comedy.
