Trevor Noah has literally joked his way to the top since he took the reins from Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show. The South African multifaceted entertainer has become a household name with a fortune to his name but the success he enjoys today was not handed on a platter. Controversies trailed Noah’s succession as The Daily Show host in 2015 as he faced heavy criticism for jokes he shared in the past. The ripple effect saw The Daily Show lose 37% viewership but Noah shut his critics down by proving the job was right up his alley.
Under Noah’s reign, The Daily Show became the number-one show for millennials. Subsequently, Comedy Central renewed Noah’s contract to keep him as host of The Daily Show through 2022. He also leveraged his success on the show to create three stand-up specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. Since his last show on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah has been up and about, re-establishing his stance as a comedian to watch. He is also revisiting his past with South African shows lined up in his diary. Read more interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Trevor Noah below.
1. Trevor Noah Is Originally From South Africa
While the spotlight is on him as a Hollywood icon, Trevor Noah actually came from a humble beginnings in South Africa. He was born in Johannesburg, Transvaal (now known as Gauteng), South Africa, on February 20, 1984. Born to a Black South African mother and Swiss-German father, Noah hails from a biracial background but he only identifies with his South African side. Growing up, Noah’s father was mostly absent from his life as interracial relationships were forbidden in South Africa during the apartheid rule when Trevor was born. As a result, Noah’s mother raised him in Soweto by herself while taking precautionary measures to hide his true identity from authorities. On the bright side, his positive and negative experiences while growing up in Soweto as a child of color gave Noah enough content for his comedy.
2. He Began His Career In South Africa As An Actor
An interesting fact about Trevor Noah is that he started his career as an actor. His earliest credit came in a brief role he played on one episode of the long-running South African soap opera Isidingo. His stint on the small screen began to pick up steam when he hosted 13 episodes of The Amazing Date in 2008 and in the same year, the comedian finished as a runner-up in a Strictly Come Dancing contest after eight episodes. He soon dropped his acting ambitions to focus on comedy, creating and performing at shows such as Trevor Noah: The Daywalker (2009), Tonight with Trevor Noah (2010-2011), and Trevor Noah: That’s Racist (2012).
He also hosted the Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr in 2012 before he appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart between 2014 and 2015. Trevor Noah was officially named host of The Daily Show in 2015, a gig that ultimately skyrocketed his fame. The show broke boundaries and recorded stellar performances under Trevor Noah with 1,091 episodes to his credit. In addition to hosting The Daily Show, Noah also stood in as a writer and executive producer. He has also hosted other notable shows such as the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (2021) and the 64th Annual Grammy Awards (2022).
3. Trevor Noah Is A Multi-Award Winner
A globally acclaimed entertainer of Trevor Noah’s ilk is expected to be heavily decorated with awards and the comedian has not disappointed in that regard. So far, Noah has been nominated for more than 80 awards and won 18. He won the first award he was nominated for at the South African Comics’ Choice Awards as Comic of the Year in 2012. He has since gained recognition from prestigious award bodies like the MTV Africa Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Critics’ Choice Television Award, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, and Primetime Emmy Award to name a few. Notably, Trevor Noah was mostly nominated for his work on The Daily Show.
4. He Wrote His Autobiography “Born a Crime” Twice
Another interesting fact about Trevor Noah is that his autobiography Born a Crime became an instant success when it was published in 2016. The book which sheds light on what life was like growing up under the apartheid government in his home country South Africa was released to favorable reviews but the success didn’t come without tribulations. Born a Crime actually has two versions, one with all the profanities he needed to vent out and another version clean enough for children to read. The book is getting a film adaption with Lupita Nyong’o portraying Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, Noah’s Xhosa mother.
5. Trevor Noah Is A Polyglot
Despite his battle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Trevor Noah has always displayed a high level of intelligence with his versatile knowledge. To cap it all, he speaks multiple languages. The former Daily Show host fluently communicates in English, Southern Sotho, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, and Tsonga. He also knows basic Afrikaans and a touch of German. Trevor Noah is still interested in learning more languages.
6. Trevor Noah Has Toured Across The United States and South Africa Since The Daily Show
When Trevor Noah bid farewell to The Daily Show fans, many wondered what he will do next. The comedian grew so popular on the show that viewers couldn’t imagine him doing any other thing. However, Trevor Noah didn’t waste any time in landing his next gig as the executive producer of an American version of the British late-night TV series Mock the Week for Amazon Freevee. He also got busy preparing for a 28-city stand-up comedy tour which kicked off in January 2023. The tour would take Noah to different states in the United States, including Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, California, and New York. In between his US tour, Noah will take a break to perform some shows in South Africa.
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