J.R. Havlan is an 8-time Emmy Award winning writer who wrote for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for 18 years. He also wrote for the 78th and 80th Annual Academy Awards and was a contributing writer to the New York Times best-selling books America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction and Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race.

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His more recent work includes:

  • Consultant and writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
  • Head writer in charge of developing a new version of National Geographic’s Explorer
  • Head writer of Black & White, a comedy variety series he helped develop for A&E.
  • Senior writer for the digital reboot of the classic SPY Magazine
  • Currently developing original scripted programs both individually and in collaboration with other, better looking writers.

J.R. is also a stand-up comedian who performs regularly in clubs around New York City and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and numerous other, considerably less notable shows. His award winning podcast, Writers’ Bloc, never actually won any awards, but let’s face it, that sounds a lot better than just “podcast”.

In December of 1987, J.R. completed a degree in Finance just over one month after “Black Monday” when the stock market suffered the biggest one-day percentage loss in history. And just like that, his future of being an intolerable, cigar smoking a-hole with slicked-back hair and pastel suspenders was sidelined before it could even get started. Fortunately, J.R.’s comedic timing was considerably better, and after moving to New York City in early 1988 he began performing stand-up and soon found himself working most of the major clubs in town. Soon, J.R. was writing monologue jokes for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher where he also served as crowd warm-up for the show’s tapings. Later, he was selected to be one of the original writers for The Daily Show (then without Jon Stewart), and though he admittedly wasn’t single-handedly responsible for the success of that program, his consistent contributions throughout the years helped it evolve into one of the most influential shows in late night.

He’s also a decent human being, though that’s obviously subjective and opinions may vary depending on which inexplicably terrible judge of character you talk to.

J.R. has a wife and kids who, in turn, have a husband and a father.