Louis C.K.

Louis Alfred Székely (/ˈluːi ˌseɪˈkeɪ/; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (/ˈluːi ˌsiːˈkeɪ/), is an American stand-up comedian, actor and filmmaker. C.K. started his career in the 1990s, writing for comedians including David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Dana Carvey, and Chris Rock. He turned to directing surreal short films and two features—Tomorrow Night (1998) and Pootie Tang (2001). In 2001, C.K. released his debut comedy album, Live in Houston, and became one of the first performers to offer direct-to-fan sales of tickets to his stand-up shows and DRM-free video concert downloads via his website. He enjoyed considerable success, releasing nine comedy albums, often directing and editing his specials as well. His specials include Shameless (2007), Chewed Up (2008), Hilarious (2010), and Oh My God (2013).

In 2010, C.K. gained prominence and acclaim for his FX semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series Louie (2010–2015), which he created, directed, and starred in. However, he faced considerable setbacks in 2017 when he admitted to several incidents of sexual misconduct. C.K. returned to stand-up comedy in 2018, and in 2019, he announced an international tour. He has also released the specials Sincerely Louis CK (2020) and Sorry (2021) on his website, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the former.