# Andy Bumatai

Andrew Jackson Bumatai (born December 24, 1953) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host and producer from Hawaii. He is of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, French and German ancestry.

## Early life

Bumatai was born in Germany to a German mother and an American military father. He lived in San Francisco for much of his childhood and moved to Kalihi at the age of 13. After a year in Kalihi, he and family then moved to Waianae. His brother was actor Ray Bumatai, who died on October 2, 2005.
Bumatai would drop out of Waianae High School in 11th grade and work different jobs, eventually leading to an early career as a salesman in his early 20s. He would then decide to venture into stand-up comedy as a result of few being in Hawaii. Though initially struggled finding work as venues generally preferred musical entertainers over comedic ones, he eventually was hired and started opening for comedian Frank De Lima. Bumatai would then replace the late Rap Reiplinger in Booga Booga and continue to perform stand-up comedy.

## Career

Bumatai recorded a number of comedy albums. His first won a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards award for "Most Promising Artist" and he went on to win three more for "Best Comedy Performance." He has also created a number of TV specials for Hawaii's KGMB-TV, notably High School Daze and All in the Ohana. He and his brother, Ray Bumatai also created BumaVision for Hawaii's OC16 network. Outside of Hawaii, he has been featured on the TV series Raven, and has had roles on shows like North Shore and Baywatch. Bumatai also co-starred in a 1997 pilot for an unaired Hawaii Five-O series.
Bumatai was executive producer of Nighttime Productions, and produces and starred in his own Hawaii-based online talk show, The Andy Bumatai Show. He was also the host of Toolin' Around, a series on motorbikes, and The Daily Pidgin, a show that talks about the Hawaiian Pidgin language and local Hawaii customs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bumatai streamed regularly, in different time slots, on YouTube, Twitch and several other platforms. Currently, he streams with co-host James Mane and editorializes news from Hawaii featuring music videos.

## Works credited, stage appearances, and filmography

| Years Active | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | School Daze Comedy Special | | |
| 1981 | All in the Ohana Comedy Special | | |
| 1990–1995 | Opened for Tom Jones, Kenny Loggins, Natalie Cole, Lionel Richie, Paul Anka, Kool & the Gang, Charlie Daniels | Stand-up comedy / Opener | |
| 1990–1995 | Punchline (San Francisco, CA), Comedy & Magic Club (Hermosa Beach, CA), Rooster T. Feathers (Sunnyvale, CA),The Ice House (Pasadena, CA), The Comedy Store, Main Room (La Jolla, CA), Various others | Headliner | |
| 1992–1993 | Raven, Season 12 | | |
| 1993 | Whoopi Goldberg's Comedy Tonight | | |
| 1994 | Rosie O'Donnell's Comedy Show | | |
| 1994–1995 | Marker, Season 13 | | |
| 1995 | Pat Morita's Triple Crown of Comedy (Showtime Special) | | |
| 2006–2008 | NightTime with Andy Bumatai | Host | |
| 2012–2014 | In the Car | Host | |
| 2014–2016 | Toolin' Around | Host | Hawai'i TV |
| 2015–present | Toolin' Around | Producer, Host | YouTube |
| 2016–present | The Daily Pidgin | Producer, Host | YouTube |