Tony Hinchcliffe

Tony Hinchcliffe(born June 8, 1984) is an American comedian. Since 2013, he has hosted the live comedy podcastKill Tony, a showcase of professional and amateur comedians who take turns doing one-minute sets. Hinchcliffe is known primarily forroast comedy, having been on the writing staff of theComedy Central Roastseries, and appearing at theAll Def Digital Roast ofSnoop Doggin 2016 andThe Roast of Tom Bradyin 2024. He has released two comedy specials,One ShotonNetflixin 2016 andMaking Friendson YouTube in 2020.
Hinchcliffe has a reputation for dark humor which, combined with hisinsult-based roast comedy, has led to several controversies. In 2021, he was dropped by his agency and lost multiple endorsements after using an anti-Asian slur against an opening Chinese American comedian during his set. In October 2024, theDonald Trump campaigninvited him to perform a set at arally at Madison Square Garden, during which he made a widely criticized joke about Puerto Rico.
Born inYoungstown, Ohio, on June 8, 1984,Hinchcliffe was raised by his single mother in the city's north side.He attendedUrsuline High School, where he was on the wrestling team,graduating in 2002.He is of Italian descent.
Hinchcliffe told theFree TimesofColumbia, South Carolina, that he grew up in a tough neighborhood and that he first developedroastingas a defense mechanism.In an interview withCleveland.com, he said that his insults also got him punched in the face on the school bus on his first day of school.On Ryan Sickler'sHoneyDewpodcast, Hinchcliffe revealed that his father was married to a woman other than his mother and that his birth was kept secret from her. At the same time, he was unaware of his father's other family until adolescence, thinking instead that his father just travelled a lot for work.
In 2007, Hinchcliffe moved toLos Angelesto pursue a career in comedy.He started performing stand-up atopen micsatThe Comedy StoreinWest Hollywood, California.He was hired to work the phones and the cover booth, eventually becoming a paid regular at the venue.He also started opening for comediansJoe RoganandJeff Rosson tour.
Hinchcliffe became known at The Comedy Store forinsulting other comics and audience membersduring shows.He is also known for broaching uncomfortable and sensitive topics during his stand-up sets.Hinchcliffe's style of roastingand dark sense of humor appealed to fellow comedian Jeff Ross, known as the "Roastmaster General" of the television seriesComedy Central Roast.Hinchcliffe refers to Ross as his mentor and he helped get Hinchcliffe his first writing jobs.
Hinchcliffe has written for theComedy Central Roastepisodes featuringJames Franco,Justin BieberandRob Lowe.His contributions to the series include writingMartha Stewart's set for the Justin Bieber roast andAnn Coulter's set for the Rob Lowe roast.He has also written for the comedypanel showThe Burn with Jeff Rossand appeared as a contestant on the first season ofJeff Ross Presents Roast Battle.
He also appeared as a roaster on theAll Def Digital Roast ofSnoop Doggin 2016andThe Roast of Tom Bradyin 2024.
Hinchcliffe's first one-hour stand-up special titledOne Shotpremiered onNetflixin 2016.His special was so named because it was shot in one camera take with no edits.In 2017, he headlined theMonster EnergyOutbreak Tour where he toured 20 American cities in 22 days.
Since 2013, Hinchcliffe has produced and hosted a podcast calledKill Tony, a weekly live show recorded at The Comedy Store.During the show, Hinchcliffe and co-hostBrian Redban(ofThe Joe Rogan Experienceand the Deathsquad Network), along with a changing panel of comedians and other celebrities, act as judges for amateur comedians.The contestants enter their names into a bucket and are selected at random throughout the show.Each selected contestant gets to perform a one-minute comedy set,followed by a discussion and critique by the panel of judges.The show aims to give young comedians a chance to showcase their talent and build their professional reputation. It sets no limits on topics the contestants can present, allowing for potentially offensive orpolitically incorrectperformances.
In September 2020, Hinchcliffe announced that he would relocate toAustin, Texas, to join Joe Rogan and Brian Redban.TheKill Tonypodcast relocated to Antone's Nightclub in downtown Austin. The show relocated toVulcan Gas Companyon 6th Street in May 2021. Due to an incident that month with a racist slur, his agencyWMEreleased him as a client and Antone's announced that it would no longer work with Hinchcliffe orKill Tony.As of 2023, the show is hosted at Joe Rogan's Austin-based comedy clubComedy Mothership. On New Year's Eve 2023,Kill Tonyhosted its first live arena show at theH-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
During a stand-up set in May 2021, Hinchcliffe was videotaped insulting Peng Dang, an Asian American comedian who had introduced Hinchcliffe after performing the previous set at Vulcan Gas Company in Austin. Hinchcliffe said Dang was a "filthy little fuckingchink", followed with a series ofAsian stereotypesin a mock Chinese accent, and lashed out at audience members who laughed at Dang's jokes, branding them as "race traitors". The video was later shown onTwitter, went viral and received criticism.As a result, Hinchcliffe was dropped by his agencyWMEand removed from shows scheduled with Joe Rogan in Austin, and the Austin nightclub Antone's announced that it would no longer be involved with Hinchcliffe or hisKill Tonylive show.Vulturereported that during his set, Hinchcliffe stated that Chinese people came to Austinbecause of the batsand criticized offended audience members for "believing he was serious".In an interview withVariety, Hinchcliffe stated that the line was a joke and he did nothing wrong, adding that he believed comedians should never apologize for a joke and simply continue with their work.
On October 27, 2024, Hinchcliffe performed at aDonald Trumpcampaign rally in Madison Square Garden. During his set, he describedPuerto Ricoas a "floating island of garbage",and joked that "these Latinos, they love making babies, they do. There's no pulling out. They don't do that, they come inside, just like they do to our country".His act relied on severalethnic stereotypes, including joking aboutcarving watermelons with Black peopleand making arock paper scissorsjoke involvingPalestinians throwing rocks, and Jews "[having] a hard time throwing that paper."
Hinchcliffe's remarks were widely criticized as racist, including by prominent politicians such as Democratic vice presidential nomineeTim Walz, who called him a "jackwad",and RepresentativeAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is of Puerto Rican ancestry. RepresentativeRitchie Torres, also of Puerto Rican ancestry, said that he was "tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage".The Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe's Puerto Rico comments.