Ashley Ray is a stand-up comic, actor, tv writer and podcast host.
Ashley Ray is the most famous bisexual solo polyamorous black queer comedian, actor, and writer currently based in Los Angeles. In 2021, she was featured in Bust for her “whip smart TV criticism.” And yes, she’s also famous for smoking pot.
In 2022, Ashley wrote on Adult Swim’s, ALABAMA JACKSON created by Donald Faison. Ashley was selected as one of HBO Max’s Queer Comics to Watch for 2021 and filmed a digital special for the platform. That same year she did a sold out hour at Union Hall in NY and debuted a new hour at The Yard Theater in Los Angeles. She hosts High Gear Comedy, a monthly live show with Barbara Gray at The Airliner in LA.
Ashley is the host of the popular podcast ‘TV I Say with Ashley Ray’ which was featured in the New York Times as a 2021 Podcast Worth Checking Out.” She’s also been a guest on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me and Seth Rogen’s Storytime.
She is also known for her viral Shaun King video and post. Her newsletter about TV, pop culture and life as a solo poly bisexual dream babe was named "One of the Best 2020 Newsletters to Subscribe to That Will Keep You Informed and Entertained" by Marie Claire.
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Ashley has appeared on the podcasts Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, Lovett or Leave It, Storytime with Seth Rogen, Scam Goddess, Why Won't You Date Me, The Bechdel Cast, Doug Loves Movies, and Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best.
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Ashley has performed and headlined across the country.
Festivals: Limestone Comedy Festival 2018, Milwaukee Comedy Festival 2018, Pitchfork Comedy Fort 2018, Cream City Comedy Fest 2018, Black Women in Comedy Festival 2019, True/False Film Festival 2021, Moderator at Vulture Fest 2021, Moderator at the Writers Guild Festival 2021, Moderator at the 2021 ATX Television Festival, 2022 TNK Fest Chicago
Venues and Showcases: The Fly Honey Show Chicago, Dallas Comedy House, Tuxedo Cat Chicago, Just Come NYC, City Side Comedy Boston, The Drop in South Bend, IN, Side Ponytail NYC, Helltrap Nightmare Second City Chicago, Laugh Factory Chicago, The Business LA, Westside Comedy Theater LA, Funnilingus LA, Cabernet Cabaret with Catherine Cohen, Good Heroin, Faded LA and a lot more.Like, a lot more. It’s honestly embarrassing we even listed this many.
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A freelance writer published under Ashley Ray-Harris since 2016, her pop culture opinions, editorials, interviews and reviews have been featured on:
The A.V. Club, The Cut, New York Magazine, Emmy Magazine, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Variety, Bitch Media, Vice, Slate, Vox, The Chicago Reader and Vulture.
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Ok, fine, here’s the full bio:
Ashley Ray-Harris (stage name: Ashley Ray) is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, tv writer and pop culture critic. She was born in Dallas and is a proud 5th generation Texan, but she grew up in Rockford, IL and is very proud of that too. She started doing comedy in Chicago, IL. She moved to LA in 2019.
Ray studied at Williams College and she’s the creator of the Badass Black Women's History Month Project. She worked at The Onion and performed with Clickhole Live from 2016-2018. In 2020, she co-edited Maria Bamford's audiobook, You Are (A Comedy) Special.
Her work explores the intersection between culture and the intimacies of race, gender, queerness, and sexuality. Ray's unique brand of off-puttingly black Black comedy has been covered in The Chicago Tribune, Vulture, and VoyageLA. She is also very good at Twitter and you might know her from that. In 2017, she was even voted the 2nd best Chicagoan to follow on Twitter by The Chicago Reader.
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Ashley Ray was a 2021 HBO Max Queer Comic to Watch:
And a BET 2023 Black Woman Comic to Watch