Source: Jason Kempin / Getty
The comedy world lost one of its rising stars in Jak White.
We Lost A Real One In Jak Knight
Over the weekend, Jak Knight’s family confirmed through an agency rep that the writer/stand-up comedian and actor passed away on Thursday (Jul.14) at 28. The family did not share details such as the cause of his death at the time. “Knight’s loved ones ask that their privacy please be respected during this extremely difficult time,” the rep said.
Knight has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time, revealing in a 2018 interview with Respect that he got his start as a writer on the FOX animated show Lucas Bros. Moving Co. when he was around 20 years old.
His stock immediately began to rise, landing writing gigs on Netflix’s raunch animated comedy Big Mouth, where he even voiced one of the characters, and on ABC’s hit comedy sitcom Black-ish.
The official Twitter account for the show paid respect to the late multi-hyphenate, writing in a tweet, “A heartbreaking loss for the Big Mouth family. Writer and voice actor for beloved character Devon. An enormous talent. Rest in peace Jak Knight.”
A Star On The Rise
Knight would out from the writer’s room and in front of the camera in Peacock’s new comedy sitcom Bust Down, which he co-created with his friends Sam Jay, SNL cast member Chris Redd, and Langston Kerman. The show follows a bunch of friends working dead-end low-wage jobs in Gary, Indiana, while comedically tackling subjects, some serious.
Speaking with Bernard “Beanz” Smalls on our brother site Cassius Life, Knight talked about the show’s premise explaining Bust Down is only following a formula that similar white comedy sitcoms unabashedly use.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm, Always Sunny In Philadelphia, white people talk about these same topics, so this notion that we’re these crazy, wild Black people is ridiculous. White people have been doing these same types of jokes for decades,” Knight explained.
In a joint statement, the Bust Down family, Peacock, and Universal Television expressed shock and grief after learning of his passing.
“We are devastated by the passing of Jak Knight. He was a brilliant comedian, visionary, and artist, and we were all lucky to experience his greatness. Our hearts are with Jak’s family, friends, and community during this heartbreaking time.”
Before his shocking passing, Knight had just wrapped filming First Time Female Director. He was also featured in recent episodes of Sam Jay’s HBO series, Pause with Sam Jay.
We at Hip-Hop Wired send our condolences to Knight’s family and friends. May he rest in power.
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Photo: Jason Kempin / Getty
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