Comedian Neel Nanda, of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ fame, dead at 32

Celebrities

By Jack Hobbs

Stand-up comedian Neel Nanda, who appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and Comedy Central’s “Adam Devine’s House Party,” has reportedly died. He was 32.

Several performers and fans mourned Nanda on social media Saturday as the circumstances surrounding his death remained unclear.

“It is with a very heavy heart we say goodbye to comedy great, Neel Nanda,” reps for The Port Comedy Club in Baltimore posted Saturday on Instagram. “Absolutely shocked by the news. Such a positive force for comedy and a huge loss to our community. Rest in Peace Neel.”

“Thank you for gracing our stage and piano, a great headliner, gone too soon,” the venue added.

The Post reached out to Nanda’s reps for comment.

Born in Atlanta to Indian immigrant parents, Nanda got his start in stand-up comedy by watching several sets on Comedy Central and retelling his favorite jokes to his middle school friends.

“I didn’t realize I was stealing jokes until I was in high school,” Nanda told VCReporter in 2018. “When I was in high school I started writing my own jokes using the structure of some of the jokes I had previously stolen.”

“I filled up a notebook of jokes and didn’t realize until college that I could go to an open mic and tell them,” he continued. “I actually had a friend read the notebook and tell me, ‘You know you can just go perform these, right?’ I didn’t know, but after a quick Google search I was off to the Laughing Skull open mic.”

Nanda hosted the weekly show “Unnecessary Evil” at the Westside Comedy Theater in Los Angeles.

He once said his greatest achievement was performing a 5-minute set on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2017.

“I’ve always wanted to do a set on late night, and ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ was my first choice. So the fact that it came together kind of blew my mind,” Nanda explained to VCReporter.

“I’ve performed on other networks like Comedy Central, Hulu, Viceland, etc., but Jimmy Kimmel was the first place I performed where my parents were a fan of the host,” he joked.

The Post reached out to Kimmel reps for comment.

Several comedians shared tributes to Nanda over the weekend.

“RIP Neel Nanda,” embattled comedian Matt Rife, 28, wrote on X, “You were one of the nicest, hardest-working comedians I’ve ever called a friend and I hope you can be at peace brother.”

“I didn’t know Neel Nanda personally but reading several tributes is both heartbreaking and eye opening,” Dane Cook, 51, posted on the platform Saturday. “I echo so many in expressing there is help out there.”

“I don’t know anyone who worked harder than Neel,” stand-up comedian Adam Newman wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of Nanda and others at a venue. “I don’t know anyone who was as open and willing to help other comedians with stage time or advice.”

“Neel basically taught me, and I’m sure a ton of you, how to promote yourself on this site,” he continued. “And I don’t know anyone else as quick to shoot a text or dm with a compliment or words of encouragement.”

“I wish I had reached out to him more recently. Another truly huge loss for comedy and everyone who knew him,” Newman concluded.

Nanda had posted that he was performing shows in Toronto on Dec. 15 and 16: “BIRTHDAY WEEKEND WAAAAAAAAAY UP IN THE 6 I FEEL BLESSED.”

He is said to be survived by his mother, father, and sister.