Arj Barker

Biography

Arjan Singh Āulakh (born August 12, 1974), known by the stage name Arj Barker, is an American comedian and actor from San Anselmo, California. He has toured in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He was born to an engineer father and artist mother. His father is of Indian Punjabi Sikh descent and his mother is of European descent. Barker started his career in comedy after graduating from high school in 1989. His first gigs were at a café called Caffe Nuvo in downtown San Anselmo where he hosted stand-up night every Sunday throughout the early 1990s. Barker appeared on Premium Blend in 1997, followed by appearances on the shows Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Glass House. He twice hosted Comedy Central Presents, first on September 20, 2000, and again on March 31, 2006. Barker was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. He appeared on the Australian show Thank God You're Here on October 18, 2006, September 19, 2007, and June 17, 2009. Barker co-wrote and performed in The Marijuana-Logues, an Off-Broadway show in New York City, with Doug Benson and Tony Camin. The title of the show was a parody of The Vagina Monologues. NBC gave Barker the lead role for sitcom Nearly Nirvana, originally scheduled for 2004. However, Barker was replaced in the lead role by the show's creator, Ajay Sahgal, and the show never aired Barker appeared in the HBO sitcom Flight of the Conchords, playing Dave. Barker has been successful in Australia for a number of years since first appearing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2000, and presently resides there. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, he won Best Comedy Release for Organic. During the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Barker attracted widespread media attention in Australia for, while on stage in front of a live audience, demanding a mother breastfeeding her 7-month-old baby to leave and have her ticket refunded. Barker claimed the baby was interrupting his train of thought.

Most Known For

Real Time with Bill Maher

as Self

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

as Self - Musical Guest

What We Do in the Shadows

as Werewolf Leader

Have You Been Paying Attention?

as Self - Panellist

Flight of the Conchords

as Dave

Good News Week

as Self

Comedy Central Presents

Rove

as Self

Thank God You're Here

Premium Blend

Robins

as Self - Guest

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation

as Himself - Generation X guest

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation

as Self - Contestant

BattleBots

as Self

My Coolest Years

as Himself

Car Babes

as Jimmy

Super High Me

as Self

Shooting the Past

as Garnett

Jim Jefferies and Friends

as Self