Ismael Loutfi: Bio, Comedy Style, and Where to Watch

Who is Ismael Loutfi?

Ismael Loutfi is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor from Central Florida, now based in Los Angeles. He is of Syrian descent — his father moved from Syria to Connecticut in the late 1970s, built a career as a hospital surgeon, and then relocated the family to Central Florida, where he became known for decorating the exterior of his car with Islamic messaging. Ismael’s upbringing in that household — and his own sincere belief in Islam as a young person — forms the core of his most personal comedic work. He was married at seventeen and began doing stand-up at eighteen.

He has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers, and Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar. He wrote for Netflix’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj for two years and wrote for NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! He wrote for CBS’s After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. He is currently a writer on the upcoming animated series Mating Season from the team behind Big Mouth. He appeared in the film #1 Happy Family USA (2025). In 2022 he released his Comedy Central special Sound It Out on YouTube. His Edinburgh Fringe 2025 solo show Heavenly Baba — about his father’s attempt to convert the state of Florida to Islam — received strong critical reviews at the Pleasance Courtyard. He has been a finalist at the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and was selected as a New Face of Comedy at Just for Laughs.

Ismael Loutfi’s Comedy Style

Loutfi described Heavenly Baba as “deeply personal and utterly un-clippable” — a show built for the room rather than for social media, exploring what it means to express oneself honestly and authentically. His stand-up is self-aware, warm, and rooted in the specific absurdity of his family history. The television writing career (Hasan Minhaj, Taylor Tomlinson, Seth MacFarlane’s orbit) and the Edinburgh solo show represent two very different tracks working in parallel.

Where to Find Ismael Loutfi

Sound It Out is on YouTube. Find upcoming shows at ismaelloutfi.com.

Ismael Loutfi has performed at the Comedy Cellar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Check the current lineup and upcoming shows at comedycellar.com.

Catch Comedy Cellar shows live from New York on Mint Comedy at watch.mintcomedy.com.