Seriously: These Famous Funny People Are Smarter Than You

Alison CaporimoUpdated: Mar. 07, 2022

Some of the world’s biggest jokers are also total geniuses. Here, our list of comedians and funny people who could outsmart you.

1 / 5

Ken Jeong

Before he was making audiences roll as the wacky gynecologist in “Knocked Up,” Jeong was a real-life physician. After completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University in 1990 and earning his M.D. degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jeong went on to complete his Internal Medicine residency at Ochsner Medical Center while developing his stand-up comedy on the side. Here, he gets down to some serious sports talk at the ESPN Debate Desk.

2 / 5

Russell Brand

The actor and comedian may not have a fancy degree, but his has been known to impress interviewers with his ability to wax poetic on government and social reform. Here, Brand holds his own in an intense news interview.

3 / 5

Conan O’Brien

The late night host graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, where he ran the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. Watch him give this hilarious commencement speech to the graduating class of 2000.

4 / 5

Sacha Baron Cohen

Cohen—also known as Ali G, Borat, and Brüno—studied history at the University of Cambridge in England. Here, he does a rare out-of-character interview with Howard Stern.

5 / 5

Lisa Kudrow

After receiving her BA in Biology from Vassar College, Kudrow followed in her father’s footsteps and researched migraines for eight years. That’s until she took a slight turn and fell into acting.

Originally Published: July 30, 2013

Originally Published in Reader's Digest