Bo Burnham may take on many different personas. He makes people cringe, chuckle, burst out laughing, and then reflect.
Starting with a humble YouTube channel, Bo Burnham successfully built a name for himself in Hollywood. His self-aware, scathing humor, with every word filtered via his love/hate relationship with the Internet, has catapulted the 30-year-old from Massachusetts to stardom, particularly among adolescents who find themselves in his mediated reality.
Recently, the young comedian has stunned audiences across the globe with his subversive Netflix special, ‘Inside’, which depicts the queasy elegy on pandemic life. Read on to discover Bo Burnham net worth and other surprising facts about this talented man!
Table of Contents
How Old Is Bo Burnham & Where Is He From?
Perhaps you don’t know, but Bo Burnham’s birth name is not Bo. He was born Robert Pickering Burnham on August 21st, 1990, in Hamilton, Massachusetts. That means he has joined the 30s club.
Being the youngest child of the family, he has always been the most lavished. Bo went to his hometown’s all-boys St. John Preparatory school, where he was on the honor list.
Bo exposed a flair for performing art, particularly comedy since he was a toddler. At the time, his parents used a camera to film him mimicking each family member. As he went to school, the boy became involved in theatre and was regarded as one of the best actors, despite not having any professional guide. Since his parents were into stand-up comedians like Richard Pryor and George Carlin, Bo was influenced by their styles.
Burnham Started From His Bedroom
Bo Burnham Started Out As A Youtube Star – Source: Variety
Looking at his current success, you might be surprised to know that Bo did not plan to be a comedian. His rise to fame began when he wrote some political and social satire songs to entertain his classmates and then uploaded them to Youtube.
“I had written these songs, and I wanted to show them to my brother who [was] in college.”, he shared with the AV Club in 2009, “and at the time, YouTube was nothing. No one knew what it was. It was just like another outlet, and I didn’t think of it as a career move.”
All that happened when Bo was only 15. His first video, “My Whole Family…” gained over 250,000 views per day, which was quite a blast at the time. In an interview with NPR, he said: “It was very strange because I saw this giant number and then I went to school and nothing was different. I think it started a lifelong journey of these two separate sort of narratives being absolutely incoherent but overlaid on top of each other.”
Bo Burnham’s ‘My Whole Family…’
Bo Burnham’s First Album Of Comedy Songs Was Released In 2008
Bo Burnham’s knack for musical-comedy had gained a lot of attention. At the age of 17, this young man already had a constantly rising fanbase on Youtube, thus catching the attention of an agent’s assistant.
As reported by The Boston Globe, in February 2008, Bo traveled to London to record a segment for Comedy Central. In addition, he also had standup performances at Boston’s Comedy Connection and released a CD for Comedy Central Records called “Bo Fo Sho”.
Bo Burnham’s First CD ‘Bo Fo Sho’ – Source: Insider
At the same time, the comedian published a Youtube video, which featured his new song titled “I’m Bo Yo”. It became one of his most popular songs on the platform and received 32 million views as of 2021.
He Left NYU To Work With Comedy Central Records
After applying for college, Bo was accepted into Harvard, Brown, and New York University’s bachelor program in experimental theatre. He would accept NYU’s offer but later postponed his education to go on tour and promote his latest record. An article published in The New Yorker revealed how the comedian submitted his videos as part of his applications to NYU’s Tish School Of The Art.
For a 17-year-old teenager, it was a risky decision. You would be even more startled to know that getting accepted into NYU was his dream in high school. After a lot of hard work, he eventually turned down the opportunity. In the end, Bo had made the right choice, and things turned out well for him.
He Was The One Behind MTV’s ‘Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous’ And The Indie Darling ‘Eighth Grade’
Still enchanted by youth and recognition, Bo joined hand to create ‘Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous’ for MTV. The show revolves around Zach, a college student who hires a television crew to follow him around in the hopes of becoming famous. His strategies are getting a makeover, becoming a renowned chef, and even recording a sex tape.
“This is the story of mocking fame, but I’m doing this, and in theory, if the show works, I’ll get more famous,” said Bo. Although it only lasted one season, it received critical acclaim and has since gained a cult following.
Another movie Bo Burnham worked on was ‘Eighth Grade’. For this one, Bo turned his contradictory sentiments and concerns about the internet into a script. The resulting movie follows a young girl in her final week of the eighth grade as she attempts to be an influencer.
‘Eighth Grade’ – Official Trailer
‘Eighth Grade’ impressed audiences at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it was met with critical acclaim. Thanks to it, Burnham has received honors from the Independent Spirit Awards, the Directors, and the Writers Guild of America.
The First Movie He Starred In Was Oscar-Nominated
Bo Burnham was given a chance to appear in various movies and TV series. Viewers of Park and Recreation may still remember him as Chipp McCapp, a haughty country star. The series received 16 Oscar nominations. Other films he starred in include Funny People, Hall Pass, Rough Night, The Big Sick, and series such as Kroll Show or Key Peele.
Bo Burnham ‘Park And Rec’ – Source: BuzzFeed
Until now, Bo is still thriving in his acting career. In 2020, he co-starred in the feminist revenge flick Promising Young Woman with Carey Mulligan. As proof of how versatile he is, the comedian played the romantic lead. The film also premiered at Sundance and received five Oscar nominations, mirroring Eighth Grade’s success.
‘Inside’ Is, In Fact, His Fourth Comedy Special
Many fans just got to know Bo Burnham through the Netflix series ‘Inside’. In fact, he had been released comedy specials way before that. The first one was ‘Words, Words, Words’, which was published on Comedy Central. This stint gave him a nomination for the Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2010.
Bo later expanded his list of comedy specials with ‘What’ and ‘Make Happy’, released in 2013 and 2016, respectively.
About Bo Burnham Net Worth
How Much Is Bo Burnham Net Worth? – Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
With all of his achievements and appearances on media, we can’t help but question Bo Burnham net worth. As shown on Celebrity Net Worth, the comedian has an estimated fortune of $4 million. However, Distractify is now reporting that Bo is now worth $5 million.
As you can guess, Bo Burnham net worth is an accumulation of his talents in many different fields. From being a Youtuber, writing for comic shows, and performing stand-up specials to directing and producing TV series, all of those contribute to his wealth. With a Netflix contract and many opportunities ahead, Bo’s bank balance is only expected to grow in the coming years.
He Is Not Only A Comedian But Also A Published Poet
If you have watched one of Bo Burnham’s comedy specials, ‘Make Happy’, you will remember him saying ‘I like words, I like poetry’. Turned out, this is not a joke.
In 2013, the comedian released his poetry collection ‘Egghead: or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone’, which created quite a sensation. In the book, Bo delivers his brand of brainy, emotional comedy to the paper in the form of off-kilter poetry, musings, and more. Collaborating with his longtime buddy, artist, and illustrator Chance Bone, he addresses everything from death to farts in this bizarre book that will make you ponder, laugh, and wonder, ‘why did I just laugh?’.
‘Egghead: or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone’ Cover On Audible – Source: Audible
‘Egghead: or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone’ has become one of The New York Times’ best sellers. You can still purchase the book on Amazon.
He Had To Quit Stand-Up Comedy For A Reason
In Bo Burnham’s new Netflix special, Inside, it is revealed that he took a five-year hiatus from doing stand-up comedy to treat his mental health. According to Bo, he started having severe panic attacks while on stage (which, he also wittily noted, ‘is not a great place to have them’) after the promotion of ‘Make Happy’.
In fact, this is not the first time the comedian mentions his mental problems. In another show, Bo also brought up his anxiety:
Bo Burnham On Anxiety
Aside from that, the Massachusetts native also hinted about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts in songs like “S-t” or “All Time Low”. While many Redditors guessed that his mental problems are far more than just anxiety disorder, all of these are yet to be confirmed.
Bo Burnham Is In A Relationship
Well, we have seen Bo Burnham making jokes about sexting and singing about his empty bed, but let’s face the truth: He is decidedly taken. Since 2013, the comedian has been dating Hustler director Lorene Scafaria.
Bo Burnham And Lorene Scafaria – Source: Idol Persona
While Bo has been seeing more and more success in the last few years, Scafaria’s career has been just as prosperous. She wrote and directed the 2019 smash Hustlers, as well as episodes of New Girl and movies like The Meddler. Since there is a 12-year age difference between the two (Bo was born August 21, 1990, and Scafaria was born May 1, 1978), Scafaria’s comparatively longer career and life experience helped him navigate the chaos of Hollywood when he first moved to LA.
Though the couple prefers to keep their relationship private, in an interview with Times, Bo shared that they live together in LA. They also have two dogs together, who they frequently document on their Instagram pages.
How Tall Is Bo Burnham?
Most guys would exchange anything to be over 6 feet tall, but not Bo Burnham. “I’m 6’5 — 6’6 on a good day. I’d do anything to be like 6’1 or 6’2.”, he revealed to the audiences on The Peter Holmes Show.
According to the comedian, his height started to grow in his late teens, although he wasn’t one of the athletics kids. “When I hit puberty in high school, I grew so quickly. I grew like six inches my sophomore year, and I had stretch marks on my spine from growing so fast.”, Bo said.
And just like most teenage guys, Bo didn’t miss this opportunity to gain attention and show off to his buddies. The comedian bragged with his theater friends that those stretchmarks were caused by a girl who scratched his back during sex. He jokingly claimed that all the theater kids wouldn’t know the difference.
Never Make Fun Of Bo Burnham’s Height
Much to the delight of fans, there is a significant height difference between Bo and his girlfriend: Scafaria’s height is just 5 feet 2. That’s why many of their red carpet photos are adorably lopsided. Many consider this the highlight of their relationship.
He Almost Got The Role Of Larry Bird In HBO’s Upcoming Series
Though most well-known as a comedian, Bo Burnham’s critically acclaimed appearance in various movies and series has taken his Hollywood career to the next level. In March 2021, it was announced that the multi-faceted performer would portray NBA legend Larry Bird in an upcoming HBO miniseries. Unfortunately, he had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Still, it doesn’t mean there is less to expect from this young man. Bo Burnham’s career is only just beginning, and with so much on the way, let’s see what kind of surprise he will bring to the screen next.
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