Patti Harrison

The Unpredictable Comedy Trailblazer

Patti Harrison has established herself as one of the most distinctive and unpredictable voices in contemporary alternative comedy, crafting a body of work that's simultaneously hilarious, uncomfortable, transgressive, and surprisingly moving. A transgender woman from rural Ohio, Harrison brings a perspective informed by her experiences as an outsider in multiple contexts, combining absurdist sensibilities with sharp social insights and a willingness to venture into truly unexpected territory.

Known for her ability to pivot between deadpan delivery and manic intensity, Harrison's comedy often deliberately wrong-foots audiences, starting in seemingly conventional places before swerving into surreal or shocking directions. Her fearless approach to performance has made her a standout in ensemble shows like "I Think You Should Leave" while also allowing her to carve out significant space in acting, writing, and voice work across multiple platforms.

Essential Facts

Origin: Ohio
Notable Work: "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson," "Together Together," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "Shrill"
Style: Absurdism, transgressive humor, unexpected tonal shifts, character work
Recent Projects: "Big Mouth" (voice actor), "The Acolyte" (Star Wars series)

Discovering Patti Harrison: Essential Works

For those looking to explore Harrison's distinctive comedic sensibility, these projects offer the perfect introduction to her range and approach:

"I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" (Netflix Series)

Harrison's appearances on Tim Robinson's sketch comedy series have become some of the show's most memorable moments. From her turn as a disgruntled driver in a driver's ed video to her scene-stealing role as a woman with an unusual approach to tables, Harrison brings a perfect combination of commitment and absurdity to each character.

Her performances demonstrate her ability to balance deadpan delivery with explosively unhinged moments, making her an ideal fit for the show's particular brand of cringe-inducing, escalating comedy.

See Top Sketches

"Together Together" (2021 Film)

In this indie dramedy, Harrison made history as one of the first transgender actors to play a cisgender lead role in a major film. She stars opposite Ed Helms as a young woman who becomes a surrogate for a single man wanting to become a father, bringing unexpected depth and nuance to what could have been a conventional character.

The performance showcases Harrison's range beyond comedy, revealing her ability to deliver subtle, emotionally resonant work while still maintaining her distinctive sensibility and timing.

Read Film Analysis

"The Tonight Show" Appearances

Harrison's guest spots on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" represent some of her most subversive work, using the mainstream platform to deliver comedy that deliberately undermines the format's expectations. Her segments often begin conventionally before veering into increasingly bizarre territory.

Most notably, her response to President Trump's transgender military ban combined righteous anger with absurdist humor, demonstrating her ability to address political issues while avoiding predictable comedic approaches.

Watch Clips

"I'm interested in comedy that feels a little dangerous or surprising—where the audience doesn't know exactly what they're getting or where things are going. That tension is exciting to me."

— Patti Harrison

The Distinctive Elements of Harrison's Comedy

Patti Harrison has developed a comedic approach that's immediately recognizable through several key elements:

Subversion of Expectations

Harrison frequently sets up conventional comedic premises or characters before deliberately undermining them, creating humor through the tension between audience expectations and her unpredictable swerves into absurdity, aggression, or vulnerability.

Tonal Whiplash

A hallmark of Harrison's approach is her ability to shift between different emotional registers—moving from deadpan delivery to manic intensity, or from seemingly sincere sentiment to caustic commentary—often within the same bit or even sentence.

Bodily Comedy

Harrison frequently incorporates physicality and bodily functions into her work, using the human body as both a comedic tool and a way to challenge audiences' comfort levels. This approach connects to a long tradition of transgressive comedy while feeling distinctly contemporary.

Meta-Commentary

Much of Harrison's comedy contains an implicit commentary on comedy itself, playing with and against audience expectations about what is supposed to be funny, who gets to be funny, and how humor is supposed to function in different contexts.

Evolution and Influences

Harrison's distinctive comedic approach reflects both personal artistic development and various influences:

Early Career and Development

After moving to New York, Harrison began performing at alternative comedy venues and developing her voice through web videos and social media. Her early work frequently addressed her experiences as a transgender woman, though often through deliberately unexpected angles that avoided the "educational" approach many audiences might have expected.

Comedic Influences

Harrison's work exists in conversation with alternative comedy predecessors who similarly pushed boundaries, including Maria Bamford's vulnerability and character work, Tim Heidecker's anti-comedy approach, and the body horror elements of Tim Robinson. Her comedy also draws from internet culture, absurdist memes, and the collapsing boundaries between sincerity and irony in online spaces.

Career Trajectory

As Harrison has gained recognition, she has expanded beyond pure comedy into more dramatic roles while maintaining her distinctive voice. This evolution demonstrates her versatility as a performer and suggests a career trajectory that might continue to blur the lines between comedy and drama.

Patti Harrison's Impact on Alternative Comedy

Despite being relatively early in her career, Harrison has already made significant contributions to the evolution of alternative comedy:

Transgender Representation

Harrison has helped reshape transgender representation in comedy by refusing to be limited to roles or material that focus exclusively on her identity. By playing a wide range of characters—from the absurd to the grounded—she has expanded possibilities for transgender performers in comedy.

Digital-Native Comedy

Her work frequently incorporates sensibilities from internet humor and meme culture, bringing these influences into mainstream comedy spaces and helping to translate online comedic approaches to television, film, and live performance.

Boundary-Pushing Absurdism

Harrison has helped push alternative comedy toward increasingly unpredictable territory, demonstrating the comedic potential in deliberately uncomfortable tonal shifts, unexpected character choices, and the strategic undermining of audience expectations.

Acting-Comedy Integration

Her work in projects like "Together Together" demonstrates how comedians with distinctive voices can bring their sensibilities to more dramatic roles, creating performances that exist in productive tension between comedy and drama.

Notable Collaborations and Projects

Harrison's collaborative work has produced some of her most distinctive comedy:

Collaboration with Tim Robinson

Harrison's appearances on "I Think You Should Leave" represent a perfect match of performer and platform, with Robinson's escalating sketch style providing an ideal showcase for Harrison's ability to build absurd characters with total commitment. The table-focused sketch in particular has become one of the show's most quoted and referenced moments.

"Shrill" (Hulu Series)

As Ruthie, the sardonic coworker of Aidy Bryant's protagonist, Harrison brought deadpan wit and unexpected vulnerability to the role, delivering some of the show's most memorable lines while serving as a crucial foil to the main character. The role demonstrated her ability to integrate into ensemble casts while maintaining her distinctive voice.

Voice Work in Animation

Harrison has developed a significant presence in voice acting, with roles in "Big Mouth," "The Great North," and "Our Flag Means Death." These performances showcase her vocal versatility and ability to create memorable characters through voice alone, expanding her range as a performer.

Writing and Internet Comedy

Beyond performing, Harrison has established herself as a comedy writer, contributing to shows like "Big Mouth" and creating distinctive internet comedy pieces. Her Twitter presence and collaborative videos with other alternative comedians have helped build her reputation for unpredictable, boundary-pushing humor.

Representation and Identity in Harrison's Comedy

Harrison's approach to her transgender identity in her comedy reflects a complex and evolving relationship:

Rejecting Educational Comedy

Harrison has consistently pushed against expectations that transgender performers should create primarily educational content about their experiences. Instead, she has carved out space to be funny on her own terms, addressing her identity when and how she chooses rather than as an obligation.

Playing with Expectations

When Harrison does address transgender issues, she frequently does so in unexpected ways that deliberately subvert audience expectations about "appropriate" transgender narratives. This approach challenges both conservative prejudices and liberal pieties about how transgender people should present themselves.

Expanding Possibilities

By taking roles that aren't specifically written for transgender performers (including cisgender characters), Harrison has helped expand the range of possibilities for transgender actors while demonstrating that her comedic sensibility transcends any single aspect of her identity.

"I don't want to be boxed into only talking about being trans. That's not interesting to me. But at the same time, it's part of who I am, and sometimes I want to talk about it in ways that feel authentic rather than predictable."

— Patti Harrison

Recent Projects and Future Directions

Harrison continues to expand her creative range through increasingly diverse projects:

Expanding into Drama

Following her breakthrough dramatic role in "Together Together," Harrison has continued to pursue acting opportunities that allow her to showcase different aspects of her range. Her willingness to take on roles outside pure comedy suggests an expanding artistic vision.

Voice Acting Career

Harrison's voice work has become an increasingly significant part of her career, with recurring roles in several animated series demonstrating her versatility as a vocal performer and allowing her to reach new audiences.

"The Acolyte" (Star Wars Series)

Harrison's casting in the Disney+ Star Wars series "The Acolyte" represents her entry into major franchise entertainment, potentially introducing her to audiences who might not be familiar with her alternative comedy background while providing new creative challenges.

Writing and Development

As her profile has grown, Harrison has increasingly focused on developing her own projects as a writer and creator, suggesting that future work might more fully reflect her distinctive comedic vision and provide platforms for her to showcase different aspects of her sensibility.

Critical Reception and Recognition

Harrison's work has garnered growing critical acclaim as her career has developed:

"Harrison possesses a rare ability to be simultaneously hilarious and unsettling, creating comedy that gets under your skin even as it makes you laugh. Her willingness to wrong-foot audiences makes her one of the most exciting performers working today."

— Vulture

"In 'Together Together,' Harrison proves she's as capable of subtle, emotionally resonant dramatic work as she is of explosive comedy. The performance suggests a major talent whose range is only beginning to be explored."

— The New York Times

Selected Recognition

Sundance Film Festival acclaim for "Together Together"
GLAAD Media Award nomination
Named to Variety's "Comics to Watch" list
Critics' Choice nomination for "Shrill"

Essential Patti Harrison Quotes

"I'm interested in making people laugh, but I'm also interested in making them uncomfortable. The space between those two feelings is where the most interesting comedy happens."

"Being funny doesn't have to mean being mean or punching down. But it also doesn't have to mean being nice or politically correct. It's about being surprising and authentic."

"I don't think there's a trans 'way' of being funny. There are as many trans comedic sensibilities as there are trans comedians."

"Sometimes the funniest thing is to set up an expectation and then completely destroy it. That moment of cognitive dissonance can produce the biggest laughs."