|Episode: “The Void”
|Episode: “The Void”
|-
|-
| rowspan=”3” |2025
| rowspan=”” |2025
|”[[Jeopardy!]]”
|”[[Jeopardy!]]”
|Self/[[Mary Todd Lincoln]]
|Self/[[Mary Todd Lincoln]]
|Devin (voice)
|Devin (voice)
|3 episodes
|3 episodes
|-
|”[[Super Duper Bunny League]]”
|Varmint (voice)
|Episode: “Hoot’n Annie”
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American comedian, actor, and singer (born 1986)
Cole Escola (born November 25, 1986)[1] is an American comedian, actor, singer, and playwright. They are best known for their cabaret work and appearances on the television series Difficult People (2015–2017), At Home with Amy Sedaris (2017–2020), Search Party (2020–2021), and Big Mouth (2022), as well as for writing and starring in the play Oh, Mary! which opened on Broadway in 2024. Escola received two nominations for two Tony Awards for their work on Oh, Mary!, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. They were also named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Early life
Escola was born and raised in Clatskanie, Oregon. They are of Finnish and Norwegian descent.[2] When they were six, their father chased the entire family out of their mobile home with a gun,[3][4][5] after which Escola, their mother, and their brother subsequently lived in government housing. Their sister was not living with them at this time. Escola participated in community theater and starred in high school productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Les Misérables, and Little Shop of Horrors.[6] After graduating from R. A. Long High School in 2005, Escola moved to New York City to study humanities at Marymount Manhattan College, dropping out after one year.[7] They subsequently performed at children’s birthday parties and worked at the Scholastic bookstore.[5] They also supported themself during this period working at a vegan bakery and as a sex worker.[8]
Career
Stage
From 2008 to 2012, Escola was a regular guest performer in the Our Hit Parade cabaret series,[9] and later began performing monthly solo shows at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre. They appeared in Scott Wittman‘s 2012 cabaret show Jukebox Jackie at La MaMa and played an unborn fetus in Bridget Everett‘s 2014 cabaret show Rock Bottom at Joe’s Pub. In a sketch called Queers in History, Escola strutted “jauntily across the stage wearing a newsboy cap and underwear.”[5] On June 14, 2017, Escola’s hour-long solo show Help! I’m Stuck premiered at Joe’s Pub, where it has since played numerous sold-out engagements.
In 2013, Escola played Roland Maule in the Two River Theater revival of Noël Coward‘s Present Laughter.[10]
In 2024, Escola wrote and starred in their play Oh, Mary! at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, in which they played First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. It was directed by Sam Pinkleton and also starred Conrad Ricamora and James Scully. The show transferred to Broadway in July 2024, marking Escola’s Broadway debut as an actor and playwright.[11][12] At the 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Escola was awarded the John Gassner Award for Oh, Mary!.[13] The piece was a 2025 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[14] Escola won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 2025, for their performance in Oh, Mary!, becoming the first non-binary performer to do so.
In October 2024, Escola was included in the TIME 100 Next list of the world’s most influential rising leaders.[15]
Television
In 2008, Escola met fellow comedian Jeffery Self in New York; bonding over a shared love of theater and 1990s sitcoms, they began creating surreal, semi-scripted YouTube videos under the moniker “Very Good Looking (VGL) Gay Boys.” The sketches, in which Escola often played the demented comic foil to Self’s straight man,[16] received over 100,000 views, prompting coverage in New York magazine and a development deal from Logo TV.[7] Jeffery & Cole Casserole premiered on Logo on June 19, 2009; it ran for two seasons and has been deemed as a “cult classic” by Vice magazine.[5] Escola and Self also wrote the screenplay for an as-yet-unproduced comedy in which two friends “have to go through a lot to redeem their free sandwich.”[17]
From 2015 to 2017, Escola played Matthew on the Hulu television series Difficult People, a role that series creator Julie Klausner wrote with them in mind.[5] They have appeared in recurring roles on Mozart in the Jungle, Girlboss, and At Home with Amy Sedaris, in which they play Sedaris’ neighbor, Chassie Tucker.[6] In 2020, Escola appeared as Chip (The Twink) on the HBO Max original Search Party. Chip became a season regular in season 4. Escola voiced The Secret Keeper on the Cartoon Network animated series Craig of the Creek in the episode “Secret in a Bottle”. In 2021, Escola voiced a gargoyle in an episode of What We Do in the Shadows.[18]
In 2025, Escola was announced for the role of Bon Clay in the third season of the Netflix television series One Piece.[19]
Film
Escola is currently writing a Miss Piggy film, in collaboration with producers Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence.[20]
Personal life
In 2021, Escola came out as non-binary.[21]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Size Zero | (voice) | Video short |
| 2013 | Junkie Doctors | Boy (Older) | Short |
| Your Future One Dollar | Trevor | Short | |
| Billy & Rachel’s Halloween Adventure | Unnamed role | Short | |
| 2015 | Monologue for a Teenage Boy | Unnamed role | Video short |
| Mom Commercial | Mom | Video short | |
| 2018 | Wild Nights with Emily | Dweeby Reader | |
| 2021 | Normal Gays | Unnamed role | Short |
| 2022 | Please Baby Please | Billy | |
| 2024 | Boys Go to Jupiter | Old Slippy | Voice role |
Television
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ Anne, Quimberly (February 3, 2024). “Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Comedian & Actor Cole Escola”. Instinct Magazine. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ “Obituaries: Steven Walter Escola”. The Daily Astorian. March 28, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ Sharkey, M. (June 11, 2015). “Comedy School with Cole Escola”. Out. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (July 6, 2017). “He’s Got a Good Wig on His Shoulders: Meet Cole Escola,” The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Goodman, Elyssa (July 18, 2017). “Is America Ready for Cole Escola?”. Vice. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Rowe, Amy (August 8, 2017). “A glimpse into rising comedy and ‘Difficult People’ star Cole Escola’s way of life”. Daily News|location=New York. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Paulu, Tom (June 15, 2009). “R.A. Long grad stars in new LOGO TV comedy series”. The Daily News (Longview). Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Whalen, Lauren Emily (October 31, 2018). “Cole Escola, from Craigslist to the Park West,” Windy City Times. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (December 20, 2012). “So long, ‘Our Hit Parade,’ it’s been a great ride!”. New York Post. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Gates, Anita (June 14, 2013). “An Idol, Aging but Still in the Spotlight”. The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 24, 2024). “Cole Escola’s Play ‘Oh, Mary!’ to Open on Broadway After Sold-Out Off Broadway Run”. Variety. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ Feldman, Adam (February 10, 2024). “Review: Oh, Mary! (★★★★★) is the funniest play in years”. Time Out New York. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 13, 2024). “Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners”. Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ “Pulitzer Prizes: 2025 Winners List”. The New York Times. May 5, 2025. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ Nixon, Cynthia (October 2, 2024). “Cole Escola”. Time. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Callahan, Dan (January 19, 2011). “Cole Escola’s Locker Room Humor,” L Magazine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Wong, Curtis M. (September 19, 2012). “Cole Escola On ‘Downtown Darling’ Show At 54 Below, Getting Naked Onstage And ‘ADD Musicality'”. HuffPost. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ ““What We do in the Shadows” the Escape (TV Episode 2021)”. IMDb. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ^ Nellie Andreeva (November 3, 2025). “‘One Piece’ Casts Cole Escola As Bon Clay In Season 3″. Deadline.
- ^ Garner, Glenn (November 5, 2025). “‘Miss Piggy’ Movie In Development With Cole Escola Writing, Jennifer Lawrence & Emma Stone Producing”. Deadline. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Brechtel, Evan (July 9, 2021). “A Ticklish Brainworm: A Conversation with Comedian & Actor, Cole Escola”. Wussy. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ “TV Performance / The QUEERTIES 2022 / Winners”. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Gillian Russo (June 10, 2024). “2024 Drama Desk Award winners announced”. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Gillian Russo (May 13, 2024). “2024 Outer Critics Circle Award winners announced”. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Deb Miller (May 16, 2025). “Winners of the 2025 Drama League Awards for Broadway and Off-Broadway”. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ Rachel Sherman (May 1, 2025). “Tony Awards Nominations 2025: The Complete List”. The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
