12 Best Hispanic and Mexican Comedians

Some of the best comedians currently strutting their stuff on the world stage come from Hispanic and Mexican backgrounds. While many were brought up in America, just as many were born across the border in Mexico, South America, and Spain. The best Hispanic and Mexican comedians combine aspects of their culture and stereotypes surrounding them with relevant jokes and funny observations that everyone can understand.

Many Latino comedians started their careers as stand-up comedians and have managed to parlay that initial success into other avenues, becoming movie stars, radio hosts, or getting their own TV shows and specials. While it’s true they all come from different backgrounds Hispanic and Mexican comedians are hilarious people who give an insight into their culture and life through comedy, with some of our favorites featured below. 

12 Best Hispanic and Mexican Comedians

1. Gabriel Iglesias

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For over 25 years, Gabriel Iglesias has been making people laugh across the world with his unique brand of humor. Also known as “Fluffy,” Iglesias grew up in San Diego and chased the comedy dream in the late 90s. As he slowly built a following, the Hawaiian shirt-wearing funnyman began to get work voicing animated characters in several shows in the early 2000s. This led to acting work, with Iglesias appearing in Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL and voicing characters in hit animated flicks Coco, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Ferdinand, and Show Dogs. 

Iglesias’ brand of humor is fairly inoffensive and often finds him talking about his weight and the struggles he has encountered due to his Mexican heritage. He continues to sell out tours worldwide, with his last Netflix special, 2022’s Stadium Fluffy, a smash hit. 

2. George Lopez 

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George Lopez did it tough as a kid. His father left when he was a two-month-year-old baby and his mother abandoned him when he was ten, with Lopez going to live with his grandmother in Los Angeles. And while that could have crushed Lopez, it made him stronger and helped him become the success he is today. 

His big break came in 2000 when Sandra Bullock, who was aghast at the lack of Latino representation on television, asked him to create a show to represent his people. Entitled George Lopez,  the sitcom got picked up by the ABC network and became an immediate hit, winning several high-profile awards during its six-season run. 

Now a regular on TV, Lopez has created and starred in several successful sitcoms and a late-night talk show, while also transitioning into the film industry. He is one of the most popular Mexican comedians in the world. 

3. Felipe Esparza

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Deciding to become a stand-up comedian in 1990, it wasn’t until two decades later in 2010 when he won the TV show Last Comic Standing that Felipe Esparza finally started getting the recognition he deserves.

A very funny man of Mexican descent, Esparza has released several well-received comedy specials and popped up in the odd TV show both on Mexico and American television, while also hosting his weekly podcast What’s Up Fool?

4. Cristela Alonzo

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Cristela Alonzo holds the distinction of being the first Latina woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own U.S. primetime comedy, the hilarious Cristela. Although it only ran for one season, the exposure helped many other Hispanic and Mexican comedians get their chance to shine. 

An observational comedian, Alonzo often tackles subjects of race, sex, and discrimination, using stories from her personal life to get laughs. She also has a notoriously loud laugh which is a big part of her bubbly personality. 

5. Ralph Barbosa

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Still fairly new to the stand-up scene, Ralph Barbosa first got noticed after becoming the 2019 winner of the “Funniest Comic in Texas.” Laidback with a sharp wit, Barbosa’s Don’t Tell Comedy set has over one million views on YouTube, while he also took out the 3rd edition of the “Latino Stand-Up! Comedy Competition” Entre Nos: The Winners 3, on HBO.

6. Sara Contreras

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The “Latin Diva of Comedy” has been making people laugh for almost three decades. Sara Contreras, one of the top female comedians who is also an actor and writer, not only performs stand-up in comedy clubs but also appears frequently on the radio and is currently touring her hilarious one-woman show, F.R.E.A.K. of Nature. She starred in Showtime’s Latin Divas of Comedy special and also launched a podcast based on her one-woman show.

7. Louis CK

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No doubt you didn’t expect this comedian to pop up on this list. Louis C.K. might look Caucasian but he comes from a Mexican background. While the past few years haven’t been great for the Washington D.C.-born comic (he admitted to several incidents of sexual misconduct, something we don’t condone) his impact on the comedy world is hard to ignore.

Coming through during the 80s and 90s comic boom, C.K’s first big gig came as a writer on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show. He also wrote for Late Show with David Letterman and The Chris Rock Show before breaking out with his own show, Lucky Louie, in 2006. Several big specials followed (Shameless in 2007, Chewed Up in 2008, and Hilarious in 2010) before his semi-autobiographical 2010 TV series, Louie, turned him into a bonafide star. 

Louie lasted five seasons until FX ended their partnership with C.K. when the sexual misconduct allegations came to light. He disappeared from the spotlight for several years but is now back touring and writing films, winning a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2020 for his album Sincerely Louis CK.

8. Gina Brillon

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Born in the Bronx, Gina Brillon wanted to be a comedian from a young age. She starred performing as a stand-up at 17 and won NBC’s “Stand Up for Diversity” contest in 2012, putting her on the comedy radar.

Since then she has exploded on the American comedy scene, releasing several specials, including 2020s well-received The Floor is Lava. The special sees Brillon discuss her Puerto Rican heritage, childhood, and the cultural struggles she has being married to a caucasian man. A very funny woman. 

9. John Leguizamo

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Most people recognize John Leguizamo from the big screen, but the acting legend has also had a very successful stage career performing comedy. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo moved with his family to New York City as a child where he grew up and got into the performing arts. 

While roles in Hollywood flicks such as Romeo + Juliet, Super Mario Bros., Summer of Sam, and Repo Man are what he is best known for, Leguizamo’s low-key comedy career is just as impressive. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his one-man-show Freak and has staged several plays and comedy performances based on his life.

10. Franco Escamilla 

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Franco Escamilla isn’t that big of a name in the United States, but in Mexico, he is a huge comedy star. He has released four blockbuster comedy specials – Comedians of the World, For the Anecdote, Welcome to the World, and Eavesdropping on Netflix – while also having his own TV show at one point. 

Escamilla often incorporates music into his comedy and has toured the globe, playing everywhere from Australia and Japan to Argentina and Isreal. 

11. Arturo Castro

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Not every Hispanic or Mexican comedian is a stand-up. Arturo Castro is a comedy actor best known for his roles in Broad City and Narcos. Born and raised in Guatemala, he hosted his own TV show before moving to New York to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

His career on the screen has included comedy roles in the above-mentioned Broad City, No Activity, and Comedy Central’s Alternatino with Arturo Castro, which was his own sketch show. Castro takes inspiration from Eddie Izzard, Robin Williams, and Al Pacino and is one to watch moving forward. 

12. Anjelah Johnson

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Going from a cheerleader of the Oakland Raiders to a famous stand-up comedian is quite the career change. But Anjelah Johnson has made it work thanks to her relatable comedy that includes jokes about her Mexican heritage and the cultural differences that arise between her and her Dominican partner.

After getting noticed on YouTube, Johnson joined MADtv for its 13th season in 2007. This catapulted her into the spotlight, with her first comedy special, Anjelah Johnson: That’s How We Do It, broadcast on Comedy Central in 2009. She then branched out into movies while continuing to tour with her stand-up show. 

Johnson is best known for playing a Vietnamese nail salon employee named Mỹ Linh, a character she has reprised several times over the years after first performing the character on MADtv. 

13. Cheech Marin

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A legend in the comedy world, Cheech Marin is best known for his stoner comedy albums, movies, and stand-up shows alongside best buddy Tommy Chong. As Cheech and Chong the duo blazed a path through the comedy industry in the 70s and have continued to have great success portraying the two weed lovers. 

Along with his work with Chong, Marin has successfully made it in the entertainment world solo, appearing in both big-budget movies and independent fair. He played Don Johnson’s sidekick on the hit series Nash Bridges and has bobbed up in countless Robert Rodriguez movies, including Machete, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and the Spy Kids franchise. He’s also had a large impact on the Latino culture and is a stalwart of the business. 

14. Monique Marvez

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Monique Marvez is another comedian who had an unusual day job before deciding to make people laugh for a living. She sold malpractice insurance before taking a giant leap and stepping on stage in 1990 to perform her first stand-up show. Since then she hasn’t looked back, going on to become one of the most successful Hispanic comedians of recent years.

Also known as the “Mistress of Comedy” and the “Hispanic Bette Midler,” Marvez uses comedy to discuss her everyday life, particularly her failed romances.