Ahhh Orange County. We might be known for our beautiful weather, pristine coastlines, and gorgeous people but we are soooo much more than that! Orange County is also the stomping grounds of some of the funniest comedic talent. With that said, we thought we'd do a little bragging on some of O.C.'s finest so you can get familiar and maybe do a little bragging of your own!
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10. Nasim Pedrad– Nasim is bringing the funny as a current cast member on Saturday Night Live but long before she was a superstar, she attended University High School and molded her craft in beautiful Irvine. This hilarious gal has mastered the art of improv and impressions and to be honest, we like to think her surroundings in Orange County had something to do with that! Hey, let us dream OK?
9. Brad Williams– This pint sized comic puts the fun in funny. Graduating from Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, Brad was “discovered” by Carlos Mencia who put him on his tour and later on Mind of Mencia. Brad is not only a hilarious talent, he doesn't let his size rule his life and rules the crowd with his pumped up personality. Brad Williams might be short, but he is not short on bringing the laughs.
8. Coby Scott Bell– This OC native has played dramatic roles to a T, but what he really kills at are comedic roles like the one he plays as Jason Pitts of BET's The Game. Whether he is acting like a tightwad with this money or doing the “Pittsy Shuffle,” Bell's role as Jason Pitts alone just makes us proud to call him one of our own!
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7. Diane Keaton– This legend was born in LA, went to Santa Ana High School, and then attended Santa Ana College. Yeah she ended up dropping out and while that is generally frowned upon, but in Keaton's case it was the right move–at least for fans like us. Keaton has since enjoyed a long career entertaining and made us laugh in various roles over the years and fortunately for us, she shows no sign of stopping!
6. Melinda Clarke– Was born in beautiful Dana Point and has had numerous roles in shows like Days of Our Lives, The O.C., and CSI. We love Melinda for many reasons but mostly because she made us laugh on HBO's Entourage and as one of Jerry's girlfriends on Seinfeld. Oh, and of course we love her because she's from the OC! Loyalty!
5. Drake Bell– Straight up, this youngster does it all! He's a musician, actor, producer, and a great comedic talent. This Santa Ana native became a break-out star on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh and has since been keeping busy with acting in not just TV, but movies and voiceover gigs as well. We couldn't be more proud of this young talent from our hood!
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4. Ted McGinley– Long before this funny man twirled his way into our life via Dancing With the Stars, this Newport Beach native was making us laugh with roles in Revenge of the Nerds, Hope & Faith, and of course as Jefferson D'Arcy on seven seasons of Married with Children. He might have played Al Bundy's annoying neighbor but here in the OC, we're proud to have him on the block!
3. Jon Lovitz– Lovitz was born in Los Angeles but he graduated with a degree in theater from the University of California at Irvine. With loveable roles on SNL, a stand-up career that has stood the test of time, and now the owner of an awesome comedy club in LA, we'll claim this funny man all day as one of our own!
2. Will Ferrell– Born and raised in our own backyard and attending University High School in Irvine and then Santa Ana College, Will Ferrell is now a household name for so many hysterical reasons. He has made us laugh through numerous TV shows and movies and is yet another legend from OC. With his accolades too long to list, yes we are gushingly proud!
And the No. 1 comic from the OC is…[
1. Steve Martin– Steve Martin might have been born in Texas, but he was raised in Inglewood and Garden Grove. He even did gigs back in the day at Knott's Berry Farm and worked at Disneyland! Thankfully he excelled past those jobs, mastered the banjo, and made his place into our hearts though various loveable and laughable roles! He is legendary and adored worldwide but we're just going to go out on a limb and say, we love him the most! So there!
Listen folks. That is just 10 of em'! There is a bunch more people who do funny things in movies, on stage, in voiceovers, and on TV coming out of the O.C. We're just getting started here and you should get started too so we can include you in our next brag list!
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Ali Lerman knows much about comedy, basketball, and celebrating Wu-Tang Wednesday. She’s been writing for sixteen years and still calls her mom with grammatical questions.