Photo: youtube
He's from France.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Jan 29, 2019
Comedians of the World on Netflix features stand-up routines from 47 comics from all around the globe. If you’ve ever wanted a unique perspective on what life is like in countries you’ve never been, this is the series for you. These comedians hail from places like the UK, India, Germany, Australia, and even the Middle East. Talk about diverse! And luckily, Netflix even offers subtitles for the routines that aren’t in English.
Whether or not you’re a fan of foreign television or film, there’s no denying that laughter is universal. And such is the case with comedian Donel Jack’sman. He’s currently touring with the slogan “We do not know each other, we do not judge each other,” proving his benevolence and humanity. Critics agree, describing his show as “intelligent,” “subtle,” and “far from the clichés and themes of current stand-up.”
But who is Donel Jack’sman? Here are five things to know about how he got his start, his personal life, and his recent experience with racism at his own show.
1. He’s French.
Jack’sman is from Villiers-le-Bel, a commune in France about 14 kilometers from Paris. He’s of Cameroonian origin.
2. He has theatrical training.
He studied theater at Cours Florent, a French theater school, and obtained a communications license before deciding to pursue comedy.
3. He was discovered at a show.
He decided to put on a one-man show, Juste pour rire, and was spotted by Just For Laughs, eventually joining their team. He won the first round of Création de La Route du rire, winning a car!
4. Since then, he’s had quite the career.
Jack’sman has performed at the Youhumour festival in France, appeared and won several festivals, and has traveled abroad to Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Senegal, Switzerland. He wrote his second show, J'raconte toujours ma life, which he performed at Théâtre du Point-Virgule, a theater in Le Marais, France. He created the festival Rires in Villiers in 2009.
5. He was recently subjected to racism.
At a December 23rd show at the Théâtre de la Cité in Nice, during his set, an audience member, who later identified themselves as a member of National Rally, a far right-wing party in France, yelled “noir sale,” meaning “dirty black.”
Jack’sman was taken aback, recalling, “At first, I’m not sure what I heard,” and asked the culprit to repeat themselves. “I have a split second to decide. Do I stop the show? Do I fall on him? Do I hit him? Or do I make him go out? It’s been ten years that I’m doing [comedy], and something so violent, this is the second time I’ve lived that. I am still in shock.”
Fans reached out to Jack’sman to show their support, including French President Emmanuel Macron and the Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner. He decided to file a complaint “not for the money, but for the principle... to give courage to all the victims of discrimination to do the same.”
He continued, “The fight against racism must be led by everyone, that the French people want to live together, this is the most important. Marine Le Pen, who has an opinion on everything, should also tell us what she thinks of racism, since it may be someone from her ‘party’ who launched the insult.”
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.