Who is Joseph Rogan? The entertainment and commentating world knows him as Joe Rogan who is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, martial artist, activist and color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Early life
Rogan was born on August 11, 1967, in Newark, NJ; he lived in several cities as a child (primarily Boston) and was prone to behavioral problems until discovering Tae Kwon Do in his early teens.[1][2]Career
Acting
In 1994, Rogan co-starred on the Fox comedy Hardball as Frank Valente, the young, ego-centric star player on a fictional professional baseball team. [3] The show was cancelled after nine episodes.From 1995-1999, Rogan co-starred on the critically acclaimed comedy NewsRadio. He portrayed Joe Garrelli, the electrician at WNYX, a news radio station in New York City. [4][5]
In 2002, he appeared on one episode of Just Shoot Me as Chris, Maya Gallo's boyfriend.
Martial arts
During high school, Rogan was a practitioner of Taekwondo and gained a black belt at age 15. He went on to become a four-time state champion in Massachusetts, and a U.S. Open Taekwondo champion. His record as a kickboxer is 2-1.In 1996, Rogan began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the Carlson Gracie at his school in Hollywood, California. After Gracie relocated to Chicago, Rogan later began training under Jean Jacques Machado, (a cousin of the Gracie family), eventually earning his brown belt under Machado.[6] In addition, Rogan holds a brown belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo.
Commentating
Rogan began working for the UFC in 1997, making his debut interviewing fighters at UFC 12: Judgement Day in Dothan, Alabama, before eventually becoming a color commentator for the promotion.[7]Hosting
Rogan worked on the TV series Fear Factor, as a host of the United States version of the show. He hosted from June 11, 2001 through September 12, 2006 before the show was canceled by NBC. Rogan will return as the host of Fear Factor in an upcoming rebooted edition of the show, which will air fall 2011 on NBC.[8]In December 2009, Rogan began hosting a regular podcast with concurrent live Ustream availability.[9] Frequently co-hosted by his friend and the show's producer Brian "Redban" Reichle, the podcast features an array of guests from the pursuits of comedy, acting and Mixed Martial Arts. Now known as The Joe Rogan Experience, the show is regularly found in the Apple iTunes top 10 most downloaded comedy, and was named one of iTunes "Best of 2010" audio podcasts in its first year. He refers to himself as a werewolf commonly on the podcast, admittedly after the Twilight series.
Personal life
Family
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| Jerri Rogan |
Religion
Although raised Roman Catholic,[13] Rogan stated in September 2010, during a guest appearance on the Alex Jones radio show, that he does not follow any organized religions because he feels it is all the work of man. Rogan also said that he is not completely opposed to the concept of a "higher power" such as a God, however views the concept of God as part of nature that exists in everything.Psychedelics
One of the recurring themes in his stand-up comedy and life is the use and support of cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, and DMT. Rogan supports the medical and recreational use of cannabis.[14] He has also starred in the marijuana documentary The Union: The Business Behind Getting High. He has an isolation tank in his basement.[15] Rogan was featured in the 2010 History Channel documentary, Marijuana: A Chronic History, as an advocate of legalized medical use of marijuana. He is also the presenter of the 2010 documentary, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, released in October 2010.Controversy
Carlos Mencia
On February 10, 2007, Rogan confronted comedian Carlos Mencia on stage at the Comedy Store on Sunset, accusing him of plagiarism. Rogan posted a video of the altercation with audio and video clips from other comedians, including George Lopez, Reverend Bob Levy, Bobby Lee and Ari Shaffir, among others.[16]Comedy recordings
- I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday (CD) (August 22, 2000)
- Live from the Belly of the Beast (DVD) (May 4–5, 2001)
- Joe Rogan: Live (DVD) (September 1, 2006)
- Shiny Happy Jihad (CD) (April 10, 2007)
- Talking Monkeys In Space (CD & DVD) (2010) Comedy Central Records
