Joseph Mande (born March 16, 1983) is an American comedian, actor and screenwriter. He has received various accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Producers Guild of America Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards.

As an actor, Mande had recurring roles as Morris Lerpiss in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation from 2012 to 2015, Ben in the ABC sitcom Modern Family from 2015 to 2018 and Ray on the HBO Max comedy series Hacks from 2021 to 2022. He is also known as a writer and producer earning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for Hacks at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Mande released a comedy album Bitchface (2014) and a Netflix comedy special Joe Mande's Award-Winning Comedy Special (2017).

Early life and education

Mande was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Louis Mande, a lawyer, and Deborah Mande, a judge. He moved to St. Paul, Minnesota at the age of ten and graduated from Central High School in 2001. He attended Emerson College in Boston where he received a BFA in writing.

Career

In his early career, Joe Mande created the website "Look at this Fucking Hipster" in April 2009 as a way to help his dad answer the question, "Is that a hipster?" He turned it into a book entitled, Look at This F*cking Hipster.

Mande has appeared on such TV shows as Comedy Central's The Half Hour, VH1's Best Week Ever and Conan.

Mande was a writer for the final three seasons of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, also appearing in seven episodes as Pawnee resident Morris Lerpiss. He has also written for the Comedy Central sketch series Kroll Show, and the Adult Swim series Delocated. He was a producer for the first season of Aziz Ansari's Netflix series Master of None and played Todd in James Franco's film The Disaster Artist. He also wrote for the NBC sitcom The Good Place, created by Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur.

Mande released his first comedy album, Bitchface, on March 14, 2014. The album is in the style of a mixtape with voicemail messages from Fabolous, Roy Hibbert, Jenny Slate, Nick Kroll, Aziz Ansari, The RZA and Amy Poehler. In 2017, Mande released a Netflix comedy special called Joe Mande's Award Winning Comedy Special. Mande was a co-executive producer/consulting producer from 2021-2024 for the Max series Hacks. He wrote multiple episodes.

Personal life

Mande married Kylie Augustine in 2015.

Prior to posting a note on his Twitter account stating that he would no longer use it, Mande was most known for using Twitter to troll famous people and businesses. He claimed to have purchased many of his followers. Mande frequently made tweets about wanting to be La Croix Sparkling Water spokesperson which led to a cease-and-desist letter. In 2011, he initiated an argument with former NBA player Gilbert Arenas after the latter deleted years worth of allegedly sexist tweets. In 2017, he faced accusations of abusing his platform to promote cyberbullying after tweeting "Barron Trump will be mutilating cats on the white house lawn in like two weeks".

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
2014The InterviewJoeSeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
2017The Disaster ArtistToddJames Franco
2025Good FortuneJoeAziz Ansari

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012–2015Parks and RecreationMorris Lerpiss7 episodes; Also Writer
2013Money From StrangersHimself5 episodes
2013Kroll ShowElon Faizon2 episodes; Also Writer
2014–2015Brooklyn Nine-NineIsaacEpisodes: "Charges and Specs" / "The 9-8"
2015Master of None—N/aWriter - Episode: "The Other Man"
2015–2018Modern FamilyBen12 episodes
2016Animals.Branch (voice)Episode: "Pigeons."
2016LoveJeffreyEpisode: "Party in the Hills"
2017Desus & MeroHimselfEpisode: S1 E145, August 14, 2017"
2017–2020The Good PlaceToddrick Hemple (voice)Also writer and producer
2018Forever—N/aExecutive producer (8 episodes) / Writer (Episode: "The Lake House")
2019The SelectionToddrick Hemple (voice)Episode: "The Takeout Order"
2020Our Cartoon PresidentMark Zuckerberg2 episodes
2021–2022HacksRayMain Cast; also writer and producer
2025Running PointDr. HaberEpisode: "A Special Place in Hell"; Also writer and producer
2025Everybody's Live with John MulaneyHimselfEpisode: "What is On The Minds of Teens?"

Comedy Special

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017Joe Mande's Award-Winning Comedy SpecialHimselfNetflix comedy special

Awards and nominations

OrganizationsYearCategoryWorkResultRef.
Primetime Emmy Awards2019Outstanding Comedy SeriesThe Good Place (season three)Nominated
2020The Good Place (season four)Nominated
2021Hacks (season one)Nominated
2022Hacks (season two)Nominated
2024Hacks (season three)Won
Producers Guild of America2018Best Episodic ComedyThe Good Place (season three)Nominated
2021Hacks (season one)Nominated
2022Hacks (season two)Nominated
2024Hacks (season three)Won
Writers Guild of America2012Comedy SeriesParks and RecreationNominated
2013Parks and RecreationNominated
2018The Good PlaceNominated
2021New SeriesHacksWon
Comedy SeriesWon
2022Hacks (season two)Nominated
2024Hacks (season three)Won

Discography

  • Bitchface (2014)

External links