JL Cauvin

J-L was born in April 1979 in New York City to an Irish-American mother and a Haitian father. The second of two children (he has an older brother), J-L’s parents decided he was enough, probably because he weighted 10 lbs, 7 oz at birth. J-L attended Riverdale Country School from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. While at Riverdale he was on the varsity basketball team, was Editor-in-Chief of the high school newspaper, volunteered at a local nursing home and was elected graduation speaker his senior year. While in school J-L mainly cultivated a reputation as a joker with a wide array of impersonations of teachers, coaches and fellow students. He can be found in the center of the back row of every class photo because he was always the tallest kid in class.

After high school J-L went on to attend Williams College. While there he played on the varsity basketball team and continued to hone his impressions of people no one has ever heard of. He also hosted a radio/comedy show for two years in college.

Upon graduating Williams in 2001, J-L went on to attend Georgetown University Law Center. While there he finished 1st place nationally in the Frederick Douglas Moot Court Competition. It was also during his time in Washington, D.C. that he began to perform stand up comedy.

In February 2003, J-L went to a bar near his apartment and watched an amateur showcase of comedians. J-L began inquiring how he could get some stage time and after following some leads he began performing at open mics at the end of that academic year. Quickly developing a knack for it, J-L was named Washington D.C.’s funniest student in March 2003 at a sold out show at the D.C. Improv.

After moving back to New York upon graduation from GULC in May 2004, J-L continued to work harder and harder as a comic, all while working as an Assistant District Attorney during the day in the Bronx. He received multiple invitations to the Washington DC and Boston Comedy Festivals, traveled the country as a feature act and was featured recently on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (October 2007).

J-L’s act is incredibly diverse. His topics include his Haitian-Irish upbringing, problems with being 6’7” (J-L’s height), dating women with children and changing his nephews’ diapers, as well as more observational humor concerning topics like the proliferation of prison weight rooms and the real meaning behind the Rocky film series. He released a CD in August of 2006, entitled “Racial Chameleon” and that same year was featured in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes.

J-L currently lives in New York with his fiancée. He hopes one day that she will be his wife.