Randy Liedtke

Randy Liedtke (born 1984)^{[1][note 1]} is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer and podcaster originally from Oregon.^[2][3] He is known for his televised stand-up comedy and podcast work.

Liedtke guest-starred on @midnight and Comedy Bang! Bang! and has appeared on numerous comedy shows and podcasts.^[2] He formerly hosted The Bone Zone podcast with Brendon Walsh, with whom he has also collaborated with on other projects.

Liedtke has appeared in minor roles in several TV series including Maron, Garfunkel and Oates, and as a voice actor in Adventure Time. He has also appeared in film, as Stoner Lou in Expecting (2013) and in Slingshot Cops (2016) alongside Walsh, among other projects.

Liedtke is based in Los Angeles, but grew up in Oregon.^[2][4] Prior to starting a career in entertainment, Liedtke attended college and intended to pursue work in advertising. Following a breakup with his then girlfriend, he was inspired to move to Los Angeles after a friend did the same.^[4]

In 2013, Liedtke claimed he was taken into a police station over a warrant for unpaid parking tickets, after provoking a police officer to pull him over in his car as part of a recorded prank. Liedtke had been driving whilst holding a smartphone-shaped cookie, which he proceeded to eat in front of the officer.^[5][6] However, some have speculated the incident was staged.^[7]

Liedtke has previously admitted to creating social media hoaxes for the purpose of comedy, including a Twitter hoax in 2013 involving a fake account for Pace Foods.^[8][9] He uses social media as part of his surreal comedy style, such as posting a recipe for a Bloody Mary featuring a full pizza, burger, and fried chicken on a skewer.^[10]

Liedtke's early comedy career began with Internet videos and podcasts in the late 2000s. In 2008, Liedtke co-created a YouTube channel named CurtandRandy,^[11] writing and starring in a series of skits. In 2007, he performed shirtless at the 28th annual Seattle International Comedy Competition.^[12]

In the early 2010s, he began hosting comedy podcasts, notably the 2012 podcast The Bone Zone with comedian and collaborator Brendon Walsh. They would co-host the show for several years, before parting ways in the late 2010s.^[13][14]

Since 2010, Liedtke has appeared in a number TV shows and movies playing minor characters.^[15] He was the voice of Randy and Hot Dog Knight in two episodes of the cartoon series Adventure Time.^[16][15] He has also played small roles in films, namely made-for-TV productions, appearing as Stoner Lou in Expecting (2013) and Elden in Slingshot Cops (2016).

In 2017, Liedtke reunited with Walsh to star and produce Weird Uncles, a project developed by Comedy Central.^[17][18]

In 2018, Liedtke released Randy Wants to try Marijuana, a 23-minute mockumentary which he produced and stars in, in which he smokes cannabis for the first time. It was developed by Funny or Die and released online.^[19] Liedtke used the crowd-funding website Indiegogo to raise funds for the production, receiving US$1,765 of its $10,000 goal. The concept was created in response to the absurdity of conflicting cannabis laws across different state lines.^[20]

Liedtke performed stand-up comedy on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014,^[21][22] and on Conan in 2015.^[23][24] He was a recurring guest in series 8 of Last Comic Standing and series 3 of @midnight.^[15]

In 2014, Liedtke performed at the Just For Laughs festival in the "New Faces" showcase.^[25] That same year, LA Weekly listed him in their article "10 Comedy Acts to Watch in 2015."^[26]

In October 2015, Liedtke performed a special in season 4 of The Half Hour.^[27][28] Following this, he released his debut comedy album I'm On A Roll with Comedy Central Records.^[29]

Liedtke has previously toured and performed in festivals including the Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival in 2016 and SF Sketchfest in 2015.^[30]

Liedtke was the co-host of The Bone Zone, a podcast which ran from 2012 until approximately 2022, when it became the World Record Podcast. Liedtke was not involved in the new podcast. In 2015, Liedtke started New Podcast, his own short-lived project.^[31]

Liedtke has been a guest on various other comedy podcasts, including with Joe Rogan and Joey Diaz on the Ice House Chronicles recorded at Ice House Comedy Club.^[32]