Ray Harrington

Ray Harrington
Born1983 (age 42–43)[1]
OccupationStand-up comedian
Years active2010-present
Websitewww.rayharringtoncomedy.com

Ray Harrington is an American comedian, podcaster, and filmmaker from Maine who currently resides in Rhode Island. He has released two albums, including Overwhelmed, which reached No. 15 on Billboard's Comedy Albums chart.[2] He has performed across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Mexico.

He directed and starred in the 2015 feature documentary Be a Man, which premiered on Hulu.[3]

Early life

Harrington was born in 1983.[1] His parents divorced when he was young,[4] and he was raised by his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.[5][6] The family moved from Connecticut to Kittery, Maine in fifth grade, and he turned to cracking jokes as a way to make new friends.[1][7]

He attended the New England School of Communications in Bangor, Maine, graduating in 2010 with degrees in radio broadcasting and marketing communications.[6][7][1] He began his stand-up career at college when friends signed him up for a campus talent show.[7][8][9][1]

Comedy style

Harrington's influences as a comedian include George Carlin and the Canadian sketch troupe Kids in the Hall.[3][1] Harrington’s comedy is often observational, personal, and autobiographical.[10][11] His affable stage persona and large physical presence (he is 6'7")[12] led a reviewer in the Boston Globe to note his "innate, John Candy-esque likability."[13]

Career

Providence, Rhode Island's Motif magazine nominated Harrington for best comedian in the publication's RI Spoken Awards in both 2023[14] and 2025.[15] He was also named best comedian by the Providence Phoenix in 2010.[16][17] He was a finalist in the 2013 Boston Comedy Festival Competition[13][8] and was selected as part of Comedy Central’s “Up Next” Showcase in 2012.[18][19]

Harrington has toured widely across the U.S. and has performed in London and at the Akumal Comedy Festival in Mexico.[1] In 2017, Harrington performed his show Immaterial in Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[20] He has also headlined at the Red Clay Comedy Festival,[21] Rogue Island Comedy Festival,[22][23] Newport, Rhode Island's Winter Comic Festival,[24] Whale City Comedy Festival,[25] and the Las Vegas World Series of Comedy.[17]

Harrington performed on Conan O'Brien's TBS late-night talk show Conan in February 2020.[26][8][3]

Recordings

Harrington has released two comedy albums, 2013's The Worst is Over and 2017's Overwhelmed, both on comedy label Stand Up! Records.[1]

The Worst Is Over was recorded in September 2012 at the Comedy Connection club in Portland, Maine.[10][27][28][17] It was released in 2013 on Stand Up! Records[29] and debuted at No. 1 on the Amazon and iTunes comedy charts.[7][1] Ed Placencia of Comedy Reviews praised Harrington's " grounded likability and regular guy-ness."[10] Jake Austen of Roctober magazine called The Worst is Over a "solid debut of regular guy comedy by a big dude getting big laughs."[30]

Harrington's second album, Overwhelmed, was recorded in April 2017 at the Rockwell Theater in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was released in September 2017.[31] In its first week of release, Overwhelmed reached No. 15 on Billboard's Comedy Albums chart.[2] The album also reached No. 1 on Amazon's comedy albums chart.[7] Pia Guerra, Eisner Award-winning co-creator of Y: The Last Man, drew the cover for the album.[32][33] Tony Pacitti of Providence Monthly called Overwhelmed ""infectiously charming" and refreshingly uncynical.[11][34]

Films

In 2012, Harrington starred in the short film Relax, directed by Corey Brailsford. At the 2012 48 Hour Film Project contest in Providence, Relax won three awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Harrington, and was screened at the national awards ceremony in Hollywood.[35][24][28]

Be a Man

In 2015, Harrington wrote and directed an autobiographical documentary, Be a Man, co-produced by his frequent collaborator Derek Furtado. The film explores the meaning of masculinity in American culture through the lens of Harrington's experience as a new father who grew up without a male role model.[36][6] Harrington sets out to learn about "manly" topics such as winning a fight and finding a favorite cocktail, with help from comedians Kyle Kinane, Doug Stanhope, Robert Kelly, April Macie, and Stephen Rannazzisi of The League, actor Tom Wilson, and boxer Vinny Pazienza.[6][4][8][37] The documentary was filmed entirely in Rhode Island on a budget of only $11,000.[6][5][38]

Be a Man won the Best Feature Documentary award at the 2015 Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival,[39][40] and was named Best Documentary at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival.[5][41] The film also played at the New Haven Documentary Film Festival[42][36] and the New York Comedy Festival in 2016[43] before premiering on the streaming service Hulu.[3]

Dennis Perkins of the Portland Press Herald called Be a Man an "endearing, thoughtful, sweet, and very funny chronicle of the burly, baby-faced comic's attempt to master the 'manly virtues' he feels he's lacking."[44]

Undependent

Harrington and Furtado's next project was the mockumentary web series Undependent, which premiered at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2019. The series follows Harrington and Furtado trying to produce a second documentary.[45][46] Undependent won Best Comedy and was nominated for two other awards at the 2020 NYC Web Fest. Harrington also won best male performance for Undependent at the London International Web and Short Film Festival.[47][48]

Podcasting

Harrington's podcasts include Funbearable, which he began in 2022 with comics Brad Rohrer and Chuck Staton[49] after previously being a frequent guest on the duo's earlier show The Chuck and Brad Podcast.[50] Before that, he hosted Ray Harrington Must Content, which ran for 28 episodes in 2021-22,[51] and (with Derek Furtado) With Ray And Derek, which ran in the mid-2010s. Their 2015 Christmas episode, in the mode of a 1970s variety show, was named one of "the best Christmas podcasts of all time" by Motif magazine.[52]

Personal life

Harrington lives in Warwick, Rhode Island.[22] He is married and has a son.[7][8][16]

Discography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Story of Ray Harrington: The Chuck and Brad Podcast (Funbearable #101-B: Bonus Throwback)". Funbearable. YouTube. July 7, 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  2. ^ a b "Ray Harrington". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  3. ^ a b c d Duguay, Rob (October 8, 2021). "Ray Harrington taking part in Rogue Island Comedy Fall Fest". Johnston Sunrise. Warwick, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  4. ^ a b Juul, Matt (2016-02-02). "How Be a Man Made Ray Harrington 'More of a Feminist'". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  5. ^ a b c Raleigh, Kathie (2020-08-13). "R.I. comedian Ray Harrington finds a new laugh track amid COVID shutdowns". Providence Journal. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Ray Harrington to premiere movie at Bangor Cinemas". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. June 26, 2015. p. C3. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Successful Comic and Filmmaker Returns to Husson University to Kickoff Gracie Theatre's 11th Season". Husson University. September 9, 2022. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  8. ^ a b c d e McDonald, Susan (May 3, 2022). "Drinking and Laughing: Harrington brings the ha-has to The Met". Motif Magazine. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  9. ^ Rollins, Krister B. (August 18, 2015). "Ray Harrington - "Be A Man"". WCSH. Portland, Maine. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  10. ^ a b c Placencia, Ed (March 1, 2013). "Ray Harrington's "The Worst Is Over"". Comedy Reviews. Archived from the original on 2016-09-12. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  11. ^ a b Pacitti, Tony (November 2017). "Local Comedian Ray Harrington's New Album is Hilariously Personal". Providence Monthly. Providence, Rhode Island. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  12. ^ Lanoie, Richard (April 9, 2018). "Ray Harrington – Overwhelmed". The Serious Comedy Site. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  13. ^ a b "Comedy: Ray Harrington". Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. February 13, 2014. p. G8. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  14. ^ Ryan, Mike (January 10, 2023). "2023 Inaugural Spoken Awards – Nominees". Motif Magazine. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  15. ^ "2025 Motif's RI Spoken Awards". Motif Magazine. Providence, Rhode Island. March 6, 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  16. ^ a b Howarth, Colin (2015-07-22). "Series will start with a trio of jokers". Newport Daily News. Newport, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  17. ^ a b c "Comic wants Maine laughter on CD", Sun-Journal, Lewiston, Maine, p. C15, August 25, 2012, retrieved 2025-04-29
  18. ^ "Comedy: Ray Harrington". Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
  19. ^ "Who is On Late Night Tonight in Comedy: Week of January 27, 2020". The Interrobang. January 27, 2020. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  20. ^ "Playhouse on Park's Kicks Off 2024-25 Comedy Series on Saturday, September 14th". West Hartford Community Interactive. 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  21. ^ "Ray Harrington". Red Clay Comedy Festival. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  22. ^ a b Duguay, Rob (2022-10-05). "Rogue Island Comedy Festival is ready to deliver laughs". Newport Daily News. Newport, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  23. ^ "Rogue Island Comedy Festival Proves Gigantic Comedy Can Happen in Small Places". The Interrobang. October 5, 2017. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  24. ^ a b Merolla, James (February 14, 2019). "Big Man, Big Stage, Big Dreams". Newport This Week. Newport, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  25. ^ "New Bedford on Labor Day Weekend". New Bedford Guide. New Bedford, Massachusetts. August 27, 2023. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  26. ^ Greenough, Jason (2020-01-30). "Check out Ray Harrington's late-night debut on 'Conan'". Vanyaland. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  27. ^ Burnham, Emily (2012-09-03). "Ray Harrington, Bangor native, records live album of stand up". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. C7. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  28. ^ a b Burnham, Emily (September 2, 2012). "Comedian Ray Harrington, Bangor native, recording live album of stand up". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  29. ^ "The Worst is Over - Ray Harrington". Allmusic. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  30. ^ Austen, Jake (August 2013). "The Stand Up! Records Listener's Guide". Roctober. Chicago. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  31. ^ "Overwhelmed - Ray Harrington". Allmusic. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  32. ^ Pia Guerra at AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  33. ^ Greenough, Jason (July 20, 2017). "Man Alive: Ray Harrington announces Rockwell-recorded album 'Overwhelmed'". Vanyaland. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  34. ^ Pacitti, Tony (October 19, 2017). "Ray Harrington's Funny Business". Hey Rhody. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  35. ^ "Local Comics Screen Film in Hollywood". Weebly. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  36. ^ a b "At NHDocs: free films about Newtown and Black Panthers, an Alex Gibney retrospective, and more". YaleNews. Yale University. May 19, 2016. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  37. ^ Wright, Megh (October 6, 2016). "Watch the 'Be a Man' Trailer Featuring Kyle Kinane, Doug Stanhope, and More". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  38. ^ Caligiuri, Courtney (June 4, 2015). "Local comedian releases documentary". The Rhode Show (WPRI). Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  39. ^ "The people have voted, and here's who took home the SNOB awards". Concord Insider. Concord, New Hampshire. November 17, 2015. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  40. ^ Murie, Michael (November 11, 2015). "Somewhat North of Boston, They're Showing Films: Executive Director Jay Doherty on the SNOB Film Festival". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  41. ^ Raleigh, Kathie (2020-08-23). "Kittery native Ray Harrington finds a new laugh track amid COVID shutdowns". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  42. ^ Dunne, Susan (June 1, 2016). "2 Film Series Team Up". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. D2. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  43. ^ Tressler, Bill (October 17, 2016). "Ray Harrington's 'Be A Man' Will Premiere at NY Comedy Festival". The Interrobang. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  44. ^ Perkins, Dennis (August 13, 2015). "Comic tests his manhood in endearing doc". Portland Press Herald. Portland, Maine. p. M14. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  45. ^ "An Exclusive Screening of Undependent with Ray Harrington & Derek Furtado". Hey Rhody. Providence, Rhode Island. September 25, 2019. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  46. ^ Greenough, Jason (2019-08-07). "Ray Harrington and Derek Furtado keep it close to home in 'Undependent'". Vanyaland. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  47. ^ "Undependent". Undependent. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  48. ^ Currinn, Jonathan (November 12, 2020). "2020 NYC Web Fest Announces Line-Up & Award Nominees Ahead of Virtual Festival". Celebmix. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  49. ^ "Funbearable". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  50. ^ Lyons, Tess (June 3, 2020). "Chuck and Brad Go Visual". Motif Magazine. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  51. ^ "Ray Harrington Must Content". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  52. ^ Staton, Chuck (December 4, 2019). "Do You Hear What I Hear? A list of the best Christmas podcasts of all time". Motif Magazine. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  53. ^ "Ray Harrington". Allmusic. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
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