Desi Terrell Banks Jr. (born May 9, 1993) is an American comedian and actor. He played two seasons of college football for Morehead State as a wide receiver.
| Desi Banks | |
|---|---|
 Banks in 2020 | |
| Birth name | Desi Terrell Banks Jr.[1] |
| Born | May 9, 1993[2] Atlanta, Georgia, U.S, |
| Medium | Social media, stand-up |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Website | Official website |
| College football career | |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Morehead State (2011–2012) |
| High school | Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Georgia) |
Early life and education
editBanks was born and raised in the Eastside of Atlanta, Georgia.[3] He said he was "always the funny kid growing up" and influenced by comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.[3][4] He went to Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia, where he competed in track, baseball, and football.[3]
Banks played football in college for the Morehead State Eagles. As a freshman and sophomore in 2011 and 2012, he recorded fourteen receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns in fifteen games.[5] He transferred and joined the Georgia State Panthers football team but did not get any playing time.[6] He graduated from Georgia State in December 2015 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.[3]
Career
editBanks began posting comedy sketches to Vine in 2012.[7] As his videos went viral, he decided after graduation in 2015 to build a career in comedy because "football didn't work out".[3] He expanded to other platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, and posted three or four videos daily.[3][7] As of 2023[update], he has over 8 million followers on Instagram, and his YouTube channel has accumulated over 2 million subscribers and over 750 million views.[8][9] The Hollywood Reporter has ranked him at least as high as No. 3 on its Top Comedians list.[10]
Banks started doing stand-up comedy in 2017.[3][4] In 2018, he founded a production company, Desi Banks Productions, that makes online videos.[3][7] He has acted in films such as Will Packer's Little (2018).[11]
Filmography
edit| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Cream X Coffee | Groomsman #1 | TV series; episode: "Black Love Matters" |
| 2017 | Love by Chance | Dante | Film |
| 2017 | La Vie Magnifique De Charlie | Record Store Customer | Film |
| 2019 | Little | Postmates Delivery Guy | Film |
| 2021 | Haunted Trail | Zay | Film |
| 2022 | Sherman's Showcase | Fonk the Freak | TV series; episode: "Murder at the Shrind" |
References
edit- ^ "Desi Banks". NAACP. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Banks, Desi [@iamdesibanks] (May 9, 2022). "Blessed To See 29! Happy Bday To Me Yessir!!! #Blessed" – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Solomon, Adina (May 14, 2019). "Make 'Em Laugh". news.gsu.org. Georgia State University. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Parker, Najja (December 2, 2021). "Atlanta comic Desi Banks sets unique path with authenticity and originality". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Desi Banks". msueagles.com. Morehead State Eagles. Retrieved May 24, 2023. "Individual Career History - Banks, Desi". static.msueagles.com. Morehead State Eagles. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Desi Banks". georgiastatesports.com. Georgia State Panthers. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c Booker, Lauren (April 8, 2019). "Atlanta-Native Comedian Desi Banks Talks About The Power Of Social Media". wabe.org. WABE. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Desi Banks (@iamdesibanks)". Instagram. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "About Desi Banks". YouTube. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (January 4, 2020). "Social Climbers Charts: Kevin Hart Nets 100th Week at No. 1 on Top Comedians Chart". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 11, 2021). "Actor, Comedian, YouTube Star Desi Banks Inks With CAA". Deadline. Retrieved May 24, 2023.