Robert Pickering "Bo" Burnham (born August 21, 1990) is an American comedian, musician, actor, and filmmaker. His work combines elements of filmmaking with comedy genres such as music, sketch, and stand-up, often with a dramatic or tragic twist.
Following his success as one of the earliest YouTube stars throughout the late 2000s, Burnham gained notability in the early 2010s for his satirical and subversive stand-up and musical comedy. He made four comedy albums with Comedy Central Records, released three comedy specials—Words, Words, Words (2010), what. (2013), and Make Happy (2016)—created and starred in the MTV mockumentary series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous (2013), and published the poetry book Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone (2013). He then announced a career shift away from comedy in 2016, before making his filmmaking debut as the writer and director of the critically acclaimed drama film Eighth Grade (2018). He has also directed other comedians' comedy specials, and co-starred in the Academy Award-winning comedy-thriller film Promising Young Woman (2020).
Burnham created and starred in his fourth special, Inside (2021), without a crew or audience during the COVID-19 pandemic; it was released by Netflix to widespread acclaim and was nominated in six categories at the 73rd Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. At the 64th Grammy Awards, Inside was nominated for Best Music Film and Best Song Written for Visual Media, winning the latter. Three songs from the special appeared also on the Billboard charts and were certified gold in the United States, as was the accompanying album, Inside (The Songs).
Early life
Robert Pickering Burnham was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts, on August 21, 1990, the son of hospice nurse Patricia and construction company owner Scott Burnham. His mother's work was covered in a 2014 episode of This American Life. He has an older sister named Samm and an older brother named Pete, both of whom work for their father's construction company. Burnham was raised Catholic and attended St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts, where he received a free education due to his mother working as the school's nurse at the time. He graduated in 2008, having been on the honor roll and involved in theater and the campus ministry program. He was accepted into the New York University Tisch School of the Arts to study experimental theatre, but deferred his admission for a year to pursue a career in comedy and eventually never attended.
