Beth Stelling

Beth Stelling (born April 9, 1986) is an American stand-up comedian and writer.^[1][2] She has performed in the Netflix series The Standups and served as a writer for the HBO television series Crashing.^[3][4][5] Stelling has released two comedy albums, Sweet Beth and Simply the Beth,^[6][7] and two comedy specials, Girl Daddy and If You Didn't Want Me Then.^[8][9]

Stelling at Just For Laughs Chicago in 2010

Early life, family and education

Stelling was raised in Oakwood, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.^[10] While in high school, she won the 2003 Ohio Speech and Debate Association championship in Humorous Interpretation.^[11] In 2007, she graduated from nearby Miami University with a BA in theatre.^[12]

Career

Stelling resided and worked in Chicago for five years until 2012, when she re-located to Los Angeles after releasing her first comedy album, Sweet Beth.^[13][14]

In 2014, she made her television debut on Conan, and in 2016, was named a "Comedian to Watch" by Out magazine.^[15][16][17] That same year, she was featured in an episode of Outside Comedy, which premiered at the LA Film Festival.^[18]

Stelling has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, @midnight, Last Call with Carson Daly, The UCB Show, The Pete Holmes Show, and We Can Fix You. In 2015, she had a special released as part of the Comedy Central series The Half Hour. Her latest comedy album, Simply the Beth, was named one of the best comedy specials of 2015 by Vulture. She also starred in Showtime's special Comedy of SXSW.

Stelling tours stand-up comedy clubs, colleges and festivals; guest starred on the Amazon Prime Video series Red Oaks; and wrote for Crashing, an HBO series from Judd Apatow starring Pete Holmes.^[19]

On August 20, 2020, her one-hour special Girl Daddy premiered on HBO Max, and in 2021, she had a recurring role on the new Peacock sitcom Rutherford Falls.^[20] It ran for two seasons.

Stelling's comedy is marked by her ability to transform personal, often uncomfortable, experiences into laugh-out-loud moments. A notable example of this is her recounting a traumatic experience working at a Greek restaurant, where she was thrown into a fountain by her manager as part of an ill-advised tradition of hazing new employees. This absurd yet unsettling incident, which she describes with humor, contributed to her decision to leave the restaurant industry for good.^[21]

In addition to her stand-up career, Stelling is known for her role as a punch-up writer, where she has contributed to numerous projects, adding sharp, witty humor behind the scenes. Stelling's ability to enhance material has earned her a reputation in the entertainment industry, though she often works anonymously and doesn’t take credit for her contributions. For instance, she worked on the 2019 comedy Good Boys, where her jokes made it into the worldwide trailer, despite her name not appearing in the credits.^[22]

Personal life

Beth Stelling has a deep-rooted connection to sports, particularly field hockey, which she played during her youth. Her athletic background helped shape her discipline and work ethic, and she often reflects on how her experiences in team sports have influenced her career in comedy. In 2023, she returned to the sport, making the U.S. Women's Masters Field Hockey Team. She competed in the Pan American Masters Continental Cup in Buenos Aires, where the team secured a silver medal.^[23] Later that year, she participated in the Masters World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, continuing to represent her team at a high level.^[24]

Stelling has also been open about her struggles and triumphs in balancing her career with her personal life. She has been candid about her experiences, providing insight into the challenges and rewards of maintaining a career in comedy while pursuing personal passions.^[25]

Abuse

In 2015, Stelling revealed that she had suffered sexual and physical abuse from a former boyfriend.^[26] She said that after the two broke up, he had asked her never to speak about the abuse in order for him to maintain his reputation.^[27][28] Stelling posted images of her bruised limbs on Instagram, stating that they were photographs taken when the abuse took place.^[29][30]

Works

Comedy

Year	Title	Type[31]
2012	Sweet Beth	album
2015	Simply the Beth
2020	Girl Daddy	special
2023	If You Didn't Want Me Then	special

Podcast

Year(s)	Title	Co-host[32]
2020–21	We Called Your Mom	Diane Stelling