Sarah Silverman, Kevin Nealon, George Lopez, Jeff Garlin and Paul Rodriguez are booked for a Jan. 26 fundraiser at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and his Artists for Bernie supporters.
The comedy showcase will feature two shows, one at 5 p.m. and another at 8 p.m., with the earlier scheduled to be live-streamed on the Laugh Factory’s YouTube page. Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada tells The Hollywood Reporter that his phone has been ringing off the hook since he announced his comedy joint would be hosting the fundraiser.
Masada says that Sanders’ mission of helping the poor and disadvantaged is in line with the club’s longtime commitment to helping the homeless, and that’s where the idea came from to host a benefit. (For 36 years, Laugh Factory has provided holiday dinners to local citizens in need during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.)
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“I don’t usually get involved in political stuff,” says Masada. “But here is a guy who is really genuine and interested in helping the poor and disadvantaged, people who don’t have a voice. I like what he’s doing, so we put this together because it’s in our model of giving back. And comedians are the most giving people in the world.”
He adds that not everyone on the roster has committed to voting for Sanders, though they’re appearing on behalf of the overall cause. Other guest acts are expected to be confirmed shortly. Along with Silverman, other artists and musicians listed as Sanders supporters on the candidate’s website include Mehcad Brooks, Margaret Cho, David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Belinda Carlisle, Danny DeVito, Will Ferrell, Flea, Ben Foster, Anthony Kiedis, Justin Long, Juliette Lewis, Zoe Kravitz, Patton Oswalt, Susan Sarandon, Hans Zimmer and Steve Wozniak.
More information on the event can be found here.
