Kevin Hart is back on our television screens; this time, though, he’s not starring in a major motion picture or an hour-long comedy special. Instead, Hart’s new comedy competition, “Funny AF,” brings viewers with him as he travels across the country in search of the next stand-up comedy superstar.
Premiering on Netflix today, the series blends competition with discovery, offering comics a national stage to show off their comedy chops. The winner of the competition will get their own comedy special on Netflix.
Comedians auditioned at show stops in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, similarly to American Idol. For three Chicago contestants, Tee Sanders, Correy Bell, and Tiera O’Leary, the show gives them a chance to represent one of the toughest comedy scenes in the country.
“For all of those lonely nights when you thought you were getting paid and you didn’t, or you sold all of the tickets and somehow it wasn’t enough, or they’re still paying you in drinks and wings, this moment is for that right here,” Bell told The TRiiBE.
For Bell, a South Side native, this moment is 12 years in the making. She walked the red carpet of the Chicago screening for “Funny AF with Kevin Hart” on April 17 at Chicago’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Wrigleyville.
Bell got into comedy after showing up to support her friend, fellow Chicago comedian Just Nesh, at open mics in the south suburbs. One night, that support turned into a surprise opportunity when her friend pushed her onstage. Reluctant, but with no way out, Bell faced a “sink or swim” moment, she told The TRiiBE. She told a joke, got a few laughs, and never looked back.
That first set launched a journey that’s taken her from local comedy spots to touring alongside heavyweights like Katt Williams and Mo’Nique and now Netflix.
“To be able to stand on a backdrop with Netflix on it… There are so many people that would love to have been in this spot. I feel honored just to be able to walk this carpet,” Bell said.
For most comics, the road to success isn’t easy. But there’s a hustle that defines Chicago comedy, something that, Bell says, gives the city its edge.
“We breed monsters because we do comedy in places that don’t want comedy,” Bell said.
For O’Leary, a West Side native known across social media as My Cousin Tiera, this Netflix moment is both a milestone and a continuation of a career already on the rise.
“I’ve been a stand up comedian for 10 years. July will be 11 years,” she said. “It’s an amazing feeling. I’m elated.”
Like her peers, O’Leary credits Chicago’s demanding audiences for sharpening her craft. “In Chicago, they come ready to laugh on the inside,” she said.
“We are the best of the best,” O’Leary continued, “If you can make people from Chicago laugh, you’re a good comedian.”
O’Leary is currently on her fourth comedy tour, called “Where My Cousin’s At,” which kicked off last month and will continue into early 2027. For her, the opportunity to be on Netflix is a chance of a lifetime, and has already opened up new doors and opportunities.
“I’m on the news now and I didn’t kill anybody,” O’Leary joked.
O’Leary and Bell attribute a mix of grit and resilience to Chicago comics — characteristics that make them so great. But certainly, these ladies are just simply hilarious. Comedian Tee Sanders, who identifies as a Black gay woman, is no exception.
“I feel like I want to throw up a little bit. Yeah, I feel like I gotta poop. But other than that, I feel really good. I feel like it’s time. I’m ready,” Sanders told The TRiiBE before the Wrigleyville screening.
West Side born and South Side raised, the journey hasn’t been easy for Sanders either. She described moments of trials and roadblocks over the years.
“Ten years on and off, frustration, ready to quit. Start over. Ready to quit again. Start over and say, ‘All right, let’s go in. Let’s dig deep. Let’s become who you’re supposed to be,’” she said.
For Sanders, “Funny AF with Kevin Hart” represents more than exposure; it’s access.
“It gives us a platform, a platform we probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for it, especially with it being attached to a name like Kevin Hart and with amazing celebrities that’s going to be there,” Sanders said.
Some of the celebrities she’s talking about are the special guest judges that will help Hart make tough decisions throughout the competition. Among the guest judges are comedians Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Segura, Kumail Nanjiani, Chelsea Handler, and Nikki Glaser.
And, like O’Leary, Sanders points to Chicago’s identity as a defining force.
“We’re raw, we’re authentic, we’re storytellers, we’re entertaining, we’re hood, we’re gritty, we’re political, we’re all these things,” O’Leary said.
As “Funny AF” rolls out, audiences will get to follow these journeys in real time. Episodes 1-4 premiered today. Episodes 5 and 6 are set to premier on April 27. The third week will feature live episodes — a semi-final on May 4 and a final episode on May 5.
During the final week, viewers won’t just be watching, they’ll become part of the outcome. Live voting will be open during the semi-final and finale episodes on May 4 and May 5.
