THANK YOU, IKE BARINHOLTZ… AND SAL SAPERSTEIN

If laughter truly is the best medicine, then Ike Barinholtz is out here running a black-market pharmacy. Before he was Hollywood’s favorite scene-stealing lunatic, Ike was Boom Chicago’s human laugh grenade. A walking, talking masterclass in comedic chaos with the energy of a golden retriever on Red Bull.

We’re both proud alumni of the improv trenches, from Boom Chicago and iO Theater, which makes us basically comedy siblings. I’ll never forget watching him during a candid Q&A via iO in the thick of COVID. While the rest of us were feral and clinging to ring lights and banana bread, Ike was calm, hilarious, and just so real. He talked about his journey with humility and zero ego, like your funniest friend from rehearsal who somehow made it big and also somehow didn’t become a jerk. Unfair, right?

His resume is a comedy flex. Let’s not forget Kay Cannon’s gloriously unhinged film Blockers, where Ike somehow managed to make butt-chugging into high art. Or his rise as a Jeopardy! champion, because apparently he’s also smarter than us.

So yes, I love Ike Barinholtz. As a performer. As an alum. He’s the guy you root for, laugh with, and would absolutely trust to host your wedding and star in your biopic, possibly at the same time.

Cut to 2025 and Ike is now absolutely crushing it in The Studio. Ike is giving us unfiltered, over-caffeinated studio exec realness as Sal Saperstein. It feels like the role was written by Ike, for Ike, and possibly about Ike if he had pursued a career in yelling at interns full-time.

But don’t let the Hollywood glow-up fool you. Ike’s Boom Chicago roots are real and deep. He’s alumni royalty. So here’s to Ike. The man. The myth. The must-watch. May his reign be absurd, glorious, and endlessly bingeable.

Come see Ike in two shows during the Boom Chicago Comedy Festival. In Family Trips with The Meyers Brothers and Shot of Improv XL.

Bonus Tip: He even mentioned Boom on Amy Poehler’s new podcast. Of course he did. Comedy always remembers its roots.

Written by: Stacey Smith