Cool Dad Job: Talker, Comedian

Latest Cool Dad Achievement: Signing a Comedy Central development deal that smells of talk show.

It’s not hard to understand Roy Wood Jr.’s success. At a time when it feels like comedians are too busy fighting about what’s funny to make jokes, Wood, who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, takes an uncomplicated approach. He tells jokes. He slays. His new development deal with Comedy Central is a tribute to hard work, discipline, and the timeless power of punchlines. And also that one Daily Show bit where he turned a Trump voter focus group into a referendum on our national sanity. The father of a boy he describes as rambunctious, Wood is warm, kind, and thoughtful. He’s not the type to overreact or hover. He’s got timing.