Michael Kosta

About

American stand-up comedian, actor, and television personality best known as a senior correspondent and Emmy Award-winning rotating host on Comedy Central's long-running satire news program The Daily Show. He is also known for his signature sharp wit, particularly on late-night television. He released a one-hour Comedy Central special titled Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. as well as a comedy album titled, "Comedy for Attractive People." In 2025, he also released a memoir called Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy.

Before fame

He attended the University of Illinois, where he played collegiate tennis on Big Ten championship teams before briefly competing on a professional level on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tours. He went on to serve as assistant tennis coach at the University of Michigan before venturing into stand-up comedy. His entertainment industry pursuits eventually led him to relocate to Los Angeles to focus on comedy fulltime. 

Trivia

In addition to his work on The Daily Show, he has also made appearances across countless late-night shows including The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and @midnight. He has also hosted programs such as E!'s The Comment Section alongside Joel McHale and Fox Sports 1's Crowd Goes Wild. He remains connected to his early passion for athletics by hosting the podcast Tennis Anyone with Michael Kosta.

Family life

He married Rachel Elizabeth Kerswell, with whom he shares two children.

Associated with

In 2013, he filmed a network TV mini sitcom for FOX's Shortcom Comedy Hour opposite a lineup of fellow comedians including Neal Brennan and Dov Davidoff. In 2020, he was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience.