A two-time HBO Def Poet, Joe Hernández-Kolski is an actor/writer who is constantly in demand, known for his live performances that are hard-hitting, truthful, and incredibly funny. He combines acting, spoken word poetry, comedy and dance to share very personal stories. He currently lives in Los Angeles. Born and raised in the city of Chicago, Joe began acting professionally as a child. He is a graduate of Princeton University.

As an actor, he stays balanced between film, television and the stage. He is currently preparing to premiere his latest solo show, Awake, at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Most recently, he was on ABC’s “Mr. Sunshine” playing alongside Matthew Perry and Allison Janney. He performed in the world premiere of Stranger, a spaghetti western theatrical production: “Hernandez-Kolski is tough, convincingly intelligent and memorably charismatic in the complicated role of the Padre.” (Daily Variety) Joe’s short film Afterschool’d, which he wrote, produced and acted in, was chosen as one of seven finalists in NBC’s Comedy Short Cuts Festival. His two-person show, “So Fresh and So Clean,” with beatboxer/comedian Joshua Silverstein, has been receiving rave reviews since its debut at the bang comedy theater in Los Angeles. It was recently presented at the Comedy Central Stage and also Ars Nova in New York City. Joe’s first hip-hop theater piece, “You Wanna Piece of Me?” with DJ Jedi (Digable Planets, Def Poetry Jam Tour) has been performed all over the country, including Ars Nova NYC, the San Francisco Hip-Hop Theater Festival and the New York International Fringe Festival where the show received a great review in The New York Times. It will soon be published in a hip-hop theater anthology. Before that, Joe was touring with The Bomb-itty of Errors, a Hip-Hop version of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.” The cast performed in London’s West End at the famous New Ambassadors. The show’s also been to Dublin, Chicago, Florida and won the STAGE Award for “Best Ensemble” at the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe Theater Festival in Scotland.

As a spoken word poet/comedian, Joe has shared the stage with everyone from John Mellencamp to Saul Williams to Carlos Mencia. He performed on both season four and season six of HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. He currently tours around the country with his two college shows, “Refried Latino Pride” and “Cultural Collisions: Commentary for a Changing America.” His blend of comedy, social commentary and personal stories attracts fans from all different backgrounds.

He was the host/co-writer of Sí TV’s Not So Foreign Filmmakers Showcase, a project that he thoroughly loved because he was able to combine his comedic writing & performing with his passion for Latino film. Other hosting highlights include the 2009 NALIP Awards where he was joined on stage by Kenny Ortega in a li’l impromptu dance number and the 2009 NCLR Conference where he kept the packed house laughing at the House of Blues in Chicago.

As a teacher, Joe continues to work with several organizations throughout Los Angeles teaching Hip-Hop Culture and Spoken Word Workshops. He currently hosts Downbeat 720, an open-mic for high school youth sponsored by the City of Santa Monica. The televised version, Downbeat Showdown, that Joe hosted and produced, received the LA Emmy for “Outstanding Youth Programming.”