Who is this joker?

Alex Forstenhausler is a 6’5’’ writer, director and stand-up comedian who has lived with existential dread since noticing there were no tall old people at his grandmother’s nursing home. Luckily, as the ultimate fan of the reality competition show Survivor he knows all the best strategies to survive. The winner of Outlaugh: A Survivor Comedy Competiton at the Tank Theater, Alex got his start writing weekly strategic overviews for Survivor and Big Brother on the website RealityShack.com. Now an optioned screenwriter and Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist, he’s constantly seeking out new ways to blur the line between comedy and tragedy. Alex likes to write about what scare him and transform it into something accessible and meaningful.

A graduate from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Alex has written and directed a slew of short films and web series, featuring the talents of Amar’e Stoudemire, Richard Kind, Len Cariou, Kurt Braunohler, and Vincent Pastore. His work has appeared in festivals all over the world, garnering awards such as Best Director, Best Narrative Short, and Best Actor at the LA Comedy Festival. He recently won Best Comedy Pilot at the 2023 Big Apple Film Festival and was a FOX Pilot Competition Finalist at the New York Television Festival. He’s been featured on the websites Funny or Die and the Huffington Post. Alex has worked as a freelance writer/producer of digital content for companies like VaynerMedia and SideSwipe Media.

As a comedian, he’s performed at Gotham Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club, UCB, and opened for Creed Bratton (NBC’s The Office) at Webster Hall. Additionally, he’s made appearances on RobHasAPodcast discussing the finer points of Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice. He was the director and head writer of the Survivor Roast of Rob Cesternino at the Hollywood Improv. He’s also written and performed for several Friars Club events, including the roasts of Padma Lakshmi, Ricky Schroder, and Dennis Rodman.