Bicoastal production company Supply&Demand has brought Jay Larson aboard its directorial roster, marking the start of his commercialmaking career. Larson is a hybrid talent with chops as a stand-up comedian, actor and writer/director. His initial entry point into directing came when he directed Self Taught, a short-form sitcom based on his stand-up for Fox. Since then, he has run the writers’ room and directed every episode of The Connor Moore Show, a golf-based sketch comedy show on the Golf Channel.
Larson’s strong background in sports (D2 baseball player, 7 handicap, and undefeated air hockey player) also helped him craft several episodes of Better Off with Hally Ledbetter, currently streaming on Peacock. Additionally, he has directed sketches for NBC Sports, UFC Fight Pass, and commercials for Callaway Golf and Bridgestone. Larson’s other sports-related collaborations include working with Fox Sports and NBA2K, and professional athletes like Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge, Rob Gronkowski, Tiger Woods, and Blake Griffin.
Larson’s most recent project, Any Asshole, is a comedic short film starring Joel McHale, Kumail Nanjiani, Blake Griffin, Neal Brenan, and Johnny Knoxville. Produced by Supply&Demand and directed, written, and produced by Larson, Any Asshole examines whether or not “any asshole can make a commercial” via sharp comedic critique. The film, which stars Larson playing himself, is a hilarious, heartfelt, and star-studded sendup of perceptions around the path to commercial directing and meta in the extreme.
Through his decades-long career in comedy, Larson has appeared on late-night stages eight times, released three stand-up specials, acted alongside the likes of Larry David and Will Arnett, and wrote for Adam McKay, Judd Apatow, and Jeremy Garelick. As a writer, he developed and sold shows to FOX and NBC/Universal. Other notable collaborators of his include David Lynch, Amy Poehler, Bill Burr, and Amy Schumer.
Larson said of joining the ranks at Supply&Demand, “When I first met [company founder and EP] Tim Case, I was caught off guard. He was blunt and upfront. I loved it. I’m a stand-up comedian–give me the truth! He was also extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about directors. I was jotting names down, movies to watch, and restaurants to visit. He’s got good taste. After a few visits to S&D, I quickly saw how legit his team was; everyone was at the top of their game. This was a place that I wanted to be, except for the fact I had to play Tim in ping pong every time I was there. I’ve been in entertainment for over twenty years and heard, ‘I wanna work with you’ A LOT! But not everyone puts their money where their mouth is. Tim Case does, and did! We’ve done two projects together, and his team has stood by me every step of the way. Tim has been in the trenches with me the whole time. We are just getting started, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Case added “I met Jay at a men’s meeting in Venice, and he always made me laugh even when it was totally inappropriate to do so. He showed vulnerability, wit, insight, intelligence, care, and an ability to relate to everyone in the room. I went and saw him at a comedy club, and he was very different than others–much more of a storyteller than a one-liner type guy. We sat down and talked about it; I told him to write a short film, and if I liked it, I would produce it. He brought me a script 24 hours later, and it was the best damn thing ever presented to me, but it was ridiculously ambitious. Watch it. We did it. He did it. We’ve already done one job with Tiger Woods, who Jay handled masterfully. The upside with Jay is huge.”
