Deon Cole

Deon Cole is an Emmy-nominated writer, comedian and actor known for his role as Charlie Telphy on Black-ish. Cole was born and raised in Chicago, where he graduated from Thorneridge High School and later attended Philander Smith College, where he studied acting. He later began performing stand-up sets at local clubs.

After honing his act on the Chicago comedy circuit, Cole landed a writing job on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. He later continued working with Conan O’Brien as a writer and performer on Conan, earning two Emmy nominations for his work as a writer on the show. His stand-up career grew alongside his television work, leading to appearances on John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show and Comedy Central Presents.

Cole gained mainstream recognition in 2014 after joining the cast of ABC’s Black-ish as Charlie Telphy. He went on to reprise his role on its spinoff Grown-ish. He also starred on shows like Average Joe, The Madness and Crutch. On the big screen, he’s acted in projects like The Harder They Fall (2021), You People (2023) and The Color Purple (2023). As a stand-up comedian, he released several specials, including Cole Hearted (2019) and Workin’ It Out (2020). His work has earned him multiple NAACP Image Awards and Writers Guild of America Award nominations as part of the Conan writing team.

Cole keeps his personal life largely private. He is the father of one son, Dylan, and has not publicly confirmed any marriages or long-term relationships.