Baron Vaughn is a force to be reckoned with in the world of entertainment. With a career that spans live comedy, acting, and directing, Baron’s talent knows no bounds. As an actor, he’s best known as “Bud”, sharing the screen with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on the longest-running hit Netflix series, Grace & Frankie. Baron lends his voice as “Tom Servo” in the recent seasons of cult-hit, Mystery Science Theater 3000.

He’s also a creative force behind the scenes, co-creating and co-hosting the groundbreaking Comedy Central showcase variety series The New Negroes with Open Mike Eagle. The show shined a light on both established and rising Black artists in comedy and music. In 2020, Baron continued to push boundaries with Call & Response, a limited series produced by Blavity and Funny or Die. Together with frequent collaborator Open Mike Eagle, he tackled the most pressing issues of the day in a series that was both thought-provoking and hilarious. Baron’s deeply personal project Fatherless, directed by the award-winning Dawn Porter, explores the impact of absent fathers on families and communities while he also endeavored to finally connect with his own absent father.

As a stand-up comedian, Baron has been entertaining audiences for more than 20 years. He has two influential comedy recordings, Raised by Cable and Blaxistential Crisis, both available for streaming on all platforms. Baron’s been showcased on Comedy Central’s The Half Hour and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, as well as on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Showtime’s SXSW Comedy, and TBS’ Conan. His comedic talents also shine as the host of Syfy Wire’s comedy panel/game show The Great Debate (SYFY). Baron’s headlining performances at major clubs and colleges throughout the US have led him to perform at renowned festivals including Just for Laughs (Montreal & Vancouver), Life Is Beautiful (Las Vegas), and the New York Comedy Festival. Together with Open Mike Eagle, Baron has taken the live version of their hit showcase The New Negroes on tour to numerous festivals, clubs, and theaters across the country.

Baron has punched-up shows produced by IFC and Dreamworks, was selected for the inaugural 2016 Sundance New Voices Lab, and of course, wrote on both The New Negroes and MST3K. Baron’s directorial debut, the short film “So Much To Do” featuring Toni Trucks, can be seen in the horror anthology, Scare Package, on Shudder. Baron holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University.