American actor and stand-up comedian John Reep was born on March 26, 1972 in Hickory, North Carolina. He is one of the top 10 finalists appearing in the fifth season of the NBC reality talent contest Last Comic Standing. The son of a Goodyear manager and police officer, he was raised a Christian Baptist by his family, and he enjoyed both martial arts and dancing in his youth. While attending Fred T. Foard High School, Reep participated in sports and was a member of the football team. He was given the batch award of class clown, following in his father’s footsteps, and went on to earn a BA degree in mass communication from North Carolina State University.

He worked for a brief time as a production assistant for UNC-TV, before he quit his job and began pursuing a career in comedy. After garnering attention during a Carolina Panthers game, he worked as a comic and appeared in a number of television productions. Among these are Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Star Search, Late Friday, and the sitcom Rodney. He has also appeared in commercials for the Dodge Ram, and hosts the television series Bandits vs. Smokies on CMT. Aside from his work in comedy, he also co-created the website SmallTownNation.com.