Demetrios Evan Martin is an Emmy Award-nominated comedian, musician, and writer who was born on May 25, 1973 in New York City. The son of a Greek Orthodox priest and a nutritionist, he was brought up in Toms River, New Jersey where his family operated a souvlaki stand on the store. As a child, he worked for 50 cents an hour. Martin would later go on to pursue higher learning at Yale University, and then at the New York University School of Law on a full scholarship. However, he eventually opted to drop out a year before graduation, in spite of strong objections from his family. This was so he could pursue a career in comedy instead.
Of his decision to drop out just when he was on the verge of attaining his degree, Martin has stated that at that point in his life, he had the answer to what he really wanted to do and didn’t want to waste any more of his time. One of his earliest performances was at Comedy Central’s stand-up program Premium Blend. In 2003, Martin received the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for his show If I. He is also divorced, and one of his hobbies is constructing palindromes.
(Photo courtesy of The Daily Show)