Rodney Laney at Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase

Laney's comedy career started capriciously in 1988. While in the Air Force he accompanied a fellow airman, an amateur comic, to a comedy club. His friend bombed, but Rod took the stage and received thunderous applause. It was instant addiction; for Rodney it was the stage, for his friend it was crack cocaine.

His professional career began in 1997. He was featured at Chris Tucker's Comedy Club in Atlanta, during the Urban Comedy Festival "Laffapalooza" and Judy Carter's comedy showcase in Big Bear California. Some comics wait for their big break, not Rod, he is making his big break. He acted and executive produced his first feature film "Pride & Loyalty," which started its pay per view release June 2002. It starred an array of soap stars from "One Life to Live," "Guiding Light," and "All My Children" including: Marj Dusay, Gina Tognoni, John Bolger and Emmy nominated Rebecca Budig.

In 2002, he played Willie in the comedy "Tinsel Town," by Public Defender Pictures and has completed pilots for Comedy Central, MTV and A&E. He has also performed on P.Diddy's "Bad Boys of Comedy" on HBO, Fox News Channel's "Red Eye," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," CBS, Comedy Central's "Premium Blend," and in London on the BBC's "The World Stand's Up." He can currently be seen on truTV's "The Smoking Gun Presents..." Most recently, Rodney can be seen on "Comedy.TV" on the HD channel and will soon be seen on "LOL Lounge" when TBS Presents A Very Funny Festival: Just for Laughs Chicago. He has also appeared at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.

It's another new face this week at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase!