Robby Hoffman has rapidly become one of the world's most successful comedians, with a hit Netflix special, an Emmy-nominated role in Hacks, and another opposite Steve Carell. But her jokes often raise hackles, prompting the question: is she a genius or an edgelord?
Introduced by John Mulaney as a 'legend at the absolute top of their game', the 36-year-old New Yorker has seen her star rise at a stunning pace. She currently appears in Rooster, a college campus comedy starring Steve Carell, and the fifth season of Hacks, for which she earned an Emmy nomination.
Hoffman's character Randi, created for her by the writers of Hacks, draws on her own background as a former Hassidic Jew. 'Last week, I was a Hassidic Lubavitch Jew living in Crown Heights, New York,' she says. 'Now I'm in LA, I'm gay and probably an atheist.' Hoffman shares her Los Angeles home with her wife, reality TV star Gabby Windey.
Her comedy sets feature a boorish persona and jokes about 'disgusting' women, abortion, and paedophilia. 'I just don't get to choose my thoughts,' she says. 'I think it's more democratic that I joke about everything.' She insists she isn't trying to offend, but adds: 'Being offended isn't the worst thing. Being poor is.'
Hoffman grew up in a welfare-dependent family of 10 children. After her parents divorced, she moved to Montreal with her mother, describing her early life as chaotic and filled with physical fights. She left home at 17, supporting herself through pre-university college. 'I almost stopped crying for ever,' she says.
Despite her childhood difficulties, Hoffman credits her mother for providing stability. 'No matter what, she was there,' she says. Hoffman now occasionally helps her mother and siblings financially, while continuing to push boundaries with her comedy.
