HACKS has become a nationwide phenomenon, with critics and commercial audiences alike raving about the hit Max comedy series.
Hannah Einbinder’s breakout role in the series proves she’s not your average nepo baby, and as her star rises in Hollywood, her fans and followers are eager to learn more about her personal life, including her relationship with fellow comedian, Alex Edelman.
Who is Hacks star Hannah Einbinder?
Hannah Einbinder is an American comedian, actress, and writer.
She was born in Los Angeles, California on May 21, 1995.
Her mother, Laraine Newman, was a founding member of the improv group, The Groundlings, and part of the original cast of Saturday Night Live from its premiere in 1975 until 1980.
Einbinder attended Beverly Hills High School, where she was a competitive cheerleader, and went on to study broadcast journalism at Chapman University.
At Chapman, she joined the school’s improv team, and ultimately earned a Bachelor’s degree in TV writing and production.
In 2019, Einbinder appeared in the Just for Laughs festival’s New Faces Showcase.
That same year, she was named by National Public Radio as one of 10 standout comedians to watch, and by Vulture as one of the year’s best new up and coming comedians to watch.
In March 2020, she made her TV debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, becoming the youngest person in the show’s history – at the time – to perform a stand-up set.
In 2021, she had a small role in the comedy-drama film, North Hollywood, alongside Vince Vaughn, Miranda Cosgrove, Angus Cloud, and Gillian Jacobs.
That same year, she had her breakout role in Hacks, a comedy-drama TV series that premiered on HBO Max.
The series centers on the relationship between an aging comic, Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart, and a young comedy writer, Ava Daniels, played by Einbinder.
The series was a critical and commercial success, being nominated for and winning several Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, and has since aired two more seasons – and been renewed for a fourth season.
Einbinder, who is bisexual, recalls how she was “relieved” to audition for a character who shared her sexuality.
“She was always queer,” Einbinder told Variety, discussing her Hacks character, Ava.
“It was in the character breakdown, which I was so relieved to see because it was the first bi woman I had ever had an audition for.”
In recent years, Einbinder has appeared in episodes of the TV series History of the World, Part II, Strange Planet, and Julia.
She’s also guest judged an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
Einbinder has cited Steve Martin, Marc Maron, and Bo Burnham as her comedic influences.
She’ll next appear in an HBO standup special in June 2024, and gives credit to Hacks for the opportunity.
“It is single-handedly because of this acting gig,” she told Newsweek.
“That boosted the visibility for me to be able to tour and develop. To run an hour, to sharpen it, it’s hard to get that opportunity.”
“I am so grateful to do that and to work it out in a way that is not common. I hope people like it,” she added.
Who is Hannah Einbinder’s partner, Alex Edelman?
Alex Edelman is an American stand-up comedian.
He was born on March 20, 1989 in Boston, Massachusetts.
His mother, Cheryl, is a real estate lawyer, and his father, Elazer, is a biomedical engineer, professor, and cardiologist.
Edelman has two brothers, Austin and Adam, an Israeli Olympian.
After graduating from the Orthodox Jewish based school, Maimonides School, he worked for both the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.
He also spent a year in yeshiva in Jerusalem, and helped create the city’s first comedy club, Off the Wall Comedy.
After graduating from New York University in 2012, his stand-up show, Millennial, won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
He’s since performed his comedy in the UK and Australia, performing his stand-up routines in front of live and radio audiences.
Edelman has notably received advice from legendary comics Steve Martin, Stephen Colbert, Jerry Seinfeld, and Billy Crystal.
Edelman was most recently honored at the 2024 Tony Awards for an Exemplary Debut in Just for Us, his newest special on HBO Max.
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When did Hannah Einbinder and Alex Edelman start dating?
Hannah Einbinder and Alex Edelman are both known for their comedic chops, so it’s no surprise that the duo began dating one another.
Before dating Einbinder, Edelman was also in a relationship with fellow comedian Katherine Ryan.
Einbinder and Edelman have kept their relationship largely under wraps, but have made a few notable public appearances.
The duo made their red carpet debut at the 2021 Emmy Awards, where Einbinder was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
They were also photographed attending the season two premiere of Hacks at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles in May 2022.
Neither Einbinder nor Edelman feature each other heavily – if at all – on social media.
Both of their Instagram accounts, @hannaheinbinder and @alexedelman, tend to focus on their respective comedy careers.
Edelman did shout out his “other boss,” aka girlfriend on her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Watch @JimmyKimmelLive tonight to see my boss, @birbigs, interviewing my other boss, Hannah Einbinder,” he tweeted, referencing fellow comic Mike Birbiglia.
The notoriously private couple have also rarely spoken about each other publicly.
In 2023, Edelman did tell The Standard’s Nick Clark that Einbinder’s Golden Globe loss “was a bummer,” but has stayed mum since.