This is an accepted version of this page Robert Pickering Burnham (born August 21, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber.

Burnham's work combines elements of filmmaking with music, sketch, and stand-up comedy, commonly with a dramatic, satirical, or tragic twist that is often left open to interpretation.

In 2006, Burnham created a YouTube channel, where he uploaded videos of him playing comedic songs that he wrote, often featuring wordplay and taboo or dark subject matter.

In 2016, Burnham announced his intention to step away from performing live, which he later revealed to be due to him suffering from anxiety and experiencing panic attacks on stage.

Burnham returned to performing with his fourth comedy special, Inside (2021), which he created in his home without a crew or audience during the COVID-19 pandemic; it was released by Netflix to widespread acclaim, including a Peabody Award.

[3][5][7] He was accepted into the New York University Tisch School of the Arts to study experimental theatre,[8] but deferred his admission for a year to pursue a career in comedy and eventually never attended.

In December 2006, he wanted to show two songs he had written to his older brother Pete, who had left the family home to attend university in New York City.

[3] Accompanying himself on guitar or digital piano, Burnham continued to release self-described "pubescent musical comedy"[10] songs and videos online as his audience grew.

Described in The Boston Globe as "simultaneously wholesome and disturbing, intimate in a folksy-creepy sort of way", Burnham wrote and released songs about white supremacy, Helen Keller's disabilities, homosexuality, and more.

[11] Burnham's music and performances tackle such subjects as class, race, gender, human sexuality, sex, and religion.

[17] Comedy Central Records released Burnham's first EP, the six-song Bo fo Sho, as an online release-only album on June 17, 2008.

Despite the college's admission that they had booked Burnham while ignorant of his show's material, dean of students John Comerford praised the opportunities for discourse the controversy brought the school.

[12][29] In May 2009, viral marketing began appearing for Funny People, in which Burnham starred in an NBC sitcom called Yo Teach!

[32] In 2013, Burnham wrote, executive-produced, and starred in Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous alongside Dan Lagana, Luke Liacos, and Dave Becky.

[46] In 2020, Burnham played the protagonist's love interest Ryan Cooper in the black comedy revenge thriller film Promising Young Woman.

"[50] In March 2021, Burnham was cast as Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty from HBO.

Created by Burnham alone in his home's guest house without a crew or audience during the COVID-19 pandemic,[56] Inside received widespread acclaim.

[37][60][61] Burnham also received two nominations at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Music Film and Best Song Written for Visual Media ("All Eyes on Me"),[62][63] although the special was ruled ineligible for Best Comedy Album.

[70] Burnham submitted "Five Years" from The Inside Outtakes to the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards,[71] though it was not nominated.

[72] Burnham's comedic style is often categorized as satire,[73][74][75] covering topics such as homophobia, mental illness, sexism, and racism for both shock value and social commentary.

[84] During press for his film Eighth Grade in 2018, he used the controversies surrounding his work to express concerns about the new concept of teenagers' mistakes being immortalized online: "I'm happy to be an example of someone who failed out loud publicly, in a certain way, and who has hopefully been able to evolve and get past that.