Carrot Top

Scott Christopher Thompson, professionally known as Carrot Top, is an American stand-up comedian and actor recognized for his prop comedy. Born on February 25, 1965, his trademark stage name was given to him by a local swimming coach in reference to his red hair.

Thompson was born in Rockledge, Florida, and grew up in Cocoa as the younger of two sons. His father was a NASA engineer. Raised Catholic, he attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and later Cocoa High School, where he played drums in the marching and concert band before graduating in 1983. In the late 1980s, he worked as a courier for a mortgage company. He later attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he performed his first stand-up comedy routine as a freshman.

Carrot Top achieved his career breakthrough in 1991 after performing on Comic Strip Live. Around the same time, he appeared on the television show Star Search. From 1995 to 1999, he worked as the continuity announcer for Cartoon Network, where he also produced and starred in the early morning show Carrot Top's AM Mayhem from 1994 to 1996. He also gained widespread television visibility as a spokesman in commercials for 1-800-CALL-ATT.

His live comedy routine relies heavily on dozens of props kept in large trunks on stage. His jokes typically involve pulling out a prop, describing it in a one-liner, and tossing it away, before closing his show with a lip-synced musical montage. Since 2005, Carrot Top has headlined for MGM Resorts International properties in Las Vegas, Nevada, launching a long-running residency show at the Luxor Hotel on November 22, 2005.

In film, Carrot Top appeared in Chairman of the Board, provided voice work for Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly, and recorded a commentary track for the 2002 film The Rules of Attraction. His television credits include appearances on shows such as Scrubs, George Lopez, Reno 911!, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and Criss Angel Mindfreak. He served as a guest judge on Last Comic Standing, assisted illusionists Penn & Teller on Don't Forget the Lyrics!, and participated in roasts for Flavor Flav and Gene Simmons.

Carrot Top has also made frequent appearances on late-night talk shows, music videos, online series, and podcasts. He featured in Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup" music video and joined Keith at the 2011 ACM Awards. His internet and talk show appearances include Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, Tom Green's House Tonight, The Joe Rogan Experience, Good Mythical Morning, and Kill Tony.