'Cripple Threat of Comedy' Ryan Niemiller Will Appear on 'America's Got Talent'
Update: On Tuesday, disabled comedian Ryan Niemiller advanced to the next round of competition on “America’s Got Talent.” His comedy act wowed the judges and earned a unanimous decision for him to advance to the next round of the TV show.
Watch out world! @CrippleThreat8’s sense of humor is KILLER! https://t.co/EIdMiM3PVa
— America's Got Talent (@AGT) June 5, 2019
Comedian Ryan Niemiller, who has a disability in both arms, is slated to appear on Tuesday’s episode of “American’s Got Talent.” Niemiller, who calls himself the “Cripple Threat of Comedy,” will try to tell jokes during his audition in hopes of making it to the next round of the reality TV competition.
According to his website, Niemiller brings disability into his act, which covers trying to find work, dating and “and attempting to find acceptance in a world not designed for him.” Fellow Indianapolis comedian Brad Scott told the IndyStar Niemiller’s comedy is “harsh with soft edges” and Niemiller doesn’t shy away from addressing disability in his work.
“He has to address it, but he’s not a ‘shtick’ act,” Scott said. “He doesn’t just do material about his arms. He addresses it because if he doesn’t, that’s what the audience is going to wonder about the entire time.”
Niemiller will be the second performer with disabilities featured on this season of “America’s Got Talent.” Musician Kodi Lee, who is blind and on the autism spectrum, brought the show’s crowd to their feet after he sang Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.” His performance earned him the golden buzzer — and automatic advancement to the semi-finals — from judge Gabrielle Union.
Indy comedian @CrippleThreat8 will be on @AGT tonight. Catch his act at 8 p.m. on Channel 13. https://t.co/m2ossnZDr0 pic.twitter.com/eDKtWnlpiV
— WTHR.com (@WTHRcom) June 4, 2019
Catch Niemiller on “America’s Got Talent” on Tuesday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Header image via Ryan Niemiller’s Facebook page
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
reneeyfabian