He was first to advance. Now, Plano’s Usama Siddiquee is a finalist for a Netflix stand-up special

Usama Siddiquee, a 35-year-old from Plano, Texas, has become a finalist for Netlfix’s “Funny AF with Kevin Hart.”

PLANO, Texas — A North Texas native has made it one step closer to locking in an hour-long Netflix stand-up special.

Usama Siddiquee, 35-year-old comic from Plano, is one of 10 finalists on “Funny AF with Kevin Hart,” a search for the next up-and-coming stand-up comic.

Hart is the host – and a judge alongside comedy heavyweights and fellow guest judges Chelsea Handler, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kumail Nanjiani – as he travels to the best comedy clubs across the country, from New York City’s Comedy Cellar to Los Angeles’s The Comedy Store, to find the next great American comedian.

Siddiquee quickly shined through, being the first person to advance past the first round in the first episode of the series. Part of the journey on the show included roasting NFL legend Marshawn Lynch. Now, as a finalist in this Netflix show, he’s one step closer to potentially winning the ultimate prize in comedy nowadays: a Netflix special. The semifinals and finals will be live shows on May 4 and 5, starting at 8 p.m. CT/ 9 p.m. ET.

Siddiquee posts content to his Instagram and TikTok pages.

In 2024, he made his late-night debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and in 2025, he released his first half-hour comedy special with Don’t Tell Comedy.