By Bryanne Salazar
8:38am PST, Feb 15, 2019
On Feb. 20, 2019, comedian and "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah turns 35! To celebrate his big day, Wonderwall.com is revealing some cool and unusual facts about Trevor's life… starting with his unconventional childhood. Trevor was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1984 to a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss-German father during a time when apartheid made their union illegal. Trevor believes his early experiences with segregation ultimately influenced his comedy, giving him a unique perspective on race, government and what it means to be free. Keep reading for more…
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He has a unique fitness routine
In addition to biking around New York City, Trevor has an admittedly weird workout routine to stay in shape. In a 2016 GQ article, Trevor shared that he assigns different exercises (like squats or lunges) to different colleagues at work and forces himself to do those specific exercises whenever he sees them. He also "sneaks in little workouts" like pull-ups or jumping around the office and won't let himself sit for too long.
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He's officially single
He's single, but might not be ready to mingle. In January 2019, we learned that Trevor Noah and longtime girlfriend Jordyn Taylor had called it quits after nearly four years together. While we don't know the reason for their breakup, it seems as though there's no bad blood between the former couple, with Jordyn telling her Instagram followers, "Of course I love him. How could you not love him? I love him so much, but you guys should know we broke up this past summer…"
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He's (kind of) a movie star
We thought the voice of the artificial intelligence system in "Black Panther" sounded familiar. It turns out Trevor Noah lent his voice to Griot, the computer system created by Shuri that helped guide agent Everett Ross in a virtual airplane to help save Wakanda.
He had vocal surgery in 2018
What Trevor Noah thought was a sore throat after a trip home to South Africa in early December 2018 ended up being a more serious medical condition that required surgery. In this Dec. 23 Instagram pic, Trevor revealed he was post-op and "trying not to get sick" following his decision to cancel several live shows due to losing his voice.
He still does stand-up
Trevor Noah wears many pants (or sometimes, none at all). Not only is he the host of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," but he's also still working as a stand-up comic. In 2019, he kicked off the "Loud and Clear" comedy tour in Toronto — his first North American arena trek.
He's smarter than us
We think Trevor Noah should be nominated as the next "Most Interesting Man in the World." In addition to speaking English, the South African entertainer can also speak seven other languages: Xhosa, Afrikaans, Zulu, Southern Sotho, (some) German, Tswana and Tsongo. Even cooler is that he's now trying to master Spanish. We can't help but wonder, in what language(s) does he think?
Tiffany Haddish wants to date him
Those endearing dimples, the toothpaste advertisement-worthy smile and that jawline so sharp you could cut an apple on it make it hard not to notice how attractive Trevor Noah is. Even comedic actress Tiffany Haddish has revealed she has a crush on Trevor and once tried to ask him (and Michael B. Jordan) out on dates. Sadly, according to Tiffany, both of them declined. Now that Trevor is single, maybe he'll reconsider her offer?
He's also got a celebrity crush
In a 2016 interview with Playboy magazine, Trevor Noah shared a lot of interesting details about his life, including the one celebrity who makes his pulse race — fellow South African star Charlize Theron. When asked who his fanboy crush was, Trevor quickly said her name, adding, "Not just because she's South African. I think she is ageing majestically. She's so beautiful." That likely explains his ear-to-ear grin and look of amazement while standing next to her in this picture he posted on Instagram in 2017.
He turned a part-time gig into a leading role
Long before Trevor Noah was the host of "The Daily Show," he was a news correspondent on the satire series starting in 2014. He also worked as a contributing writer. Trevor's appearances stood out, which likely helped producers realize his potential as a future host of the show. Trevor officially took the mantle from Jon Stewart on Sept. 28, 2015.
He once acted on a soap opera
Trevor Noah could have been a soap opera star! Back in 2002, Trevor — who was just 18 at the time — landed his first acting role in the South African soap opera "Isidingo." The minor part saw him playing a teenager at a party. The role was so small, Trevor wasn't even credited on the series.
He did stand-up in South Africa before coming to America
Long before American audiences fell in love with Trevor Noah, he was a rising superstar in his home country of South Africa. A stand-up comedian and radio host, Trevor had already amassed a legion of fans before bringing his talents west. Fun fact: Trevor's first attempt at stand-up happened after he drunkenly heckled a comedian at a South African bar. The comic challenged Trevor to get on stage to see if he could do better, and he did! The experience helped Trevor realize comedy was his passion.
He's an author
In 2016, Trevor Noah released his first book, "Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood," which went on to make The New York Times' best-seller list. The memoir explores Trevor's early years in South Africa during apartheid when his biracial birth and parents' interracial relationship was, in fact, a crime.
He's political
Some celebrities keep their political views private, but Trevor Noah has no problem speaking out. After hosting an election night special in 2016, Trevor made no secret of the fact that he dislikes Donald Trump. In fact, during President Trump's first three months in office, Trevor made no less than 315 jokes about him. He's also compared Trump to an African dictator. "If you know anything about African dictators, the first thing that you have to do is follow the money and you follow the money with the closest people to them," he said in 2018 in response to news that Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, received money from companies looking to influence government policies.
Jay Leno helped launch his U.S. career
Trevor Noah has major love for former late-night host Jay Leno, who in 2012 welcomed him to perform on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" as a guest comic. The televised spot was Trevor's first American gig and led to two more appearances on the show as well as an appearance "Chelsea Lately" and "Late Show with David Letterman."
His career is surprisingly young
It's easy to think Trevor Noah's epic rise to fame came after a long time in show business, but that's not actually true. Trevor's very first TV comedy special didn't air until 2009. The documentary-style special, "The Daywalker," was Trevor's first one-man show and would serve to launch his future career in front of the camera.
He's preserving history
In 2017, Trevor Noah and Comedy Central unveiled a not-so-subtle pop-up gallery installation coined The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library, which was aimed at preserving the controversial commander-in-chief's tweets. Opening in Manhattan (not far from Trump Tower) and traveling to cities like Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, the satirical library featured tweet-by-tweet analyses, a Trump nickname generator and hilarious displays, like a statue of two tiny, orange hands holding up a cell phone. The following year, Trevor and his team turned the library exhibits into a book with the same name, which quickly rose to become both an Amazon and New York Times best-seller.
He's a great impersonator
Before Trevor Noah became the host of "The Daily Show," he was known throughout South Africa as a stand-up comic with a talent for code-switching. Perhaps due to his multi-lingual abilities, Trevor can easily slip into the voice and speaking style of just about anyone. His more famous impersonations include Oprah Winfrey, late South African president Nelson Mandela and some U.S. politicians.
His grandma doesn't watch his show
On Dec. 3, 2018, Trevor Noah returned home to South Africa to visit his hometown for a special edition of "The Daily Show." Sharing his childhood haunts with viewers also included a trip to the home of his 91-year-old grandmother (whom he affectionately calls "Gogo"). Sitting at Gogo's kitchen table, the two talked about the country's horrific history of apartheid, her love for Nelson Mandela and, to Trevor's amusement, how she's never watched his TV show.
He's got cool friends
Being the host of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" has its perks. His high-profile job allows him to hobnob with some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood, including Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Seen here on May 5, 2015, at the Met Gala, the trio has long been our definition of #squadgoals.
He's on Netflix
Trevor Noah debuted his comedy special "Son of Patricia" on Netflix in November 2018. The hour-long stand-up performance includes Trevor's thoughts on racism and politics, lessons from his mom, Patricia Noah, and his weird experience of eating tacos for the first time while being offered a diaper.
His social media is lit
We love it when celebrities give good social media. Trevor Noah's Instagram and Twitter game is strong thanks to his excellent posting ratio, which includes funny and heartwarming videos, hilarious personal insights and (our favorite) mega-hot selfies. We also love his shared bio for both platforms, which reads: "Comedian from South Africa. I was in the crowd when Rafiki held Simba over the edge of the cliff, like an African Michael Jackson."
He's a feminist
In a 2017 interview with Glamour, Trevor Noah revealed that two women in his life inspired him to identify as a feminist. The first was his mother, Patricia Noah, who by virtue of her own strength and determination helped him see women as powerful beings. The second was Nigerian author and friend Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who penned the essay "We Should All Be Feminists," which, after he read it, made Trevor think, "Oh, this is what my mom taught me. This is simple. I don't understand why everybody is not this."
He's officially important
While friends, family and fans already know how special Trevor Noah is, in 2018, he was given the official seal of awesomeness when he was selected as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Seen here at the Time 100 Gala in New York City, Trevor joined the ranks of respected world influencers like Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey and his beloved former South African president, Nelson Mandela.
He's overcome extreme hardship
If you think Trevor Noah has enjoyed an easy ride to superstardom, that couldn't be farther from the truth. In Trevor's memoir "Born a Crime," the TV host and comedian shared some of the more harrowing experiences he endured growing up in South Africa. From being thrown out of a moving bus by his mother to escape death at just 9 years old to witnessing his mother overcome a near-fatal gunshot to the head delivered by his abusive former stepfather, Trevor's early life was imbued with unimaginable pain, making his meteoric rise in Hollywood seem even more inspiring and well-deserved.
