Jon Reep (born March 26, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and actor, known as the "That thing got a Hemi?" guy in Dodge commercials, and more recently as the winner of the fifth season of Last Comic Standing on NBC.
Reep was born and raised in the small city of Hickory, North Carolina. He has one younger brother, Jason. Their father worked as the manager of a Goodyear store, and a part time police officer. Their mother was a receptionist at the local telephone company. Reep was raised as a Baptist. Reep enjoyed various activities in his youth. He enjoyed dancing and martial arts; both for the physical benefits and the comedy he associated with both activities.
Reep attended Fred T. Foard High School in Newton, North Carolina. Reep participated in football all through high school. The team was not very successful, as Reep stated "We had a perfect season, 0-10. We went defeated!" Reep was given the award of class clown, following in his father's footsteps. Jon's brother, Jason, would also go on to win this award. Reep graduated high school in 1990.
After graduating high school, Reep began attending Catawba Valley Community College. (CVCC) While attending CVCC, Reep worked at his father's Goodyear store with his father, brother, and uncle.
In 1992, Reep transferred to North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Reep graduated in 1996 with a BA degree in theatre, mass communication, and public and interpersonal communication. Reep decided on a communication degree because it was the easiest. He figured it must be the easiest, "because it's what all the athletes were taking." After graduation, Reep landed a job as a production assistant with UNC-TV. In 1998, Reep quit his job and became a full-time traveling comic.
While attending a Carolina Panthers football game with his friends, Reep began to dance to the music during timeouts. As the game grew on, so did Reep's following in the crowd. People were laughing at Reep's antics, and soon the whole stadium was laughing at, and mimicking, Reep's actions. The Carolina Panther's mascot was so impressed with Reep that he invited him onto the field. As Reep was performing "the worm" on the five yard line, he was pulled away by three stadium police. The police were oblivious to the fact that Reep had been invited onto the field. This is the point that Reep decided he wanted to pursue a career in comedy.
