Jon Reep

Jon Reep is a stand-up comedian and actor from Hickory, North Carolina, widely recognised from a Dodge advertising campaign that began in 2004. [en.wikipedia.org] He finished high school in Newton, North Carolina, in 1990. [en.wikipedia.org] He took a theatre degree at NC State in 1997. [en.wikipedia.org] He played a recurring part on the ABC sitcom Rodney from 2004 to 2006. [en.wikipedia.org] He won the fifth season of NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2007. [en.wikipedia.org] He places the start of his comedy in Raleigh, the city whose rooms this register documents him playing. [indyweek.com] He found stage comedy while majoring in theatre at N.C. State in the mid-1990s. [indyweek.com] He performed around the Triangle and worked as a production assistant at UNC-TV before leaving for Los Angeles. [indyweek.com] By 2014 he had made a half-hour Comedy Central special, an album, and the hour-long Metro Jethro. [indyweek.com] He worked the road for several years before moving to Los Angeles, deliberately. [www.leoweekly.com] An invitation to the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, billed among its new faces, took him straight to Los Angeles. [www.leoweekly.com] Charlotte's public radio station framed him in 2008 as a local product, tracing the line from class clown to national winner. [www.wfae.org] The Dodge campaign was what most people knew him for, over a working stand-up career. [www.wfae.org] On his own site he describes his act as a contemporary, clean country point of view worked in theatres and clubs. [web.archive.org] That site lists a Netflix appearance in Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo, an Amazon Prime special, and a stand-up album. [web.archive.org]

“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 starting in 2004.” [en.wikipedia.org]

“Reep graduated from Fred T. Foard High School in Newton, North Carolina, in 1990.” [en.wikipedia.org]

“He later graduated from NC State University in 1997 with a Bacholor of Arts degree in theatre.” [en.wikipedia.org]

“From 2004 to 2006, he played the recurring character Police Officer Gerald Bob in the ABC sitcom Rodney.” [en.wikipedia.org]

“In 2007, Reep won the fifth season of Last Comic Standing on NBC.” [en.wikipedia.org]

““[Raleigh’s] where I got my start,” the 42-year-old Hickory native says by phone from Orlando, Fla.” [indyweek.com]

“While attending N.C. State in the mid-‘90s, Reep got the itch for stage comedy while majoring in theater.” [indyweek.com]

“Reep set his sights on Los Angeles after performing in the Triangle and working as a production assistant at UNC-TV.” [indyweek.com]

“Since living there, in addition to winning Last Comic Standing, Reep has done a half-hour special on Comedy Central, a comedy album and another hour-long special, titled Jon Reep: Metro Jethro.” [indyweek.com]

“I wanted to have a few years under my belt as a road comic.” [www.leoweekly.com]

“Then I got invited to the Montreal Just for Laughs festival, which is the biggest comedy festival in the world, and I was billed as one of the new faces of comedy.” [www.leoweekly.com]

“Reep's journey from class clown in a small town outside of Hickory to the winner of the 2007 "Last Comic Standing" competition is filled with hilarious misadventures.” [www.wfae.org]

“Most of us know him as the lovable redneck on the Dodge Hemi commercial campaign, but he is a veteran comic.” [www.wfae.org]

“A national touring comedian whose contemporary country clean point of view has won over legions of fans in theaters, comedy clubs, and on tv and in film.” [web.archive.org]

“He can be seen in Netflix’s “Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo” and his standup special on Amazon Prime “Ginger Beard Man” or his new standup album “Ginger Pain”.” [web.archive.org]

On 5 September 2025 a Catawba County grand jury indicted Jon Reep — reported under his full name, Jonathan Reep — on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and Hickory police arrested and charged him the same day with one count of second-degree exploitation of a minor and nine counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. [www.wbtv.com] Police said the investigation began with a tip received on 15 April 2025 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning child sexual abuse material, which they traced to an account tied to Reep before executing a search warrant and seizing electronic devices. [www.wbtv.com] He posted a secured bond set at $260,000, with a first court appearance scheduled for 8 September 2025. [www.wbtv.com] He turned himself in to the authorities, and an attorney appeared on his behalf at the Catawba County courthouse on 8 September 2025. [www.wsoctv.com] His booked show that week was cancelled, and he remained out on bond. [www.wsoctv.com] He did not appear in person at that first Catawba County District Court date. [hickoryrecord.com] The case was still before the Catawba County courts as of 30 January 2026, when the Hickory Daily Record reported a further court appearance was scheduled. The register has found no document recording a plea, trial or outcome, and records none. [hickoryrecord.com]

“Jail records showed on Friday, Sept. 5, that Hickory police arrested and charged 53-year-old Jonathan Reep with one count of second-degree exploitation of a minor and nine counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor.” [www.wbtv.com]

“Hickory police said on April 15, 2025, they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that was concerned with child sexual abuse material.” [www.wbtv.com]

“According to jail records, Reep posted bond set at $260,000, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, September 8.” [www.wbtv.com]

“On Monday, an attorney appeared at the Catawba County courthouse on behalf of comedian Jon Reep.” [www.wsoctv.com]

“Reep is out on bond, and his show last Friday night was canceled.” [www.wsoctv.com]

“A “Last Comic Standing” winner arrested on child sex charges Friday did not appear in Catawba County District Court on Monday.” [hickoryrecord.com]

“A Hickory comedian charged with multiple counts of sex crimes against minors is scheduled to appear in court.” [hickoryrecord.com]