Hannibal Amir Buress (/ˈhænɪbəl ˈbʌrɪs/; born February 4, 1983) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born and raised in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, Buress embarked on a comedy career in late 2009, gaining notable recognition after being featured in Comedy Central's The Awkward Comedy Show, alongside various other comedians. This enabled Buress to release his first comedy album, My Name is Hannibal. Since 2014, Hannibal Buress has also been featured on Comedy Central's Broad City, created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.
Buress is a native of Chicago, Illinois, who was raised in its Austin neighborhood, and is the son of Margaret, a teacher, and John Burress, who worked for Union Pacific Railroad. He was named after Carthaginian military commander Hannibal Barca. After attending Steinmetz College Prep, he briefly attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he became a friend of hip hop artist Open Mike Eagle, his resident adviser at the time.