Rockland's Cotter competes in 'America's Got Talent' semifinals

Tuesday August 28, 2012 9:35 PM By Michael Olson

Photo credit: NBC | Stony Point's Tom Cotter advanced to the semifinals on NBC's "America's Got Talent."

A Rockland County comedian competed in the semifinals of the NBC talent show "America's Got Talent" on Tuesday night.

Tom Cotter faced off against 11 other semifinalists who took the stage in New Jersey -- the remainder of the field after 13 weeks of auditions and eliminations in the popular TV show, now in its seventh season.

Cotter, 48, of Stony Point, has been performing for more than 20 years, according to the "America's Got Talent" website. Originally from Rhode Island, Cotter has won comedy competitions across the nation, including the Seattle International Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival. He was also awarded the Best Stand-Up at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival.

According to his website, Cotter has appeared on NBC's "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, Comedy Central's "Premium Blend," CBS' "The Late Late Show" and NBC's "Last Comic Standing."

The winner of "America's Got Talent" receives a $1 million prize and a chance to perform in Las Vegas.