Comedy Birthdays, July 23 – 29
Monday, July 23The original shock-jock, he was known for pulling stunts like ordering 1200 hamburgers from a fast-food restaurant and giving specific instructions on how each one was to be prepared. In the 1970s, there was a series of record LPs featuring his pranks. Today they are used as skeet shooting targets. His show IMUS IN THE MORNING on MSNBC is seen by almost dozens of sad and lonely people. |
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Tuesday, July 24Ruth Buzzi was one of the first big names in the counter-culture comedy. Appearing on every episode, she was one of the stars of LAUGH-IN a show known for having Richard Nixon say “Sock it to me, Baby!” Some think that TV appearance was the reason Nixon won the presidency. Those same people have never forgiven LAUGH-IN. On a weekly basis, she got to see young Goldie Hawn in a bikini–something most American men envied. With over 100 credits on her acting resume, Ruth has been a very busy lady. Most of these credits are for animation features and shows. She now calls Ft. Worth her home. |
![]() ![]() Michael Richards is also known for having his own late night breakdown on an LA comedy club stage by dropping an “N-bomb” to some hecklers. He is still banned from the club but welcomed at certain meeting that happen “down by the docks.” It seems to have been an incident that almost killed his performing career. I would think that being on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM would have done that. |
Wednesday, July 25Walter Brennan was a character actor best known for Western roles. He was a winner of three Supporting Role Actor Oscars and had 4 top 100 singles. His least successful single was “Do it in the bush.” Walter was in the great Western comedies SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF with the great James Garner and on the television show THE REAL MCCOYS. He worked such greats as Humphrey Bogart, Tim Conway, Milton Berle, James Stewart and John Wayne. (Lucille Ball also worked with all those men) His advice to young actors was “Go ahead and learn how to act, but don’t get caught at it.” |
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Thursday, July 26The poster boy for cocaine abuse, Jeremy Piven comes from a family of actors who ran a theater school. Can we guess who played hooky most days? He played the bad dean in OLD SCHOOL, bad guy Buddy Israel in SMOKIN’ ACES and bad bachelor party reveler in VERY BAD THINGS. But he has yet to be typecast. He once shared an apartment with John Cusack, something that Cusack has yet to recover from. The pair have made almost a dozen films together, so Jeremy Piven must know where the incriminating photos of John Cusack are hidden. While filming the comedy PCU, he contracted the disease malaria and since then has contracted many other diseases catting around bars in Hollywood. |
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![]() ![]() She described her Gracie character as “the kind of girl who shortens the cord on the electric iron to save electricity”. She started a mock presidential campaign in 1940 with the slogan “my girdle is killing me.” Fun Fact: she has a rose named after her. Allen left this world on August 27, 1964 |
Friday, July 27In the 1970s, one could not turn on television without seeing a work by Norman Lear. He is the creator of ALL IN THE FAMILY a show that changed television and introduced the world to Archie Bunker. This led to GOOD TIMES, MAUDE, THE JEFFERSON’S, SANFORD AND SON and ONE DAY AT A TIME just to name a few. These were basically spin-offs of each other. Some of the lesser spin-off successes were SANFORD AND MAUDE, ONE DAY IN THE FAMILY and ALL IN A TIME. He also produced THE PRINCESS BRIDE which means he worked with Rob Reiner more than once. Brave, brave soul. in the 1990s there was an attempt to re-ignite the creative flame with a series of shows. That idea snuffed out mid-season. |
![]() ![]() Thomas next moved into directing, serving behind the helm of such films as THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, PRIVATE PARTS, DOCTOR DOLITTLE and JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE. She hails from St. Louis proving that one can actually escape that city unscathed. |
![]() ![]() But all that changed when he landed the role of Luther Van Dam on the TV series COACH. This role earned him four consecutive Emmy nods in almost 200 episodes. Today he runs a soda shop in Arkansas. From being second banana with Craig T. Nelson to making banana splits for hillbillies, one could argue that his career has nowhere to go but up. |
![]() ![]() He was the star of THE BILL ENGVALL show a program he wanted to make more popular by calling it THE JEFF FOXWORTHY/LARRY THE CABLE GUY SHOW. He lives with the concept that he is still more famous and less drunk than Ron White. |
Saturday, July 28As the creator of of GARFIELD, there is a certain level of Hell that Jim Davis will attain. This “artist” has been crafting the adventures of a lasagna eating cat for decades now and someday he will write something funny. He has turned us from being ambivalent to cats to hating their very essence. We here at ComedyGuys just wish we had a tenth of his money. |
![]() ![]() Struthers has been a long-time spokesperson for the Christian Children’s Fund, asking Americans to give their money to feed the needy. We here at ComedyGuys.com have been doing a parallel charity, helping out twenty-something ‘college students’ who work in such shoddy conditions that they have to dance in their underwear. We have been donating one folded dollar at a time with a two drink minimum. She was quoted as saying “Acting is cheap group therapy, being a schizo fifty different ways. And we’re paid!” |
Sunday, July 29Most people know actor Josh Radnor from his Emmy-winning role on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. His first break was playing a waiter in BARNEY’S GREAT ADVENTURE and today he performs with Jason Segel. So he has a career that is so far bookended with two giant scary monsters. He was also the writer/director/actor for HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE, a title that shows you do not have to use a space bar to be successful. In his newest film LIBERAL ARTS, the actor plays a character who has a passionate affair with the very young Elizabeth Olsen. Lucky, lucky him… |