Greg Hollimon
Encyclopedia
Greg Hollimon is an actor best known for his work on Comedy Central's Strangers with Candy
.
Hollimon grew up in the Chicago housing projects of Cabrini–Green with Ozone from Breakin'
. In 1986, he began taking improvisation classes at Players Workshop, where he met Paul Dinello
and, some time later, Amy Sedaris
. Hollimon then began doing stand-up at a few local comedy clubs and dabbled in comedy writing, while honing his craft of improvisation at Players Workshop.
Hollimon graduated from Players Workshop in 1988 and enrolled in classes at Chicago's famed The Second City
. While still taking classes, he was hired into Second City's National Touring Company, where he met Stephen Colbert
. A year later, Sedaris, Dinello, Colbert & Hollimon were all touring together, performing nightly improvisational theatre at colleges & universities all over America.
After leaving Second City in 1993, he then wrote and performed in a two-man play called The RIC Show-Revelations, Indictments and Confessions with his friend and fellow actor Michael McCarthy. They performed the play to rave reviews at the Dublin Theater Festival and eventually staged the show in Los Angeles
where it garnered similar accolades.
When the play closed, Hollimon returned to Chicago to work in the theater. He performed in plays, including Eugene Lee
's East Texas Hot Links and Pearl Cleage
's Flying West." He then moved on to film, appearing in Stephen Gyllenhaal
's Losing Isaiah
and Richard Pearce's A Family Thing
.
Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert created the role of Principal Blackman with Hollimon in mind for the Strangers with Candy
TV series. Blackman's deep, oratorial speaking style is actually quite different from Hollimon's actual speaking voice. The second season Strangers DVD contains video of the cast's appearance at The Museum of Television and Radio; during this appearance Colbert imitates Blackman, describing his "hubris and overweening pride." (A line that's actually a Blackman quote about Jerri Blank.) Hollimon objected to the imitation, insisting that he didn't sound like that, but Colbert assured him that he did. The same DVD also features a commentary track where it is revealed that Hollimon is a very skilled rollerskater, so Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert incorporated this talent into the show.
Hollimon's profile on the Strangers with Candy movie website offers an update on his current whereabouts: "When Hollimon is not performing or auditioning for a new project, he can be found waiting for his agent to call, or at the bottom of the ocean - scuba diving
in the warmer waters of the Atlantic (ahem) hoping that his agent will call."
Strangers with Candy
Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10 p.m....
.
Hollimon grew up in the Chicago housing projects of Cabrini–Green with Ozone from Breakin'
Breakin'
Breakin', released as Breakdance: The Movie in some countries, is a 1984 breakdancing-themed film directed by Joel Silberg. The film setting was inspired by a German documentary entitled Breakin' and Enterin set in the Los Angeles multi-racial hip hop club Radiotron, based out of Macarthur Park in...
. In 1986, he began taking improvisation classes at Players Workshop, where he met Paul Dinello
Paul Dinello
Paul Dinello is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and an alumnus of Chicago-based The Second City, Improv Institute, and Annoyance Theatre...
and, some time later, Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris
Amy Louise Sedaris is an American actress, author, and comedian. She is known for playing the character Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central television series Strangers with Candy. Sedaris regularly collaborates with her older brother, humorist and author David Sedaris...
. Hollimon then began doing stand-up at a few local comedy clubs and dabbled in comedy writing, while honing his craft of improvisation at Players Workshop.
Hollimon graduated from Players Workshop in 1988 and enrolled in classes at Chicago's famed The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
. While still taking classes, he was hired into Second City's National Touring Company, where he met Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
. A year later, Sedaris, Dinello, Colbert & Hollimon were all touring together, performing nightly improvisational theatre at colleges & universities all over America.
After leaving Second City in 1993, he then wrote and performed in a two-man play called The RIC Show-Revelations, Indictments and Confessions with his friend and fellow actor Michael McCarthy. They performed the play to rave reviews at the Dublin Theater Festival and eventually staged the show in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where it garnered similar accolades.
When the play closed, Hollimon returned to Chicago to work in the theater. He performed in plays, including Eugene Lee
Eugene Lee
Eugene Lee may refer to:* Eugene Gordon Lee , U.S. child actor* Eugene Lee , U.S. radio deejay, actor, and cable television host* Eugene Lee , Tony-Award winning designer*Eugene Lee -See also:...
's East Texas Hot Links and Pearl Cleage
Pearl Cleage
Pearl Cleage is an African-American author whose work, both fiction and non-fiction, has been widely recognized. Her novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day was a 1998 Oprah’s Book Club selection. Cleage is known for her feminist views, particularly regarding her identity as an...
's Flying West." He then moved on to film, appearing in Stephen Gyllenhaal
Stephen Gyllenhaal
-Personal life:Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Virginia Lowrie and Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal. The Gyllenhaal family is a descendant of the cavalry officer Nils Gunnesson Haal, who was ennobled in 1652 when Queen Christina of Sweden conferred upon him the crest and family name,...
's Losing Isaiah
Losing Isaiah
Losing Isaiah is a 1995 drama film starring Jessica Lange and Halle Berry, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal. It is based on the novel of the same name by Seth Margolis. The screenplay is written by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal. The original music score is composed by Mark Isham...
and Richard Pearce's A Family Thing
A Family Thing
A Family Thing is a 1996 film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson and directed by Richard Pearce.-Plot:...
.
Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert created the role of Principal Blackman with Hollimon in mind for the Strangers with Candy
Strangers with Candy
Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10 p.m....
TV series. Blackman's deep, oratorial speaking style is actually quite different from Hollimon's actual speaking voice. The second season Strangers DVD contains video of the cast's appearance at The Museum of Television and Radio; during this appearance Colbert imitates Blackman, describing his "hubris and overweening pride." (A line that's actually a Blackman quote about Jerri Blank.) Hollimon objected to the imitation, insisting that he didn't sound like that, but Colbert assured him that he did. The same DVD also features a commentary track where it is revealed that Hollimon is a very skilled rollerskater, so Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert incorporated this talent into the show.
Hollimon's profile on the Strangers with Candy movie website offers an update on his current whereabouts: "When Hollimon is not performing or auditioning for a new project, he can be found waiting for his agent to call, or at the bottom of the ocean - scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
in the warmer waters of the Atlantic (ahem) hoping that his agent will call."