Jim Gaffigan
Overview
James Christopher "Jim" Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

 stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...

 and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

.
Gaffigan was born in Chesterton, Indiana
Chesterton, Indiana
Chesterton is a town in Westchester, Jackson and Liberty townships, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,068 at the 2010 census. The three towns of Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Porter are known as the tri-towns or the Duneland area....

 and attended La Lumiere School
La Lumiere School
La Lumiere School, in La Porte, Indiana, United States, is a private, college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1963.-About:La Lumiere School is an educational institution, begun in 1963, as a single-sex boarding and day school for boys. In 1978, girls of comparable age were admitted...

 in La Porte, Indiana. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. He attended one year at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

, where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...

 Fraternity. He graduated from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

's McDonough School of Business
McDonough School of Business
The McDonough School of Business is one of the four undergraduate and one of the five graduate schools of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C...

 in 1988.
Gaffigan's comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 routines often include humorous, high-pitched "asides" representing commentary on his performance from a hypothetical naive and easily offended audience member.
Quotations

It's like in most parts of America, where there was industry and there is no longer; there is cynicism mixed with sarcasm and some optimism. That's how my background influenced my comedy.

Ben Fields (September 28, 2008) "Laugh Again with Gaffigan - Down-to-earth Gaffigan getting ready to bring 'Sexy' to the Keith", The Herald-Dispatch|The Herald-Dispatch, p. 1.

Not that I don't think irreverent humor and someone being filthy is funny, I just do what I do. Any comedian would admit throwing an f-bomb in there would help get a reaction. ... I'm not on a Puritanical pursuit, but when I would curse in a joke, I believe I'm not done writing it.

Tim Brouk (September 6, 2007) "Jim Gaffigan returns to his old stomping grounds, Purdue", Journal and Courier|Journal and Courier, pp. 1, 2D.

I talk kinda slow, especially for the Northeast, so it was a way to beat (would-be hecklers) to the punch.

Explaining his use of "inner voice" speech during his stand-up routines — interview in Michael Corcoran (February 18, 2007) "When studios need a doofus, Jim Gaffigan is their main man", Austin American-Statesman|Austin American-Statesman, p. J01.

I curse in everyday life, but usually when I stub my toe. The topics I'm discussing, it's not necessary to curse. I found [cursing] is a sign that a joke is not finished or well-written.

Michael McIntyre (February 9, 2007) "He's bringing home the bacon, from clubs to Super Bowl ads", The Plain Dealer|The Plain Dealer, p. 30.

I liked the idea that my character was not gonna be the typical dumb guy that I play, typically. I also loved the fact that it was dealing with kind of adult-extended adolescence, which I think is always interesting -- a bunch of people that don't wanna grow up.

On his character in My Boys — interview in Bob Kostanczuk (December 15, 2006) "From 'Pale Force' to 'My Boys' Region native Jim Gaffigan keeps comedy career chuggin' with new sitcom", Post-Tribune|Post-Tribune, p. D1.

Yeah, I am a character actor.

Doug Elfman (November 19, 2006) "Oh, 'Boys': New show centers on a female sportswriter who likes guys and likes to drink. Just don't call her 'hot.'", Chicago Sun-Times|Chicago Sun-Times, p. D11.

I grew up in a family where no one was in the entertainment business. So stand-up and acting were seen as something unrealistic. I always thought it was just people in L.A. and New York that became actors or comedians.

Ed Will (April 28, 2006) "Your face sure is familiar. ...", The Denver Post|The Denver Post, p. FF-09.

People don't know who I am. Some people don't know I do standup. They just write that I'm that guy from those failed sitcoms. I always joke that 'I've never heard of me either.'

Kyle O'Brien (March 3, 2006) "Comic Gaffigan's one Hot star", The Oregonian|The Oregonian, p. 43.

 
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