List of New York Improv comedians
Encyclopedia
Improv
This is a partial list of New York Improv comedianComedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s and singers. In the 1960s, 1970's & 1980's they performed regularly at the Improvisation Comedy Club. The Improv was founded by Budd Friedman
Budd Friedman
Budd Friedman is best known as the founder and original proprietor and MC of the Improvisation Comedy Club, which opened in 1963, on West 44th Street near the SE corner of 9th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan...
and his then wife, Silver Saundors Friedman in 1963 and was located at 358 West 44th Street, New York City, in an area known as "Hell's Kitchen".
- Andy KaufmanAndy KaufmanAndrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
- Robert KleinRobert KleinRobert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...
- Rodney DangerfieldRodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
- Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
- David BrennerDavid BrennerDavid Brenner is an American standup comedian, actor, author, and filmmaker.-Career:Born and raised in poor areas of Philadelphia, Brenner found comedy a major source of relief from the daily trials and tribulations he faced in his youth. His neighborhood has been one of the top-ranked crime...
- Lenny Schultz
- Ed Bluestone
- Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
- Joe PiscopoJoe PiscopoJoseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
- Lily TomlinLily TomlinMary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
- Richard LewisRichard Lewis (comedian)-Early life:Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. His father worked as a caterer and his mother was an actress. Lewis is Jewish. He later attended Ohio State University and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity....
- Marvin Braverman
- Bobby AltoBobby AltoRobert Altomare , known professionally as Bobby Alto, is an American actor, comedian and performer. He and Buddy Mantia made up the Brooklyn-based comedy team Alto & Mantia...
- Buddy Mantia
- Bonnie Marcus
- Shelley AckermanShelley AckermanShelley Ackerman , is an American astrologer, writer, actress and singer. An avid and accomplished researcher, she specializes in creative, cultural, humanistic, and political astrology and is a frequent guest and commentator on radio and television news and entertainment shows.-Early life:The...
- Nick Arnold (comic)
- Liz TorresLiz TorresElizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
- Cassandra Danz a/k/a "Mrs. Greenthumbs"
- Ron CareyRon Carey (actor)Ron Carey was an American film and television actor. The 5-foot 4-inch actor was best known for playing cocky Officer Carl Levitt on TV's Barney Miller, in which he was almost always surrounded by male actors who stood at least 4" taller...
- Gilbert GottfriedGilbert GottfriedGilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
- Richard BelzerRichard BelzerRichard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
- Larry DavidLarry DavidLawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
- Edmonds & Curley (Joey Edmonds and Thom Curley)
- Daphne Davis
- Jimmy BroganJimmy BroganJimmy Brogan , sometimes credited as Jim Brogan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has made numerous standup appearances on the talk show circuit including The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He was a writer on the Tonight Show with...
- Richard PryorRichard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
- Mark SchiffMark SchiffMark Schiff is an American voice actor and comedian. He provided the voice of the little dog on the animated series 2 Stupid Dogs. He has appeared in small guest roles on shows such as My Two Dads and Mad About You. He has also been a writer for Blue Collar TV.-External links:*...
- Bruce MahlerBruce MahlerBruce Mahler is an American actor, producer, and writer. He is known for his role as Sgt. Fackler on the comedy films Police Academy, and as Rabbi Kirschbaum on the sitcom Seinfeld....
- Betty Rhodes
- Bobby Kelton
- John DeBellisJohn DeBellisJohn DeBellis is an American writer, director and stand-up comedian best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and Politically Incorrect. In addition he wrote and directed the film The Last Request and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post.-External links:** at The Huffington Post...
- Joey Novick
- Laura TaylorLaura TaylorLaura Taylor is a Brazilian singer and one of two new singers in Baile Funk band Bonde Do Rolê. Born in Belo Horizonte, Laura lived many years in New Zealand. She was added to the band after a talent search on MTV Brasil discovered her along with fellow new member, Ana Bernardino.-References:...
- Freddie PrinzeFreddie PrinzeFreddie Prinze was an American actor and stand-up comedian. He was known as the star of Chico and the Man. He is the father of actor Freddie Prinze, Jr.-Early life:...
- Elayne BooslerElayne BooslerElayne Boosler is an American comedian.Boosler was born and raised in Brooklyn, the youngest child and only daughter of a Russian-acrobat father and a Romanian-ballerina mother...
- Rick OvertonRick OvertonRichard "Rick" Overton is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include Dennis Miller Live, and his acting credits include Willow and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.-Life and career:...
- Lynne LiptonLynne LiptonLynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
- Gabe KaplanGabe KaplanGabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
- Mike Preminger
- Marty Nadler
- Al FrankenAl FrankenAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
(in the comedy team "Franken and Davis") - Alan ZweibelAlan ZweibelAlan Zweibel is an American producer and writer who has worked on such productions as Saturday Night Live, PBS' Great Performances, and It's Garry Shandling's Show.-Early life:...
- Jimmie WalkerJimmie WalkerJames Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
- Carl Waxman
- Steve Wishman
- Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
- J.J. Barry
- Martin Harvey Friedberg
- Judy Orbach
- Larry Paulette
- Joni Peltz
- Glenn Hirsch
- Steve LandesbergSteve LandesbergSteve Landesberg was an American actor, comedian, and voice actor known for his role as the erudite, unflappable police detective Arthur P...
- Steve Lubetkin
- Steve Mittleman
- Ronnie Shakes
- Uncle Dirty a/k/a Robert Altman
- Mike Sergio
- Robert WuhlRobert Wuhl-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
- Sandy Kane
- Debbe (Renee) DuPerrie(u)
- Michael Patrick KingMichael Patrick KingMichael Patrick King is an American director, writer and producer for television shows.-Life and career:King was born to an Irish American family in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was raised as a Roman Catholic...
- Nancy Shayne
- Stephen D. Boyd