Matt Walsh
Encyclopedia
Matthew Paul "Matt" Walsh (born October 13, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, director and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade
improvisational sketch comedy troupe. He has also starred in comedy programs such as Dog Bites Man
on Comedy Central
and Players
on Spike TV
.
with a degree in psychology, spending a year in Austria at Salzburg College. He began his comedy career in Chicago, performing at the Annoyance Theater and studying comedy at ImprovOlympic under improv comedy legend Del Close
. In 1991, he met comedian Matt Besser
, who he began performing stand-up comedy with. He would eventually join Besser in forming the Upright Citizens Brigade
sketch comedy troupe, along with Amy Poehler
and Ian Roberts
.
, Amy Poehler
, and Ian Roberts
, he is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade
improv comedy troupe and played "Trotter" in the troupe's sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central
. Before the show, the UCB comedy foursome had already been doing improv shows at their theatre in New York, which used to be a burlesque house before they remodeled it to become a theatre. To date, they have founded two successful Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theaters located in New York and Los Angeles.
Besides his sketch work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Walsh is also known for his memorable supporting roles in popular comedy films in recent years including Cyrus
, Old School
, The Hangover
, Role Models
and Semi-Pro
. Walsh also wrote and starred in the cult indie-comedy Martin & Orloff
, which had a limited theatrical run in 2002 and 2003. In addition, he was also a correspondent on The Daily Show
from 2001–2002, made regular appearances in comedy sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and MTV's Human Giant
as well as starring in the Comedy Central mockumentry series Dog Bites Man
in the summer of 2006. Except for The Hangover: Part II, Walsh has the distinction of appearing in every other Todd Phillips
comedy film to date, most often playing characters aptly named "Walsh".
In 2010, Walsh created the improvised comedy series Players
for Spike TV
. Walsh (creator, writer, director and executive producer of the show) stars in the series alongside his Upright Citizens Brigade partner Ian Roberts
, as two brothers who run a sports bar together. The show aired for one season, concluding on August 14, 2010.
Walsh currently hosts the sports/comedy podcast "Bear Down" (beardownpodcast.com) with comedian Scot Armstrong (screenwriter of Old School
) where they discuss their favorite football team The Chicago Bears
and do sports-themed comedy bits such as fake call-ins and in-character interviews. The podcast has also featured appearances by comedians such as Horatio Sanz
, Ian Roberts
, Joseph Nunez
, and Matt Price
.
In 2010, he began a recurring role on the NBC
comedy series Outsourced
. In 2011, he was cast as one of the co-stars in the upcoming HBO series Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus
.
In 2010, Walsh directed his first feature film called The High Road, an indie-comedy he co-wrote with Josh Weiner. The film will be released in 2011.
Upright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
improvisational sketch comedy troupe. He has also starred in comedy programs such as Dog Bites Man
Dog Bites Man
Dog Bites Man is a partially improvised comedy television show on Comedy Central that aired in summer 2006. It began airing on The Comedy Channel in Australia in June 2007...
on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and Players
Players (2010 TV series)
Players is an American comedy series which premiered on the Spike network on March 2, 2010. The series is a partially-scripted/mostly-improvised comedy about two brothers who run a sports bar together. After airing 3 episodes, Players was removed from the Spike schedule and put on hiatus. The...
on Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
.
Early life
Walsh was born in Chicago, the fourth of seven children of Dick and Audrey Walsh. He attended Hinsdale South High School and played on the football team as a backup tight end. He graduated from Northern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
with a degree in psychology, spending a year in Austria at Salzburg College. He began his comedy career in Chicago, performing at the Annoyance Theater and studying comedy at ImprovOlympic under improv comedy legend Del Close
Del Close
Del Close was an actor, improviser, writer, and teacher. Considered one of the premier influences on modern improvisational theater, Close had a prolific career, appearing in a number of films and television shows...
. In 1991, he met comedian Matt Besser
Matt Besser
Matthew Gregory "Matt" Besser is an American actor and comedian best known as one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe who also had their own show on Comedy Central from 1998-2000....
, who he began performing stand-up comedy with. He would eventually join Besser in forming the Upright Citizens Brigade
Upright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
sketch comedy troupe, along with Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
and Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts (actor)
Ian Michael Roberts is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe.-Life and career:...
.
Career
Along with Matt BesserMatt Besser
Matthew Gregory "Matt" Besser is an American actor and comedian best known as one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe who also had their own show on Comedy Central from 1998-2000....
, Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
, and Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts (actor)
Ian Michael Roberts is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe.-Life and career:...
, he is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade
Upright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
improv comedy troupe and played "Trotter" in the troupe's sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. Before the show, the UCB comedy foursome had already been doing improv shows at their theatre in New York, which used to be a burlesque house before they remodeled it to become a theatre. To date, they have founded two successful Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theaters located in New York and Los Angeles.
Besides his sketch work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Walsh is also known for his memorable supporting roles in popular comedy films in recent years including Cyrus
Cyrus (film)
Cyrus is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass and starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and Catherine Keener.-Plot:...
, Old School
Old School (film)
Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong...
, The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
, Role Models
Role Models
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film...
and Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
. Walsh also wrote and starred in the cult indie-comedy Martin & Orloff
Martin & Orloff
Martin & Orloff is a feature film written by and starring Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts along with Ian's wife Katie Roberts. The film was produced and directed by Lawrence Blume and features an ensemble cast of alternative comedians including H...
, which had a limited theatrical run in 2002 and 2003. In addition, he was also a correspondent on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
from 2001–2002, made regular appearances in comedy sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and MTV's Human Giant
Human Giant
Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner.The show has completed two seasons. The status of a third season is unknown...
as well as starring in the Comedy Central mockumentry series Dog Bites Man
Dog Bites Man
Dog Bites Man is a partially improvised comedy television show on Comedy Central that aired in summer 2006. It began airing on The Comedy Channel in Australia in June 2007...
in the summer of 2006. Except for The Hangover: Part II, Walsh has the distinction of appearing in every other Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...
comedy film to date, most often playing characters aptly named "Walsh".
In 2010, Walsh created the improvised comedy series Players
Players (2010 TV series)
Players is an American comedy series which premiered on the Spike network on March 2, 2010. The series is a partially-scripted/mostly-improvised comedy about two brothers who run a sports bar together. After airing 3 episodes, Players was removed from the Spike schedule and put on hiatus. The...
for Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
. Walsh (creator, writer, director and executive producer of the show) stars in the series alongside his Upright Citizens Brigade partner Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts (actor)
Ian Michael Roberts is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe.-Life and career:...
, as two brothers who run a sports bar together. The show aired for one season, concluding on August 14, 2010.
Walsh currently hosts the sports/comedy podcast "Bear Down" (beardownpodcast.com) with comedian Scot Armstrong (screenwriter of Old School
Old School (film)
Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong...
) where they discuss their favorite football team The Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and do sports-themed comedy bits such as fake call-ins and in-character interviews. The podcast has also featured appearances by comedians such as Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. Sanz most recently starred alongside his former SNL castmate Chris Parnell in the Comedy Central series Big Lake.-Early life:Sanz, the youngest of three sons, was born in...
, Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts (actor)
Ian Michael Roberts is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe.-Life and career:...
, Joseph Nunez
Joseph Nunez
Joseph Nunez is an American actor and comedian most notable for his recurring role as Manche Sanchez on the show Prison Break. He also played a cleaner in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and the man who ran over Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness...
, and Matt Price
Matt Price
Matt Price was a Western Australian journalist and newspaper columnist. He was educated at Newman College, Churchands and the University of Western Australia, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1984...
.
In 2010, he began a recurring role on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
comedy series Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
. In 2011, he was cast as one of the co-stars in the upcoming HBO series Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
.
In 2010, Walsh directed his first feature film called The High Road, an indie-comedy he co-wrote with Josh Weiner. The film will be released in 2011.
Personal life
Walsh lives in Los Angeles with his wife Morgan. They have two sons, Jude and Emmet.Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Talent | Ted | |
| 1999 | Fatty Drives the Bus | Man in Baseball Uniform | |
| 2000 | Road Trip | Crime Scene Photographer | |
| 2002 | Martin & Orloff Martin & Orloff Martin & Orloff is a feature film written by and starring Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts along with Ian's wife Katie Roberts. The film was produced and directed by Lawrence Blume and features an ensemble cast of alternative comedians including H... |
Dr. Eric Orloff | |
| 2003 | Pushing Tom | Co-Worker | |
| Old School Old School (film) Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong... |
Walsh | ||
| The Test | Joe | Short film | |
| Death of a Dynasty | Frat Boy No. 1 | ||
| Elf Elf (film) Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is... |
Eye Witness | ||
| Brainwarp | Captain Maniac | Video | |
| Bad Santa Bad Santa Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star... |
Herb | ||
| 2004 | The Sensual Lover of Bindalele | Budo | Short film |
| Starsky & Hutch Starsky & Hutch (film) Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s.... |
Eddie | ||
| Christmas with the Kranks Christmas with the Kranks Christmas with the Kranks is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Joe Roth and starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay by Chris Columbus is based on the 2001 novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.-Plot:... |
Neighbor #2 | ||
| 2006 | School for Scoundrels School for Scoundrels (2006 film) School for Scoundrels is a 2006 American comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film of the same name... |
Walsh | |
| 2007 | Wild Girls Gone | Sheriff Terry Moran | |
| Dante's Inferno | Fox Reporter | Voice only | |
| 2008 | Lower Learning Lower Learning Lower Learning is a 2008 comedy film starring Jason Biggs, Eva Longoria, Rob Corddry, Ryan Newman, Monica Potter, and Andy Pessoa. It was directed by Mark Lafferty and written by Lafferty and Shahin Chandrasoma... |
Mr. Conroy | |
| Be Kind Rewind Be Kind Rewind Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film with dramatic elements from New Line Cinema, written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later... |
Officer Julian | ||
| Drillbit Taylor Drillbit Taylor Drillbit Taylor is a 2008 comedy film starring Owen Wilson as the eponymous character and based on an original idea by John Hughes. It was directed by Steven Brill and the screenplay was written by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen. Paramount Pictures released the film on March 21, 2008.Drillbit... |
Not for Pot Driver | ||
| Semi-Pro Semi-Pro Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan... |
Father Pat | ||
| Step Brothers Step Brothers (film) Step Brothers is a 2008 American slapstick buddy-comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller, and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who originally teamed up in Talladega Nights . The screenplay was written by Ferrell and McKay, from a story written by Ferrell,... |
Drunk Corporate Guy | ||
| Role Models Role Models Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film... |
Davith of Glencracken | ||
| 2009 | Mystery Team Mystery Team Mystery Team is a 2009 film created by the comedy group Derrick Comedy. The story was written by Donald Glover, DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, Dan Eckman, and Meggie McFadden. It stars Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes... |
Jim | |
| I Love You, Man I Love You, Man I Love You, Man is a 2009 American comedy film originally titled Let's be Friends and written by Larry Levin before John Hamburg rewrote and directed the film... |
Impatient Golfer | ||
| The Hangover The Hangover (film) The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor... |
Dr. Valsh | ||
| 2010 | Cyrus Cyrus (film) Cyrus is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass and starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and Catherine Keener.-Plot:... |
Tim | |
| Due Date Due Date Due Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010... |
TSA Agent | ||
| Queens of Country | Cleveland Norvis | ||
| 2011 | High Road High Road High Road may refer to:* High Road, Perth* Take the High Road, a soap opera later renamed to High Road* John Gunther's High Road, a weekly TV series on tABC hosted by author John Gunther... |
N\A | Director, co-writer |
Television work
- Veep (2012) - Mike McClintock
- Jon Benjamin Has a VanJon Benjamin Has a VanJon Benjamin Has a Van is a live action television comedy series that premiered on June 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The series stars Jon Benjamin as a reporter who tours around in a van to deliver uninteresting news to the viewers and to unsuspecting people while utilizing scripted scenes for...
(2011) – Various Characters - Childrens Hospital (2010–2011) – Various Characters
- OutsourcedOutsourced (TV series)Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
(2010–2011) – Jerry Stern - CommunityCommunity (TV series)Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
(2010) – Joshua the Groundskeeper - Nick Swardson's Pretend TimeNick Swardson's Pretend TimeNick Swardson's Pretend Time is a TV sketch comedy show created by and starring comedian and actor Nick Swardson. The show premiered on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST on Comedy Central....
(2010) – Various Characters - Party DownParty DownParty Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:...
(2010) – Larry Duckett - PlayersPlayers (2010 TV series)Players is an American comedy series which premiered on the Spike network on March 2, 2010. The series is a partially-scripted/mostly-improvised comedy about two brothers who run a sports bar together. After airing 3 episodes, Players was removed from the Spike schedule and put on hiatus. The...
(2010) – Bruce Fitzgerald - The LeagueThe LeagueThe League is an American sitcom that premiered on FX on October 29, 2009. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy about a fantasy football league, its members, and their everyday lives.-Synopsis:...
(2009) – Oracle's Father - Human GiantHuman GiantHuman Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner.The show has completed two seasons. The status of a third season is unknown...
(2007–2008) – Various Characters - Dog Bites ManDog Bites ManDog Bites Man is a partially improvised comedy television show on Comedy Central that aired in summer 2006. It began airing on The Comedy Channel in Australia in June 2007...
(2006) – Kevin Beekin - Reno 911!Reno 911!Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...
(2004–2009) – Ranger Glen/Various Characters - The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
(2001–2002) – Correspondent - Upright Citizens BrigadeUpright Citizens BrigadeThe Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
(1998–2000) – Trotter/Various Characters - Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
(1996–2004) – Various Comedy Sketches
External links
- Audio interview on The Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young America is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California and distributed by Public Radio International...
: MP3 Link - Interviewed by Josh Fulton on Improv Resource Center