Paul F. Tompkins
Encyclopedia
Paul Francis Tompkins best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American
actor
and comedian
.
to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA
, where he was half of a duo with the late Rick Roman
. He moved to Los Angeles in 1994.
In what has been characterized as his first big entertainment industry job, Tompkins appeared as a featured player on Mr. Show with Bob and David
and served as a staff writer for the show's second and third seasons. He also appeared in several episodes of the short-lived Tenacious D
TV series and appeared in the 2006 Tenacious D
film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
Tompkins was a contributor on The Daily Show
in 1998 doing a semi-weekly segment called Us People's Weekly Entertainment, where he would poke fun at entertainment magazines. In 1998, he created Driven to Drink, a one-man show that aired on HBO. He recorded two half-hour specials for the Comedy Central Presents
TV series, one in 2003 and another in 2007. In the first season of Real Time with Bill Maher
, Tompkins had his own segment.
He began hosting VH1's Best Week Ever
in its revised format in late 2008 and continued to do so until it left the air in June 2009. Tompkins has been a frequent guest on MSNBC
's Countdown with Keith Olbermann
and can also often be heard as a regular guest of Tom Scharpling
's The Best Show on WFMU radio show.
From 2008 through 2010, Tompkins has increased his web presence by appearing as a guest for new media formats, specifically podcasts. He has had numerous appearances on various podcast episodes including Comedy Bang Bang, The Nerdist Podcast
, Never Not Funny
, Doug Loves Movies, Comedy & Everything Else
, The Sound of Young America
, Stop Podcasting Yourself, Mostly Comedy and The Superego Podcast. On the Comedy Bang Bang (formerly Comedy Death-Ray Radio) podcast, he has been both the guest host, when regular host Scott Aukerman
was away, and appeared as character impressions of actors John C. Reilly and Ice-T, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Buddy "CAKE BOSS!
" Valastro. In the "Best of Comedy Death-Ray Radio 2009" episode, Tompkins's impression of Ice-T on Bonus Episode 1 was voted #1 by fans of the show via Twitter.
Tompkins starred in P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood
(2007) as a character named Prescott and in Steven Soderbergh
's "The Informant!" (2009) as FBI Agent Anthony D’Angelo. Tompkins also had a small role in Anderson's Magnolia
(1999) that was cut from the final film. He also performs with Aimee Mann
(another frequent Anderson collaborator) in her annual Holiday Show.
His first stand-up comedy album, Impersonal, was released in 2007 on AST Records
. In the liner notes, Tompkins explains that the jokes on the CD are his older, less personal material. He said at the time that he would record another album in the coming year that features his more recent work. On December 1, 2009 he released this project, his second CD entitled Freak Wharf.
On March 18, 2009, Tompkins appeared on Comedy Central Presents. His most recent one-hour special, entitled "You Should Have Told Me", debuted on June 11, 2010.
Tompkins frequently performs live in Los Angeles at Largo
, Comedy Death-Ray
, Thrilling Adventure Hour
and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
. In 2009 he was brought to Toronto after a Facebook group found 300 Torontonians who vowed to attend if he did. This spurred like-minded fans in Halifax, Dallas, and Memphis amongst others to launch successful campaigns to lure Tompkins there.
Tompkins made guest appearances on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
episodes "Boston" and "Juggalo". He also made a guest appearance on True Jackson, VP
.
Tompkins married actress Janie Haddad on April 24, 2010.
On July 31, 2010 Tompkins launched The Pod F. Tompkast, a free monthly comedy podcast featuring excerpts from his show at Largo
, new original sketches, and conversations with his good friend "Southie" Jen Kirkman
.
On October 28, 2010, Tompkins joined Mike Nelson
, Kevin Murphy
, and Bill Corbett
in Nashville, Tennessee
as a guest riffer for a Rifftrax
Live event riffing on the 1959 horror movie, House on Haunted Hill
. Tompkins helped riff a short, "Paper and I", and then came back briefly to help riff the feature film. The DVD release of this special was released on May 17, 2011, and the blu-ray version was released on August 2, 2011.
In 2011, he featured as the voice of "Doug" in a Ford Focus ad campaign. Tompkins also partook in the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and comedian
Comedian
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...
.
Life and career
Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, where he was half of a duo with the late Rick Roman
Rick Roman
Richard "Rick" Roman was an actor and improvisational comedian from Philadelphia. While attending Temple University, Roman began his career in comedy partnering with Paul F. Tompkins in Philadelphia at The Comedy Works....
. He moved to Los Angeles in 1994.
In what has been characterized as his first big entertainment industry job, Tompkins appeared as a featured player on Mr. Show with Bob and David
Mr. Show
Mr. Show with Bob and David is an American sketch comedy series featuring former Saturday Night Live writer/actor Bob Odenkirk and stand up comedian/actor David Cross...
and served as a staff writer for the show's second and third seasons. He also appeared in several episodes of the short-lived Tenacious D
Tenacious D (TV series)
Tenacious D, is a TV series that ran on HBO in 1997, 1999, and 2000. It featured the fictional accounts of the real band Tenacious D, which is composed of members Jack Black and Kyle Gass...
TV series and appeared in the 2006 Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
Tompkins was a contributor 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...
in 1998 doing a semi-weekly segment called Us People's Weekly Entertainment, where he would poke fun at entertainment magazines. In 1998, he created Driven to Drink, a one-man show that aired on HBO. He recorded two half-hour specials for the Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
TV series, one in 2003 and another in 2007. In the first season of Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
, Tompkins had his own segment.
He began hosting VH1's Best Week Ever
Best Week Ever
Best Week Ever is a weekly television program on the United States cable/satellite network VH1. It started airing in 2004 and was put on hiatus in the summer of 2009...
in its revised format in late 2008 and continued to do so until it left the air in June 2009. Tompkins has been a frequent guest on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program that airs on Current TV, where it began airing on June 20, 2011. The program was broadcast on MSNBC from March 31, 2003, to January 21, 2011. On MSNBC, the show presented five selected news stories of...
and can also often be heard as a regular guest of Tom Scharpling
Tom Scharpling
Tom Scharpling is an American radio host, comedian, television writer, producer and music video director. He is best known for hosting the weekly freeform radio call-in comedy program The Best Show on WFMU and for acting as a writer/executive producer for the TV show Monk.Scharpling is also noted...
's The Best Show on WFMU radio show.
From 2008 through 2010, Tompkins has increased his web presence by appearing as a guest for new media formats, specifically podcasts. He has had numerous appearances on various podcast episodes including Comedy Bang Bang, The Nerdist Podcast
The Nerdist Podcast
The Nerdist Podcast is a weekly interview show "about what it really means to be a nerd" hosted by Web Soup host Chris Hardwick, who is usually accompanied by Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. The audio podcasts are typically an hour in length and include conversations with notable comedians or...
, Never Not Funny
Never Not Funny
Never Not Funny is a weekly podcast hosted by comedian Jimmy Pardo since Spring 2006. He and producer Matt Belknap have appeared in every episode...
, Doug Loves Movies, Comedy & Everything Else
Jimmy Dore
Jimmy Dore is an American stand-up comedian who has been performing for over 20 years.-Life and career:...
, The Sound of Young America
The Sound of Young America
The Sound of Young America is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California and distributed by Public Radio International...
, Stop Podcasting Yourself, Mostly Comedy and The Superego Podcast. On the Comedy Bang Bang (formerly Comedy Death-Ray Radio) podcast, he has been both the guest host, when regular host Scott Aukerman
Scott Aukerman
Scottrick "Scott" Aukerman is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. In the mid-1990s, Aukerman was a writer and performer on Mr. Show with Bob and David. He currently hosts the weekly comedy podcast Comedy Bang Bang...
was away, and appeared as character impressions of actors John C. Reilly and Ice-T, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Buddy "CAKE BOSS!
Cake Boss
Cake Boss is an American reality television series, airing on the cable television network TLC. Set at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, the show mainly follows Buddy Valastro, his mother, four sisters, and three brothers-in-law, as they operate their business, with a focus on how they make...
" Valastro. In the "Best of Comedy Death-Ray Radio 2009" episode, Tompkins's impression of Ice-T on Bonus Episode 1 was voted #1 by fans of the show via Twitter.
Tompkins starred in P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!. It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and...
(2007) as a character named Prescott and in Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
's "The Informant!" (2009) as FBI Agent Anthony D’Angelo. Tompkins also had a small role in Anderson's Magnolia
Magnolia (film)
Magnolia is a 1999 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, narrated by Ricky Jay, and starring Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, and Jason Robards in his last feature film appearance...
(1999) that was cut from the final film. He also performs with Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
(another frequent Anderson collaborator) in her annual Holiday Show.
His first stand-up comedy album, Impersonal, was released in 2007 on AST Records
AST Records
ASpecialThing Records is a stand-up comedy record label started by Matt Belknap , creator of aspecialthing.com, an internet message board especially popular with west coast comedy fans...
. In the liner notes, Tompkins explains that the jokes on the CD are his older, less personal material. He said at the time that he would record another album in the coming year that features his more recent work. On December 1, 2009 he released this project, his second CD entitled Freak Wharf.
On March 18, 2009, Tompkins appeared on Comedy Central Presents. His most recent one-hour special, entitled "You Should Have Told Me", debuted on June 11, 2010.
Tompkins frequently performs live in Los Angeles at Largo
Largo (nightclub)
Largo is a nightclub and cabaret in Los Angeles, CA, known informally as Café Largo or Club Largo, known for its retinue of musical and comedic performers and for the Friday night "residency" of singer-songwriter Jon Brion, which has made the club a must-visit for fans and professional...
, Comedy Death-Ray
Comedy Death-Ray
Comedy Death-Ray is a weekly "alternative" comedy show held every Tuesday in Los Angeles. CDR, as it is also known, was started by former Mr. Show writers/actors Scott Aukerman & B.J. Porter, who also perform as The Fun Bunch. The first show was on October 1, 2002 at L.A.'s M Bar...
, Thrilling Adventure Hour
Thrilling Adventure Hour
The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a staged production in the style of old time radio that is held monthly at the Coronet Theatre. The show has been running since March 2005. It is live audio theater. Each episode features three non-serialized segments as well as songs and commercials from fictional...
and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre or UCB Theatre is an improvisational theatre and associated UCB Training Center with locations in Chelsea, New York, the EEast Village, New York and Hollywood, California.....
. In 2009 he was brought to Toronto after a Facebook group found 300 Torontonians who vowed to attend if he did. This spurred like-minded fans in Halifax, Dallas, and Memphis amongst others to launch successful campaigns to lure Tompkins there.
Tompkins made guest appearances on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
episodes "Boston" and "Juggalo". He also made a guest appearance on True Jackson, VP
True Jackson, VP
True Jackson, VP is an American television sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from November 8, 2008 to August 20, 2011. The series starred Keke Palmer, Ashley Argota, Matt Shively, Danielle Bisutti, Greg Proops, Robbie Amell and Ron Butler. The theme song was written by Toby Gad and Keke Palmer and...
.
Tompkins married actress Janie Haddad on April 24, 2010.
On July 31, 2010 Tompkins launched The Pod F. Tompkast, a free monthly comedy podcast featuring excerpts from his show at Largo
Largo (nightclub)
Largo is a nightclub and cabaret in Los Angeles, CA, known informally as Café Largo or Club Largo, known for its retinue of musical and comedic performers and for the Friday night "residency" of singer-songwriter Jon Brion, which has made the club a must-visit for fans and professional...
, new original sketches, and conversations with his good friend "Southie" Jen Kirkman
Jen Kirkman
Jennifer "Jen" Kirkman is an American stand-up comedian, television writer and actress, best known for her appearances on E!'s late-night talk show Chelsea Lately and the web series Drunk History...
.
On October 28, 2010, Tompkins joined Mike Nelson
Michael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
, Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
, and Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 , for which he voiced the robot Crow T. Robot during the show's later seasons on the Sci Fi Channel and played the character...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
as a guest riffer for a Rifftrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
Live event riffing on the 1959 horror movie, House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American B movie horror film from Allied Artists. It was directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five people to the house for a "Haunted...
. Tompkins helped riff a short, "Paper and I", and then came back briefly to help riff the feature film. The DVD release of this special was released on May 17, 2011, and the blu-ray version was released on August 2, 2011.
In 2011, he featured as the voice of "Doug" in a Ford Focus ad campaign. Tompkins also partook in the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala 2011.
Discography
- 2007 Impersonal (Released on AST RecordsAST RecordsASpecialThing Records is a stand-up comedy record label started by Matt Belknap , creator of aspecialthing.com, an internet message board especially popular with west coast comedy fans...
) - 2007 Comedy Death-RayComedy Death-Ray (album)Comedy Death-Ray is a two disc CD collection of highlights from the weekly comedy showcase Comedy Death-Ray , released on September 11, 2007 on Comedy Central Records. Disc one was recorded January 15, 2007, at Cobb's Comedy Club in San Francisco...
(Compilation released on Comedy Central RecordsComedy Central RecordsComedy Central Records is a record label founded by Jack Vaughn and Comedy Central that puts out comedy albums by comedians that have appeared on their network....
) - 2009 Freak Wharf (Released on AST RecordsAST RecordsASpecialThing Records is a stand-up comedy record label started by Matt Belknap , creator of aspecialthing.com, an internet message board especially popular with west coast comedy fans...
) - 2010 Sir, You Have Fooled Me Twice (EP) (Released on AST RecordsAST RecordsASpecialThing Records is a stand-up comedy record label started by Matt Belknap , creator of aspecialthing.com, an internet message board especially popular with west coast comedy fans...
)
Podcasts
- The Pod F. Tompkast
- The Dead Authors Podcast
- Doug Loves MoviesDoug BensonDouglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season....
- Comedy Bang Bang
External links
- "Paul F. Tompkins, The Famous Comedian" Official Website
- Paul F. Tompkins interviewed on TV show "Drinking with Ian"
- 2007 Interview with WickedInfo.com
- Interview with Paul F. Tompkins on Public Radio International's "The Sound of Young America"
- IMPOSE Magazine Interview July 2007
- Toronto Star article on Tompkins
- Scene Missing Magazine Interview with Paul F. Tompkins
- Pod F. Tompcast