Steve Sweeney
Encyclopedia
Steve Sweeney is an American
comedian
.
, a section of Boston
. His Boston accent and idiosyncratic mannerisms are trademarks of his stand-up act, headlining at comedy clubs across the country, including Caroline's
Comedy Club in New York City
.
A graduate of Charlestown High School
, he earned a BA in Theatre Arts at the University of Massachusetts
(1974) and an MFA from the University of Southern California
.
During the early 1970s, a small group of Boston 'would-be' comedians would regularly perform at a comedy club started by Martin Olson
and Barry Crimmins in a back room of the Chinese restaurant, Ding-Ho, near Inman Square
in Cambridge, MA. This group also included such unknowns as Lenny Clarke
, Kevin Meaney
, Jay Leno
, Bobcat Goldthwait
, Bill Sohonage, and Steven Wright
. Steve Sweeney is known for his use of dialects and great insight into the New England
political scene in his act.
Steve was the first of the Boston super-stars to break into television, Steve was on Park Street Under
, a Boston based sitcom who many believe was the inspiration for the highly successful television show Cheers
. He has been on show such as The Late Show
with David Letterman
, Evening at The Improv, Comics Come Home and others. Some will recognize Steve from one of many small parts in films such as Rodney Dangerfield
's Back to School, Judd Apatow
's Celtic Pride
, and There's Something About Mary
with Ben Stiller
.
For a short time Steve was on the morning show on 100.7 FM WZLX
, first with "Mornings with Tai and Steve Sweeney", followed by "Steve Sweeney's Neighborhood" after Tai left the station.
On November 3, 2005, Steve opened Steve Sweeney's Comedy Club in Boston's Copley Square
with longtime friend Dick Doherty
.
Currently, along with doing stand-up, he is also a guest judge on the local talent show "Community Auditions".http://www.communityauditions.com/judge-steve-sweeney.html
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
.
Biography
Sweeney was born in CharlestownCharlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
, a section of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. His Boston accent and idiosyncratic mannerisms are trademarks of his stand-up act, headlining at comedy clubs across the country, including Caroline's
Caroline's
Carolines on Broadway is a venue for stand-up comedy located in Times Square in New York City on Broadway between 49th and 50th Street. It is one of the most established, famous, and recognized stand-up comedy clubs in the United States. Its marketing slogan is "America's Premiere Comedy...
Comedy Club in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
A graduate of Charlestown High School
Charlestown High School
Charlestown High School is a public school located at 240 Medford Street in Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts with a zip code of 02129. Charlestown High School is the only high school in Charlestown. Charlestown is part of Boston which means the school is part of the Boston Public School System...
, he earned a BA in Theatre Arts at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
(1974) and an MFA from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
During the early 1970s, a small group of Boston 'would-be' comedians would regularly perform at a comedy club started by Martin Olson
Martin Olson
Martin Olson is a comedy writer, television producer, stage director and composer. He is also a playwright and poet known for comedic and unusual subject matter and known as an original member of the notorious "Boston Comedy Scene."...
and Barry Crimmins in a back room of the Chinese restaurant, Ding-Ho, near Inman Square
Inman Square
Inman Square is a neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It lies north of Central Square, at the junction of Cambridge, Hampshire, and Inman Streets near the Cambridge–Somerville border.-Location:...
in Cambridge, MA. This group also included such unknowns as Lenny Clarke
Lenny Clarke
Lenny Clarke is an American comedian and actor, famous for his thick Boston accent and role as Uncle Teddy on the series Rescue Me. During the 1970s, as related in the Comedy Central roast of Clarke's friend Denis Leary, Clarke ran for mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. When asked by Leary what...
, Kevin Meaney
Kevin Meaney
Kevin Gerard Meaney is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has been involved in a number of television programs, having been featured on Dr. Katz, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Garfield and Friends, Rocko's Modern Life, London Underground, and Duckman, among others...
, Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James 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. ,...
, Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
, Bill Sohonage, and Steven Wright
Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners with contrived situations.-Early life and career:Wright was born in Mount Auburn...
. Steve Sweeney is known for his use of dialects and great insight into the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
political scene in his act.
Steve was the first of the Boston super-stars to break into television, Steve was on Park Street Under
Park Street Under
Park Street Under is a sitcom set in a fictional bar in the Park Street subway station in Boston, Massachusetts. It was produced starting in 1979 by Boston television station WCVB-TV. This was a rare example in the United States of a half-hour sitcom produced by a local station during the 1970s...
, a Boston based sitcom who many believe was the inspiration for the highly successful television show Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
. He has been on show such as The Late Show
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
with David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, Evening at The Improv, Comics Come Home and others. Some will recognize Steve from one of many small parts in films such as Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney 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...
's Back to School, Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
's Celtic Pride
Celtic Pride
Celtic Pride is a comedy film written by Judd Apatow and Colin Quinn and directed by Tom DeCerchio. It features Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd as Mike O'Hara and Jimmy Flaherty, two passionate Boston Celtics fans and Damon Wayans as Lewis Scott, the Utah Jazz's All-Star shooting guard.-Plot:Best...
, and There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
with Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
.
For a short time Steve was on the morning show on 100.7 FM WZLX
WZLX
WZLX is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America...
, first with "Mornings with Tai and Steve Sweeney", followed by "Steve Sweeney's Neighborhood" after Tai left the station.
On November 3, 2005, Steve opened Steve Sweeney's Comedy Club in Boston's Copley Square
Copley Square
Copley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of...
with longtime friend Dick Doherty
Dick Doherty
Dick Doherty was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Mooncoin and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1906 until 1913....
.
Currently, along with doing stand-up, he is also a guest judge on the local talent show "Community Auditions".http://www.communityauditions.com/judge-steve-sweeney.html
Television and film career
- The 8th Annual Young Comedians Show (1983) TV
- New Wave Comedy (1986)
- Back to School (1986)
- Billy GalvinBilly GalvinBilly Galvin is a 1986 film directed by John Gray. It stars Karl Malden and Lenny von Dohlen.-Plot :Conflict arises between a steelworker and his son...
(1986) - Comics Come Home (1995)
- Dr. Katz, Professional TherapistDr. Katz, Professional TherapistDr. Katz, Professional Therapist is an American animated series that originally ran on Comedy Central from May 28, 1995 to December 24, 1999,–with a final set of three shelved episodes airing in 2002–starring Jonathan Katz, Jon Benjamin, and Laura Silverman...
(1995–1999) TV - Celtic PrideCeltic PrideCeltic Pride is a comedy film written by Judd Apatow and Colin Quinn and directed by Tom DeCerchio. It features Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd as Mike O'Hara and Jimmy Flaherty, two passionate Boston Celtics fans and Damon Wayans as Lewis Scott, the Utah Jazz's All-Star shooting guard.-Plot:Best...
(1996) - Comics Come Home 2 (1996)
- Nil by Mouth, Directed by Gary Oldman, Character as Danny (1997)
- Behind the Zipper with Magda (1998)
- Next Stop WonderlandNext Stop WonderlandNext Stop Wonderland is a 1998 romantic comedy film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Anderson and Lyn Vaus. * This film was an audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998 and set off a bidding war among studio distributors, with Miramax Films paying $6 million for the $1 million...
(1998) - SouthieSouthie (film)Southie is a 1999 American film directed by John Shea and starring Donnie Wahlberg. The film centers on Danny Quinn who returns home to South Boston from New York City and gets stuck between his friends, who are supported by one Irish gang, and his family, which are members of another...
(1998) - There's Something About MaryThere's Something About MaryThere's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
(1998) - VigVigVig may refer to:* Vigorish, or "vig", a fee charged by a bookmaker for servicesVig may also refer to:* Butch Vig, music producer and drummer for rock band Garbage...
(1998) - BaywatchBaywatchBaywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
(1999) TV - Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
- Tough Crowd with Colin QuinnTough Crowd with Colin QuinnTough Crowd with Colin Quinn is a comedic talk show that aired on Comedy Central. The show featured roundtable discussions, inviting various guests of many views, mixing mostly comics/entertainers expressing themselves with journalists and political figures. Quinn's regular guests consisted mainly...
(2002) TV - Phantom GourmetPhantom GourmetThe Phantom Gourmet is a food-related television program with reviews of New England area restaurants from an anonymous critic. The show airs on WSBK-TV in Boston, Massachusetts and WLWC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island each Saturday and Sunday morning, with a half-hour episode composed of older...
- Credit Card Roulette (2008) TV