Trey Parker
Encyclopedia
Trey Parker is an American animator
, screenwriter
, director
, producer
, voice artist
, musician
and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park
along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone
.
Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short titled Jesus vs. Frosty. His first success came from Cannibal! The Musical
. From there he made another short titled Jesus vs. Santa, which led him and his college friend, Matt Stone
, to create the animated television series South Park
, which began airing on television in 1997. He has won 4 Emmy Award
s for his role in South Park, winning for both "Outstanding Programming More Than One Hour" and "Outstanding Programming Less Than One Hour".
He has co-written and co-directed the 2011 multi-Tony Award
winning musical
The Book of Mormon.
, the son of Randy (a geologist) and Sharon (an insurance broker). The two share the first names and occupations of South Park characters Randy and Sharon Marsh. He has an older sister named Shelley, which is also the name of Stan Marsh
's older sister. In the sixth grade, Parker wrote a sketch titled The Dentist and appeared in his school's talent show. He played the dentist and had a friend play the patient. The plot involved what can go wrong at the dentist; due to the amounts of fake blood involved, Parker's parents were called and were upset. "The kindergartners were all crying and freaking out," Parker recalled. As a teenager, Parker developed a love for musical theatre
, and joined the Evergreen Players, a venerable mountain community theater outside of Denver. At 14, he performed his first role as chorus member in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
, Flower Drum Song
and went on to also design sets for the community theater's production of Little Shop of Horrors
. Parker attended high school
at Evergreen High
, where he continued his musical endeavors through starring as Danny Zuko in Grease
. He also played piano for the chorus and was president of the choir counsel.
Parker worked hard in school and had a part-time student job in a pizza restaurant. Parker was also a "film geek and music buff". Parker grew up in the Conifer, Colorado
area, and attended Berklee College of Music
before transferring to the University of Colorado
, where he majored in music and Japanese.
. It included four boys, Stan Marsh
, Kyle Broflovski
, Kenny McCormick
and Eric Cartman
. Both Jesus vs. Frosty and Cannibal! The Musical
were made while they were students at the University of Colorado film school, studying under both Stan Brakhage
and Jerry Aronson. Afterwards, the two friends set off for Hollywood in hopes of making more movies. Brian Graden
, then an executive at Fox
, put Parker to work making a pilot for a musical children's television series called Time Warped
. The pilot, called "Rom and Jul," was a love story about a Homo erectus and an Australopithecus. Fox passed on the series, but Graden paid Parker and Stone $1,200 to make a new version of The Spirit of Christmas he could send out as a video Christmas card.
They came up with two worthwhile ideas; one a sequel to Jesus vs. Frosty, entitled Jesus vs. Santa
, and one about a character that would later be recurring in South Park, Mr. Hankey. They chose to write about the four boys. The result was The Spirit of Christmas, an animated short film that centered on four crude-acting, blob-shaped third-grade boys forced to intervene in a nasty fistfight between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus. The tape was a smash, passed around and copied endlessly in media circles in Los Angeles and New York City. The video landed in the hands of Doug Herzog of Comedy Central. "It literally was the funniest thing I'd ever seen," he said in a 2006 interview. "We said, 'Develop a show.' So they went off and developed the show." Stone and Parker produced 13 episodes for season 1. South Park is currently still under contract to produce new episodes through 2016.
In 1997, they also released Orgazmo
, a movie rated NC-17. In 1998, they starred in (but did not write or direct) BASEketball
, another feature film, while being renewed for a second season of South Park. In 1999, Parker and Stone made South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
, which gave the series a new level of prominence. He was nominated for an Academy Award
as the co-writer of one of the film's songs, "Blame Canada
," but did not win. In 2001, the duo announced they would do 39 shorts between the lengths of 2 and 5 minutes. Although originally thought to be South Park related, they decided they would do something different. The result was the shorts Princess
. The content was so extreme that it was cancelled after two shows aired. In 2001, they also created That's My Bush!
, another television series. Despite great reviews, the show was cancelled after one season for the cost per episode. In 2004, they made a film, titled Team America: World Police
. The film was not considered a box-office success, grossing 51 million dollars in theaters, despite largely positive reviews (78% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com). As of 2011, South Park is in its fifteenth season.
Parker is also a member of the band DVDA
with Stone, for which he plays keyboards and sings. DVDA's songs have appeared in many of the duo's productions. They include Orgazmo, BASEketball, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and Team America: World Police.
Trey claimed to have been on acid
with Matt Stone at the time of the 2000 Academy Awards
, where they wore dresses popularized by Jennifer Lopez
and Gwyneth Paltrow
at previous awards shows.
On September 28, 2007, Parker and Stone acquired the rights to the Canadian-made Kenny vs. Spenny
, which premiered November 14, 2007 on Comedy Central with ten old and new episodes.
In April 2010, Trey Parker and Matt Stone received a "warning" for allegedly representing the Prophet Muhammad in a bear costume: "We have to warn Matt and Trey [South Park creators] that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh
for airing this show." It was revealed in the next episode that the person in the bear costume was really Santa Claus and not the Prophet Muhammad.
composer Robert Lopez
on a musical about Mormons
; it is titled The Book of Mormon, and stars Andrew Rannells
and Josh Gad
. It has been produced by Scott Rudin and Anne Garefino. It opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011, following previews from February 24, 2011. The Book of Mormon won nine Tony Awards in 2011, including that of Best Direction of a Musical for Parker and co-director Casey Nicholaw
.
. That marriage ended, and Parker is now living with a woman and her son.
On a September 2006 airing of the ABC
news program Nightline, Parker articulated his position on religion. He stated that he believes there is knowledge that humanity may not yet possess, and cautioned that it would take a long time to explain exactly what he meant by his belief in God. Parker further remarked, "Basically ... out of all the ridiculous religion stories which are greatly, wonderfully ridiculous — the silliest one I've ever heard is, 'Yeah ... there's this big giant universe and it's expanding
, it's all gonna collapse
on itself and we're all just here just 'cause ... just' cause. That, to me, is the most ridiculous explanation ever."
s.
, winning four.
.
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, voice artist
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
.
Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short titled Jesus vs. Frosty. His first success came from Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
. From there he made another short titled Jesus vs. Santa, which led him and his college friend, Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
, to create the animated television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, which began airing on television in 1997. He has won 4 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s for his role in South Park, winning for both "Outstanding Programming More Than One Hour" and "Outstanding Programming Less Than One Hour".
He has co-written and co-directed the 2011 multi-Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
The Book of Mormon.
Early life
Parker was born in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, the son of Randy (a geologist) and Sharon (an insurance broker). The two share the first names and occupations of South Park characters Randy and Sharon Marsh. He has an older sister named Shelley, which is also the name of Stan Marsh
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
's older sister. In the sixth grade, Parker wrote a sketch titled The Dentist and appeared in his school's talent show. He played the dentist and had a friend play the patient. The plot involved what can go wrong at the dentist; due to the amounts of fake blood involved, Parker's parents were called and were upset. "The kindergartners were all crying and freaking out," Parker recalled. As a teenager, Parker developed a love for musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, and joined the Evergreen Players, a venerable mountain community theater outside of Denver. At 14, he performed his first role as chorus member in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall...
, Flower Drum Song
Flower Drum Song
Flower Drum Song was the eighth stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It was based on the 1957 novel, The Flower Drum Song, by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. The piece opened in 1958 on Broadway and was afterwards presented in the West End and on tour...
and went on to also design sets for the community theater's production of Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors may refer to:* The Little Shop of Horrors, a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman* Little Shop of Horrors , a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film...
. Parker attended high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at Evergreen High
Evergreen High School (Evergreen, Colorado)
Evergreen High School is a public secondary institution in the JEFFCO Public Schools district in Evergreen, Colorado, U.S. Until Conifer High School opened in 1996, it served students in both Evergreen and Conifer...
, where he continued his musical endeavors through starring as Danny Zuko in Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
. He also played piano for the chorus and was president of the choir counsel.
Parker worked hard in school and had a part-time student job in a pizza restaurant. Parker was also a "film geek and music buff". Parker grew up in the Conifer, Colorado
Conifer, Colorado
Conifer is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Conifer is located along U.S. Route 285 in the foothills West of Denver. The Conifer Post Office has the ZIP Code 80433.-History:...
area, and attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
before transferring to the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, where he majored in music and Japanese.
Career
In 1992, Parker and Stone created Jesus vs. FrostyThe Spirit of Christmas (short film)
The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
. It included four boys, Stan Marsh
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Kenny McCormick
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
and Eric Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
. Both Jesus vs. Frosty and Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
were made while they were students at the University of Colorado film school, studying under both Stan Brakhage
Stan Brakhage
James Stanley Brakhage , better known as Stan Brakhage, was an American non-narrative filmmaker who is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th century experimental film....
and Jerry Aronson. Afterwards, the two friends set off for Hollywood in hopes of making more movies. Brian Graden
Brian Graden
-Biography:Graden grew up in Illinois and graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1981. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1985 with a degree in business, and later graduated with an MBA from Harvard University....
, then an executive at Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, put Parker to work making a pilot for a musical children's television series called Time Warped
Time Warped
Time Warped was a failed historic satire TV series created by future South Park creator Trey Parker in 1995. The series consisted of two pilot episodes - a musical version of Aaron and Moses's quest to free the Hebrews and a prehistoric love story between a Homo erectus and an...
. The pilot, called "Rom and Jul," was a love story about a Homo erectus and an Australopithecus. Fox passed on the series, but Graden paid Parker and Stone $1,200 to make a new version of The Spirit of Christmas he could send out as a video Christmas card.
They came up with two worthwhile ideas; one a sequel to Jesus vs. Frosty, entitled Jesus vs. Santa
The Spirit of Christmas (short film)
The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
, and one about a character that would later be recurring in South Park, Mr. Hankey. They chose to write about the four boys. The result was The Spirit of Christmas, an animated short film that centered on four crude-acting, blob-shaped third-grade boys forced to intervene in a nasty fistfight between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus. The tape was a smash, passed around and copied endlessly in media circles in Los Angeles and New York City. The video landed in the hands of Doug Herzog of Comedy Central. "It literally was the funniest thing I'd ever seen," he said in a 2006 interview. "We said, 'Develop a show.' So they went off and developed the show." Stone and Parker produced 13 episodes for season 1. South Park is currently still under contract to produce new episodes through 2016.
In 1997, they also released Orgazmo
Orgazmo
Orgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...
, a movie rated NC-17. In 1998, they starred in (but did not write or direct) BASEketball
BASEketball
BASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
, another feature film, while being renewed for a second season of South Park. In 1999, Parker and Stone made South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
, which gave the series a new level of prominence. He was nominated for an Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
as the co-writer of one of the film's songs, "Blame Canada
Blame Canada
"Blame Canada" is a song from the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut . In the song, the fictional parents of South Park, led by Sheila Broflovski, decided to blame Canada for the trouble their children have been getting into since watching the Canadian-made fictional movie Terrance and...
," but did not win. In 2001, the duo announced they would do 39 shorts between the lengths of 2 and 5 minutes. Although originally thought to be South Park related, they decided they would do something different. The result was the shorts Princess
Princess (Flash series)
Princess is a Flash animation series by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. The story follows a Lhasa Apso dog.On December 8, 1999, Daily Variety reported that Parker and Stone were going to produce 39 shorts that were to be 3-5 minutes long...
. The content was so extreme that it was cancelled after two shows aired. In 2001, they also created That's My Bush!
That's My Bush!
That's My Bush! is an American comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for also creating South Park, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush, as played by Timothy...
, another television series. Despite great reviews, the show was cancelled after one season for the cost per episode. In 2004, they made a film, titled Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
. The film was not considered a box-office success, grossing 51 million dollars in theaters, despite largely positive reviews (78% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com). As of 2011, South Park is in its fifteenth season.
Parker is also a member of the band DVDA
DVDA (band)
DVDA is a comedy band featuring South Park crew members Trey Parker , Matt Stone , Bruce Howell , and D. A. Young . The name refers to a sexual position meaning "double vaginal, double anal"...
with Stone, for which he plays keyboards and sings. DVDA's songs have appeared in many of the duo's productions. They include Orgazmo, BASEketball, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and Team America: World Police.
Trey claimed to have been on acid
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
with Matt Stone at the time of the 2000 Academy Awards
72nd Academy Awards
The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony took place at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, and was Billy Crystal's seventh time hosting the Awards. The ceremony attracted 46.53 million viewers, an audience 3.7% bigger than the previous ceremony.The Academy Awards ceremony was dominated by two films...
, where they wore dresses popularized by Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
and Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
at previous awards shows.
On September 28, 2007, Parker and Stone acquired the rights to the Canadian-made Kenny vs. Spenny
Kenny vs. Spenny
Kenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically...
, which premiered November 14, 2007 on Comedy Central with ten old and new episodes.
In April 2010, Trey Parker and Matt Stone received a "warning" for allegedly representing the Prophet Muhammad in a bear costume: "We have to warn Matt and Trey [South Park creators] that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
for airing this show." It was revealed in the next episode that the person in the bear costume was really Santa Claus and not the Prophet Muhammad.
Theater productions
Parker and Stone have collaborated with Avenue QAvenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
composer Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez is an American composer and lyricist of musicals best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Avenue Q and for co-creating the musical The Book of Mormon, receiving Tony Awards for both works....
on a musical about Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
; it is titled The Book of Mormon, and stars Andrew Rannells
Andrew Rannells
Andrew Scott Rannells is an American actor and singer. He performs the role of Elder Kevin Price in the 2011 Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon.-Career:...
and Josh Gad
Josh Gad
Joshua “Josh” Gad is an American film-, television-, and stage-actor best known for playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon and the role of Ryan Church in the television series Back to You. Gad has also appeared in episodes of ER, The Daily Show, Modern Family...
. It has been produced by Scott Rudin and Anne Garefino. It opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011, following previews from February 24, 2011. The Book of Mormon won nine Tony Awards in 2011, including that of Best Direction of a Musical for Parker and co-director Casey Nicholaw
Casey Nicholaw
Casey Nicholaw is an American theatre director, choreographer and performer. He has been nominated for Tony Awards for directing and choreographing The Drowsy Chaperone , for choreographing Monty Python's Spamalot , and choreographing The Book of Mormon , as well as winning for his co-direction...
.
Voices on South Park
|
Sexual Harassment Panda "Sexual Harassment Panda" is the 37th episode of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on July 7, 1999. This was the first episode to air after the release of the theatrical film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut... |
Personal life
In 2006, Parker married Emma Sugiyama. The officiant was 1970s sitcom producer Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
. That marriage ended, and Parker is now living with a woman and her son.
On a September 2006 airing of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
news program Nightline, Parker articulated his position on religion. He stated that he believes there is knowledge that humanity may not yet possess, and cautioned that it would take a long time to explain exactly what he meant by his belief in God. Parker further remarked, "Basically ... out of all the ridiculous religion stories which are greatly, wonderfully ridiculous — the silliest one I've ever heard is, 'Yeah ... there's this big giant universe and it's expanding
Metric expansion of space
The metric expansion of space is the increase of distance between distant parts of the universe with time. It is an intrinsic expansion—that is, it is defined by the relative separation of parts of the universe and not by motion "outward" into preexisting space...
, it's all gonna collapse
Big Crunch
In physical cosmology, the Big Crunch is one possible scenario for the ultimate fate of the universe, in which the metric expansion of space eventually reverses and the universe recollapses, ultimately ending as a black hole singularity.- Overview :...
on itself and we're all just here just 'cause ... just
Discography
- Baseketball (soundtrack)BASEketball (soundtrack)-Track listing:#Reel Big Fish: "Take on Me" – 3:02#Nerf Herder: "Don't Hate Me " – 2:46#Deep Blue Something: "Tonight" – 3:42#Supersuckers: "Psyched Out" – 2:52#Plastiscene: "Lemon Yellow" – 4:09...
(1998) - OrgazmoOrgazmoOrgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...
(soundtrack) (1998) - Chef Aid: The South Park AlbumChef Aid: The South Park Album-Episode reference:- Singles :* "Chocolate Salty Balls "CD1# "Chocolate Salty Balls " - Performed By Chef# "Oh Holy Night" - Performed By Eric Cartman...
(1998) - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (soundtrack)South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (soundtrack)South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The album was released on June 22, 1999, by Atlantic Records. The album inlay states that only the first 12 tracks on the album actually appear in the film...
(1999) - Mr. Hankey's Christmas ClassicsMr. Hankey's Christmas Classics"Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is episode 46 of Comedy Central's animated television series South Park. An album of comedic holiday songs, some featured in the episode, and others exclusive to the album, or featured in other episodes, was released the week prior to the episode's original air...
(1999) - Team America: World PoliceTeam America: World PoliceTeam America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
(soundtrack) (2005)
Filmography
| Year | Production | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Jesus vs. Frosty The Spirit of Christmas (short film) The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty... |
Actor, Producer, Writer | |
| 1993 | Cannibal! The Musical Cannibal! The Musical Cannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder... |
Director, Actor, Producer, Writer | |
| 1995 | Jesus vs. Santa The Spirit of Christmas (short film) The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty... |
Actor, Producer, Writer | |
| Time Warped Time Warped Time Warped was a failed historic satire TV series created by future South Park creator Trey Parker in 1995. The series consisted of two pilot episodes - a musical version of Aaron and Moses's quest to free the Hebrews and a prehistoric love story between a Homo erectus and an... (un-aired television series) |
Creator, Actor | ||
| Your Studio and You Your Studio and You Your Studio and You is a comedy short film created in 1995 by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and commissioned by comedic filmmaker David Zucker. It was to be played at a party Seagram threw for its employees acquired as a result of its Universal Studios take-over. It parodies the style of 1950s... |
Actor, Writer, Director | Cameo | |
| 1996 | Orgazmo Orgazmo Orgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:... |
Director, Actor, Writer, Producer | |
| 1997 | South Park South Park South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics... (Television series; 1997–present) |
Co-Creator, Voice Actor, Writer, Director, Executive Producer | |
| 1998 | BASEketball BASEketball BASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy... |
Actor | |
| 1999 | South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary... |
Director, Voice Actor, Writer, Producer, Music Co-Composer | Nomination - Academy Award for Best Original Song Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film... |
| Terror Firmer Terror Firmer Terror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films... |
Actor | ||
| 2000 | Even If You Don't Even If You Don't "Even If You Don't" is a single released in 2000 by the band Ween from the album White Pepper. It was covered by the indie/pop-punk supergroup Two Tongues on their self-titled debut album, released in 2009.-Enhanced CD single:... |
Director | Music Video |
| 2001 | Princess Princess (Flash series) Princess is a Flash animation series by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. The story follows a Lhasa Apso dog.On December 8, 1999, Daily Variety reported that Parker and Stone were going to produce 39 shorts that were to be 3-5 minutes long... |
Director, Writer, Voice Actor, Producer | Animation Shorts |
| That's My Bush! That's My Bush! That's My Bush! is an American comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for also creating South Park, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush, as played by Timothy... (Television Series; 2001) |
Co-creator, Writer, Executive Producer | Cameo | |
| 2004 | Team America: World Police Team America: World Police Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park... |
Director, Writer, Voice Actor, Producer | |
| Tales from the Crapper Tales from the Crapper Tales from the Crapper is a 2004 straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of the Tales from the Crypt comics. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:... |
Actor | Cameo | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats The Aristocrats (film) The Aristocrats is a 2005 documentary film about the famous dirty joke of the same name. It was conceived and produced by comedians Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, edited by Emery Emery, and released to theaters by TH!NKFilm... |
Guest Appearance | |
| 2007 | Kenny vs. Spenny Kenny vs. Spenny Kenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically... |
Executive Producer | |
| 2007 | Saul of the Mole Men | Voice actor | Television series, intro sung by him |
Tony Awards
Trey Parker has won four Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s.
- 2011 – Best MusicalTony Award for Best MusicalThis is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
for The Book of Mormon - 2011 – Tony Award for Best Book of a MusicalTony Award for Best Book of a MusicalThe Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible...
for The Book of Mormon - 2011 – Tony Award for Best Direction of a MusicalTony Award for Best Direction of a MusicalThis is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions...
for The Book of Mormon - 2011 – Tony Award for Best Original ScoreTony Award for Best Original ScoreThe Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics...
for The Book of Mormon
Emmy Awards
Parker has been nominated for ten Emmy Awards for South ParkSouth Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, winning four.
- 2009 – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
for "MargaritavilleMargaritaville (South Park)"Margaritaville" is the third episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 184th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 25, 2009. The episode is a satire and commentary on the global...
" - 2008 – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series or special which is judged to have been the best...
for "ImaginationlandImaginationland"Imaginationland" is a three-part episode of the American animated television series South Park.*Episode I*Episode II*Episode III...
" - 2007 – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
for "Make Love, Not WarcraftMake Love, Not Warcraft"Make Love, Not Warcraft" is the eighth episode of the tenth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 147th episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 4, 2006. In the episode, Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny enjoy playing the popular...
" - 2005 – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
for "Best Friends ForeverBest Friends Forever"Best Friends Forever" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series series South Park. It was written and directed by co-creator Trey Parker and first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 30, 2005....
"
Grammy Awards
Parker has been nominated for one Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
- 2011 - Grammy Award for Best Musical Show AlbumGrammy Award for Best Musical Show AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award was given only to the album producer, and to the composer and lyricist who wrote at least 51% of the music which had not been recorded previously....
for "The Book of Mormon: Original Cast Recording"
Academy Awards
Parker has been nominated for one Academy Award.- 1999&nsbp;- Academy Award for Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for "Blame CanadaBlame Canada"Blame Canada" is a song from the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut . In the song, the fictional parents of South Park, led by Sheila Broflovski, decided to blame Canada for the trouble their children have been getting into since watching the Canadian-made fictional movie Terrance and...
" from "South Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
"