Lewis Black
Lewis Black | |
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Birth name | Lewis Niles Black |
Born | Washington, D.C., U.S. | August 30, 1948
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Education | |
Years active | 1970s–present |
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Website | lewisblack.com |
Lewis Niles Black[1] (born August 30, 1948)[2] is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, and cultural trends.
He hosted the
Lewis Black is also a spokesman for the Aruba Tourism Authority, appearing in television ads that first aired in late 2009 and 2010. He has served as an "ambassador for voting rights" for the American Civil Liberties Union since 2013.[4]
When not on the road performing, Black resides in Manhattan, but also maintains a residence in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Early life
Lewis Black was born on August 30, 1948, in Washington, D.C.,[5] the elder son of Jeannette Black (née Kaplan; 1918-2022), a teacher, and Samuel Black (1918–2019), an artist and mechanical engineer.[6] He had a younger brother, Ronald, who died of cancer in 1997 at the age of 47.[7]
He is Jewish and was raised in a middle-class Jewish family in the Burnt Mills neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland.[8] His grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire, including Chornyi Ostriv in Ukraine and Białystok in Poland and his paternal grandfather was originally named Leib Blech, later changed to Louis Black.[9] Black graduated from Springbrook High School in 1966.[10]
Black recounts in his book Nothing's Sacred that he scored highly on the math section of his
He earned an
Black's career began in theater as a playwright; however, he has stated that he was always doing stand-up "on the side."
Comedic style
Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman.[15]
Career
Stand-up comedy
In 1994, Black appeared on A&E's An Evening at the Improv.[16]
In 1998, Black starred in his first comedy special on the series
In 2006, Black performed at the
Black received a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Comedy Album" for his album
Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Month" in 2008 featured specials originally presented on HBO by Black, along with programs featuring Dane Cook and Chris Rock. That year, as part of Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Month", Black's routine finished at #5 on "Stand-Up Showdown 2008", a viewer-based countdown of the top Comedy Central Presents routine. In 2009, Black filmed two shows at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit, Michigan. These were the basis for the concert film Stark Raving Black, which appeared in theaters for a limited time in October, and was released on video the next year.[21] At the end of 2009, Black returned to the History Channel to host Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black, in which he discussed the year-end pressures of Thanksgiving, Channukah, Christmas, and New Year's.
In 2011, Black filmed two shows at the
In August 2013, Black recorded his ninth stand-up special Old Yeller: Live at the
In October 2020, Black released his fourteenth stand-up special,
Film and television career
On the screen
Black appeared in episode 25 "Aria" (1991) of Law and Order as porn director Franklin Frome,
In the film Accepted, a film about high school graduates who create a college when they fail to get accepted into any, he played Dean Ben Lewis of the school "South Harmon Institute of Technology". He also appeared in the 2006 films Man of the Year and Unaccompanied Minors. Black hosted Comedy Central's Last Laugh '06, which aired on December 10, 2006.
Voice
Black was the voice of "Manobrain" during the third season of the Cartoon Network series Duck Dodgers. He was the inventor of a diet pill which was stolen while he was in college. He blamed the theft on his college friend Dr. I. Q. Hi, not realizing that the actual thief was Duck Dodgers. The theft set Manobrain on the path of evil.
He provided the voice of the Deadly Duplicator in four episodes of the
Black provided the voice of oxpecker Ted in the My Gym Partner's a Monkey episode, "Hornbill and Ted's Bogus Journey". The character is portrayed in the same fashion as his comedy shows, though without profanity. In addition, the bird's clothes, looks, and mannerisms resemble his.
He also voiced Mr. E/Ricky Owens in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles played a middle-aged man named Vic who is kidnapped by the Kraang and mutated into a spider-like monster called "Spider-Bytez" by Michelangelo.
Black voiced Anger in the Pixar film Inside Out.
He also guest starred as the voice of Santa Claus in the SpongeBob SquarePants episodes "Goons on the Moon", "SpongeBob's Road to Christmas" and would reprise the role in spinoff series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years.
Tours
On June 18, 2007, he sat in with
On June 29, 2007, Black gave a benefit show at Springbrook High School, his alma mater, in the school's auditorium for 1,100 alumni, faculty, and students. He performed in his usual style, stopping at points to remark how good it felt to use that language on that particular stage. At the end of the show he was given a Springbrook football jersey, and cursed at one teacher for giving him a B and causing him not to graduate first in his class.
In mid-December 2007, Black went with Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Lance Armstrong and Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007, on a United Service Organizations trip to support the troops in Iraq and Kuwait. The last show was on December 22 at the U.S Naval Station in Rota, Spain. In 2008, Black went on tour to promote his book Me of Little Faith.[28] Black did a stand-up tour called "Let Them Eat Cake", with material from that tour being featured on his comedy album Anticipation. Beginning in January 2010, Black embarked on a new tour called "In God We Rust".[citation needed]
Legal issues
In 2000, Black and fellow comedian
Published works
- Nothing's Sacred (2005)
- Nothing's Sacred (audio book) (2006)
- Nothing's Sacred (softcover version) (2007)
- Me of Little Faith (2008) (New York: Riverhead Books – ISBN 978-1-59448-994-5.
- Me of Little Faith (paperback version with added content) (2009)
- I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas (2010)
- One Slight Hitch (Play,Dramatist Play Service) (2013)
Media releases
CDs
- The White Album (2000)
- Revolver (EP)(2002)
- The End of the Universe (2002)
- Rules of Enragement (2003)
- Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues (2005)
- The Carnegie Hall Performance (2006)
- Anticipation (2008)
- Stark Raving Black (2010)
- The Prophet (2011, unreleased album from 1991)
- In God We Rust (2012)
- Old Yeller (2013)
- The Rant is Due (2017)
- Black to the Future (2017)
- Thanks For Risking Your Life (2020)
- Tragically, I Need You (2023)
DVDs
- Unleashed (compilation of his four Comedy Central specials plus his appearances on The Daily Show: Indecision 2000) (2002)
- Black on Broadway (2003 HBO Special) (2004)
- A Pair of Lewis Black Shorts (Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story and The Gynecologists) (2006)
- Red, White, and Screwed (2006 HBO Special)
- History of the Joke with Lewis Black (2008 History Channel special)
- Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black (2009 History Channel special)
- Stark Raving Black (2009)
- In God We Rust (2012 Epix Special)
- Lewis Black: Old Yeller - Live At the Borgata In Atlantic City (2013)
- Black to the Future (2017)
- Thanks for Risking Your Life (2020)
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Hannah and Her Sisters | Paul | |
1990 | Jacob's Ladder | Jacob's Doctor | |
1991 | The Hard Way | Banker | |
1993 | The Night We Never Met | Marty Holder | |
Joey Breaker | Pete Grimm | ||
2000 | Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story | Burt | Short film |
2002 | American Dummy | Club Owner | |
2003 | The Gynecologists | Cookie LaMotte | |
2006 | Accepted | Ben Lewis | |
Man of the Year | Eddie Langston | ||
Falling for Grace | Rob York | ||
Unaccompanied Minors | Oliver Porter | ||
2007 | Farce of the Penguins | Jimmy (voice) | |
2008 | History of the Joke | Narrator | Documentary |
No Free Lunch | Lewis | Short film | |
What Blows Up Must Come Down! | Furry Murray | ||
2009 | Ollie & the Baked Halibut | Baked Halibut | Short film |
2010 | Peep World | Narrator | |
2011 | Afghan Luke | Himself | |
2013 | Comedy Warriors: Healing through Humor[31][32] | Himself | |
2015 | Introducing Parker Dowd | Drew | Short film |
Inside Out | Anger (voice) | ||
Riley's First Date? | Short film | ||
Stereotypically You | Charlie's Therapist | ||
2016 | Rock Dog | Linnux (voice) | |
Better Off Single | Therapist | ||
2017 | Gilbert | Himself | Documentary |
Imitation Girl | Lew | ||
2019 | The Last Laugh | Max Becker | |
2024 | Inside Out 2 | Anger (voice) |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990–1991 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Bernie | 5 episodes |
1991 | Law & Order | Director Franklin Frome | Season 2, Episode 3: " Aria "
|
1994 | A&E's An Evening at the Improv | Himself | Season 15, Episode 17 |
1996–present | The Daily Show | Commentator | "Back in Black" segment[33] |
1997 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Laslo "Punchy" Deleon | Episode: "Deception" |
1997 | Mad About You | The Pizza Slice | Season 6, Episode 7: "Le Sex Show" |
2003 | The Brak Show | Brain Slug / Zorak | 2 episodes |
2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | BJ Cameron | Episode: " Obscene "
|
2005 | Duck Dodgers | Manobrain (voice) | Episode: "A Lame Duck Mind" |
2005 | The Happy Elf | Norbert (voice) | TV movie |
2005–2007 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | The Deadly Duplicator, Elliott (voices) | four episodes |
2006 | Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed[34] | Himself | HBO comedy special |
2007 | My Gym Partner's a Monkey | Ted (voice) | Episode 36: "Hornbill and Ted's Bogus Journey" |
2008 | Lewis Black's Root of All Evil | Himself | |
2009 | The Big Bang Theory | Professor Crawley | Season 3, Episode 2: " The Jiminy Conjecture "
|
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Mr. E/Adult Ricky Owens (voice) | |
2011 | Robotomy | Gore-Ax (voice) | Episode: "Mean Green" |
2011 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Dale (voice) | Episode: " Arch-Enemy/The Big S.T.A.N.K. "
|
2012–2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Spider Bytez / Vic (voice) | two episodes |
2016 | Madoff | Ezra Merkin | Miniseries |
2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Al | 2 episodes |
2017 | Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! | Mayor Stoughton (voice) | Episode: "World of Witchcraft" |
2017 | The President Show | Trump's Psyche | Episode: "Joe Cirincione" |
2018–2021 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Santa Claus (voice) | 2 episodes, guest voice |
2019 | The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants | Ragely J. Snarlingtooth (voice) | Episode: "The Angry Abnormal Atrocities of the Astute Animal Aggressors" |
2021 | Devil May Care | Atheist Steve (voice) | Episode: "The Atheist" |
2021 | Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years | Santa Claus (voice) | Episode: "The Ho! Ho! Horror!", guest voice |
2023 | The Daily Show | Himself (Guest Host) | Delayed due to Writers' Strike (Originally for Week of June 20)[35] |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2008 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | The Deadly Duplicator |
2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0[36] | Anger |
References
- ^ Elkin, Michael (May 29, 2008). "Black, White-Hot and Read All Over". Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 35.
Giving the devil his due? No, says Black, it's due to Judaism that he feels as good as he does. 'Without it, I would have been in a lot of trouble,' concedes the Washington-born Lewis Niles Black, who forged his persona crossing the river and wading through childhood in Silver Spring, Md.
- ^ a b c Cavna, Michael (September 23, 2012). "Lewis Black: All the World's a Rage". The Washington Post. p. A6.
- ^ a b c "LEWIS BLACK describes life on the road, groupies, and The Daily Show's humble beginnings", Employee of the Month, retrieved November 14, 2019 – via Spotify
- ^ "ACLU Names Celebrity Ambassadors for Key Civil Liberties Issues". ACLU. October 29, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ "About Lewis: Who is Lewis Black?". Lewis Black Official Website. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "Lewis Black Biography (1948–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Lewis Black Is One Angry Comic". CBS News. November 5, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, May 4, 2021
- ^ "On Stage: A Comic Comes Home". The Washington Post. May 19, 2007. p. C12.
- Daily Tar Heel. University of North Carolina. Archived from the originalon February 20, 2003.
- ^ "Improv Hippies". January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020.
- ^ Rabey, Steve (August 17, 2008). "Lewis Black: Between Blasphemy and Belief". The Gazette. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024.
- ISBN 0-689-87647-5.
- ^ Gillette, Amelie (June 7, 2006). "Interview: Lewis Black". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
- ^ "Andrew Stevens, Lewis Black, Suzy Soro, and more!". A&E's An Evening at the Improv. Season 15. Episode 17. 1994.
- ^ Lewis Black - Too Many F--ks, retrieved August 7, 2022
- ^ "Grammy Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. September 30, 2006. Archived from the original on December 20, 2006. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Comedy Central Gets Angry With Lewis Black". IGN.com. October 4, 2007.
- History Channel. Archived from the originalon February 25, 2009.
- ^ "News". Lewisblack.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Lewis Black rants about Michele Bachmann, Farmville, Twitter" Archived May 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Citypages.com. May 2011.
- ^ "Breaking News". The Futon Critic. February 28, 2012.
- ^ "IN BLACK WE TRUST! LEWIS BLACK RETURNS TO COMEDY CENTRAL..." (Press release). Comedy Central.
- ^ "Distributors Play Nice For Lewis Black Stand-Up Special". Deadline Hollywood. July 30, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ^ "Lewis Black Is Still Pissed Off". Vice. October 6, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ "Lewis Black set to unveil new special 'Thanks For Risking Your Life'". Vanyaland. September 22, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- Kansas City Star(MO), pg. E17.
- ^ Trunk, Russell A. "Lewis Black: The Carnegie Hall Performance" (Anne Carlini) website.
- ^ "Back in Black – Jail Time" (video). The Daily Show. December 6, 2000.
- ^ "Comedy Warriors: Healing through Humor". Comedy Warriors. 2013.
- ^ Comedy Warriors: Healing through Humor, IMDb, 2013
- ^ "News Team". The Daily Show. Comedy Central.
- ^ "Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "The Daily Show Sets New Round of Guest Hosts (Exclusive)". April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
External links
- Lewis Black's lewisblack.com
- Lewis Black on Twitter
- Lewis Black on MySpace
- Lewis Black at IMDb
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Lewis Black (TV Interview)
- Lewis Black Interview on NPR's Fresh Air(April 7, 2005)
- Lewis Black Interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation(January 29, 2003)
- Lewis Black Interview with the Village Voice(September 23, 2008)
- Onion A.V. Club Interview
- Lewis Black Interview by Maurie Sherman
- Stand Up! Records
- Lewis Black Interview, Real Detroit Weekly (November 13, 2007)
- "Straight Talk" Interview in Submerge Magazine, (Sept. 2008)
- Lewis Black rants about Michele Bachmann, Farmville, Twitter – Citypages.com 5/4/2011