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Bob Saget

 
Actor: Bob Saget
  • Born: May 17, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Occupation: Actor, Director, Writer
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Dirty Work, America's Funniest Home Videos, Jitters
  • First Major Screen Credit: Spaced Out (1980)

Biography

Bob Saget offers living proof that it is possible to dramatically (and aggressively) alter one's own show-business image in mid-act. This deceptively clean-cut writer/actor/comedian began his foray into televised entertainment typecast as a "family-oriented" comic actor, and then shocked nearly everyone by emerging as a popular "blue" comedian with raunchy standup gigs, delivered from such venues as Glitter Gulch. Throughout, Saget managed to achieve considerable success in each venue, albeit among radically different demographics.

A graduate of Pennsylvania's Temple University, Saget originally planned to pursue medical studies, but a brush with the performing arts convinced him to head in that direction instead. Following a brief appearance as a doctor in the Richard Pryor-Michael Apted medical farce Critical Condition (1986), Saget achieved broad recognition in 1987 when cast as genial family man Danny Tanner, a widower and father of three, on the saccharine sitcom Full House (1987-1995). Two and a half years into that program's run, Saget concurrently turned up on another program, America's Funniest Home Videos, which -- per its title -- featured the comic actor emceeing a seemingly limitless series of humorous amateur video clips sent in by folks around the country -- in a contest that issued cash prizes for the very best. Videos, like Full House, instantly scored with the public when it bowed in January 1990; Saget remained with the series until 1997.

Beginning immediately around the time that Full House wrapped, Saget started branching off into a variety of directions; he helmed several features, including telemovies (For Hope, Jitters) and at least one theatrically released comedy (the 1998 Dirty Work), but placed his strongest emphasis on standup. The performer hosted Saturday Night Live, contributed a routine to Comic Relief, and headlined a series of standup comedy specials on pay cable that were -- as indicated -- definitively for adults. He also contributed a memorably scatological and raunchy routine to longtime friends Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette's standup documentary revue, The Aristocrats (2005). (The routine was prefaced by Saget's ironic admission, "Some people think I have a reputation of being a dirty comedian...," and intercepted by his tongue-in-cheek request to have a copy of the video of the routine, to send it to the kids on Full House.) Saget's 2007 directorial effort Farce of the Penguins (2007) skewered the popular nature documentary March of the Penguins (2007) with raunchy voice-overs (by an all-star cast) placed atop nature footage of penguins in the wild. Meanwhile, beginning in 2005, Saget signed for a voice-only role on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He provides the older voice of the lead character, Ted Mosby, as he tells his two children the story of how he came to know their mother, effectively serving as narrator for the show. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Bob Saget
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Bob Saget

Saget at the 2007 O&A Traveling Virus at PNC
Born Robert Lane Saget
May 17, 1956 (1956-05-17) (age 53)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Comedian
Filmmaker
TV host
Years active 1977–present
Spouse(s) Sherri Kramer (1982–1997)

Robert Lane "Bob" Saget (born May 17, 1956) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and filmmaker. Although he is best known for his past roles in the family-oriented shows Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos, Saget is known outside of television for his starkly blue stand-up routine.[1] He most recently starred in the ABC sitcom Surviving Suburbia.

Contents

Early life and career

Saget was born in Philadelphia. His father, Benjamin, was a supermarket executive and his mother, Rosalyn, was a hospital administrator. Saget lived in Norfolk, Virginia and Encino, California before moving back to Philadelphia and graduating from Abington Senior High School.[2][3][4] Saget originally intended to become a doctor, but his Honors English teacher, Elaine Zimmerman, saw his creative potential and urged him to seek a career in films.[1]

He enrolled at Temple University's film school, where he created Through Adam's Eyes, a black-and-white film about a boy who received reconstructive facial surgery. In 1978, the film was honored with an award of merit in the Student Academy Awards.[5] Saget enrolled in graduate school at the University of Southern California but quit a few days later. Saget describes himself at the time in an article by Glenn Esterly in the, Saturday Evening Post, "I was a cocky, overweight twenty-two-year-old. Then I had a gangrenous appendix taken out, almost killed myself, and I got over being cocky or overweight." Saget talked about his burst appendix on Anytime with Bob Kushell, saying that it happened on the Fourth of July, at the UCLASS Medical Center and that they at first just iced the area for seven hours before taking it out and finding that it had become gangrenous.[6]

Saget started performing stand-up comedy and did a number of national tours. Later, in 1987, he became the co-host of The Morning Program; an attempt by CBS to take a different direction with morning television, where he also wrote and produced content for the show.

Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos

Soon after, Saget was cast as Danny Tanner in Full House, which became a huge success through family viewers and landed in the Nielsen Ratings's Top 30 from the third season onward. In 1989, Saget was cast as the host of America's Funniest Home Videos, which also became a smash hit. During the early 1990s, Saget was quite busy with his career, doing both Full House and AFV simultaneously. In 1995, Full House ended its run after eight years (due to increasing production costs), and Saget continued to host AFV, despite his desire to move on. In 1997, his contract finally expired, and he left the show. His former Full House cast were present at his last episode. Saget will return to AFHV for a special 20th anniversary special in November 2009.

Continued career

Saget was also host of NBC's game show 1 vs. 100, which debuted October 13, 2006 , and the uncredited narrator of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, that premiered on September 19, 2005.

His HBO comedy special, That Ain't Right, came out on DVD on August 28, 2007. It is dedicated to his father, Ben Saget, who died on January 30, 2007, due to complications from congestive heart failure. He was 89.

He has had recurring roles in HBO's "Entourage" playing a parody of himself.

Saget appeared in the Broadway musical, "The Drowsy Chaperone," for a limited four-month engagement. He played, "Man in Chair," while Jonathon Crombie, who normally played the character on Broadway, was with the national tour of the musical. On January 4, 2008, Saget's caricature was unveiled at Sardi's Restaurant.[7]

On August 17, 2008, Saget was roasted by Comedy Central in a special titled The Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget.

In April 2009, he debuted in a new sitcom along with his co-star Cynthia Stevenson on ABC called Surviving Suburbia.[8]

Other works

Saget directed the 1996 ABC television movie, For Hope, which was inspired by the life story of his sister, Gay Saget, who died from scleroderma three years earlier.[1] Saget is currently a board member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation.

In 1998 Saget played a coke-head in the stoner-comedy classic Half Baked.

In 2006, Jamie Kennedy released a rap song and music video entitled Rollin' with Saget, which featured Saget and is on his website.

Saget wrote, directed, and stars in Farce of the Penguins, a parody of 2005's March of the Penguins, that was released direct-to-DVD, in January 2007.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1979 Outer Touch Voice of Wurlitzer Voice
Also writer
1980 Devices Therapy Patient
1981 Full High Moon Sportscaster
Bosom Buddies Bob the Comic Episode: "The Show Must Go On"
1983 The Greatest American Hero Cook Episode: "Wizards and Warlocks"
1985 New Love, American Style Comedy Vignettes unknown episodes
1986 It's a Living Dr. Bartlett Episode: "The Doctor Danny Show"
1987 Critical Condition Dr. Joffe
1987-1995 Full House Daniel 'Danny' Tanner 192 episodes
1989 MMC Episode: Guest Day"
1992 Quantum Leap Macklyn 'Mack' MacKay Episode: "Stand Up - April 30, 1959"
To Grandmother's House We Go Win-O-Lotto Lottery Host TV film
uncredited'
1993 For Goodness Sake Surgeon
1994 Father and Scout Spencer Paley TV film
Also executive producer
1997 Meet Wally Sparks Reporter #4
1998 Half Baked Cocaine Addict uncredited
1999 Sorority Dean Tinker TV film
uncredited
2000 Becoming Dick Bob TV film
uncredited
Also director
The Norm Show Mr. Atkitson Episode: "Norm vs. Schoolin'"
Also director
2001-2002 Raising Dad Matt Stewart 17 episodes
2003 Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Jessica's Dad
2004 Huff Butch Episode: "Flashpants"
2005 Listen Up Mitch Coach Potato
Madagascar Zoo Animal Voice
2005-present How I Met Your Mother Narrator TV series
2006 Farce of the Penguins Carl Voice
Direct-to-video
Also writer, director and producer
Casper's Scare School Dash Voice
TV film
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Glenn Cheales Episode: "Choreographed"
2007 Howard Stern on Demand Episode: "Brad Garrett"
The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures Barry Tuttle Video game
2008 The Life & Times of Tim Voice
Episode: "Mugger/Cin City"
2009 Surviving Suburbia Steve Patterson 13 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b c Contemporary Authors: Gale Reference Team (2004), Biography - Saget, Bob, Thomson Gale 
  2. ^ Gurley, George (2005-05-08). "Bob Saget's Full Mouth". The New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/node/50776. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  3. ^ "Bob Saget". film.com. http://www.film.com/celebrities/bob-saget/14646642. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  4. ^ Goldberg, Jennifer (2007-09-07). "Irreverent Bob Saget plays to full houses". Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Online. http://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?070907+saget. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  5. ^ "Student Academy Awards Winners" (PDF). http://www.oscars.org/saa/winners/winners.pdf. 
  6. ^ "Anytime with Bob Kushell feat. Bob Sagat". Anytime with Bob Kushell. 2009-04-14. No. 5, season 2.
  7. ^ Photo Coverage: Bob Saget Receives Sardi's Portrait (BroadwayWorld.com)
  8. ^ ABC Announces New Sitcom "Surviving Suburbia"

External links

Preceded by
None
Host of America's Funniest Home Videos
1989–1997
Succeeded by
Daisy Fuentes and John Fugelsang

 
 
Learn More
Bob Saget: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1995 Comedy TV Episode)
Ol' Brown Eyes: Full House (TV Episode) (1991 TV Episode)
Father and Scout (1994 Comedy Drama Film)

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