Bobcat Goldthwait

Bobcat Goldthwait
at the Sundance Film Festival, January 2006
Birth name	Robert Francis Goldthwait
Born	May 26, 1962 (1962-05-26) (age 49) Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, film, television
Nationality	American
Years active	1980–present
Genres	Political satire, black humor
Subject(s)	American politics, race relations
Influenced	Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Mitch Hedberg
Spouse	Ann Luly (1986–1998) (divorced) 1 child Sarah de Sa Rego (2009–present)
Domestic partner(s)	Nikki Cox (1999–2005)
Notable works and roles	Zed in Police Academy 2, 3, 4 Shakes the Clown in Shakes the Clown Mr. Floppy in Unhappily Ever After Pain in Hercules Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006 film) (Screenwriter and Director) World's Greatest Dad (Screenwriter and Director)

Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) 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, New York, the son of Kathleen, a department store employee, and Tom Goldthwait, a sheet metal worker.^[1] He was raised in a Catholic working class family.^[2] Goldthwait decided on a career as a comedian at an early age and was performing professionally while still in high school at the age of 15. He attended St. Matthew's grammar school in East Syracuse, New York, where he met fellow comedian and voice-over actor Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) in first grade. He and Tom graduated together from Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School in East Syracuse, New York, in 1980. They formed a comedy troupe with East Syracuse native Tom Nettle, called The Generic Comics. (Although nicknamed Bobcat and Tomcat, they did not appear as a comedy team together.) Early in his career, Goldthwait also co-wrote with Boston comedy writer Martin Olson, who is listed as writer on his first two comedy specials, Share the Warmth (HBO) and Don't Watch This Show (Cinemax).

Career

Stand-up

Goldthwait became recognized as a solo stand-up comedian and had two televised concert specials in the 1980s: An Evening with Bobcat Goldthwait — Share the Warmth and Bob Goldthwait — Is He Like That All the Time? He became known for his unique brand of comedy, which combines elements of political satire and often bizarre or somewhat unsettling black comedy.

In 2004, Bobcat's stand up was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. Goldthwait announced his retirement from stand-up in 2005 and performed a "final" run in Vegas in September 2005;^{[citation needed]} He briefly resumed touring in early 2008 (from January through April); He performed again in 2009, doing stand-up in Winnipeg on April 3 & 4, and again in Omaha on August 28 and 29; He returned to Winnipeg for 4 shows on April 9 and 10, 2010. Continuing his retirement from Stand-up he took the stage in Atlanta from January 27-30, 2011.

Acting

Goldthwait and Robin Williams appeared on the same bill together, but not as a comedy team, using the names "Jack Cheese" and "Marty Fromage." Goldthwait used the name Jack Cheese when he appeared in the film Tapeheads; when Williams made a cameo as Mime Jerry in Goldthwait's Shakes the Clown, he was billed as Marty Fromage.

Goldthwait has appeared in several movies. His first major role was Zed in the Police Academy series. He starred in the 1986 comedy film One Crazy Summer, which also starred John Cusack, and his other big role was in the 1987 comedy film Burglar with Whoopi Goldberg and John Goodman. He also starred in Scrooged with Bill Murray. He notably starred in Hot to Trot in 1988 with John Candy and Dabney Coleman. In 1992, Goldthwait wrote, directed, and starred in the movie Shakes the Clown. He also made a cameo appearance as an insane writer in the 1994 film Radioland Murders.

In 1985, Goldthwait appeared in Twisted Sister's official video to the songs "Leader of the Pack" and "Be Chrool to Your Scuel", from the album Come Out and Play. During the fall of 1993 Goldthwait did stand up material as an opening act for Nirvana on what would be their final North American tour, (angering audiences in Chicago after making a joke about Michael Jordan's recently murdered father) as well as the promo video for the band's album In Utero, and once fooled an interviewer during a phone interview, impersonating Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl.

An emblematic moment: a guest on one of the last episodes of The Arsenio Hall Show, Goldthwait became demonstrably upset that the program was being cancelled. At the time it was widely believed that Paramount Studios had refused to renew Hall's contract because Late Night with David Letterman was now moving to CBS, and Goldthwait took his anger out on Paramount. He stood on the set's couch, spray-painted "Paramount Sucks" on a glass wall, knocked over some video equipment, then threw cushions from the couch into the audience (they cheered).

The March 28, 2005 article of the New York Post announced that Bobcat Goldthwait was the new director of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live (He had been directing the show since the fall season of 2004). While there, ratings for the show increased to over 2 million viewers per night, and jumped 50% with teens; however, in May 2006 Goldthwait left to pursue his film career. Goldthwait maintains contact with Kimmel (they are friends) and still directs for television and film. He returned to directing segments for Jimmy Kimmel Live in the summer of 2007.

Guest appearances

In 1992, Goldthwait appeared as a guest-co-host of the second episode of The Ben Stiller Show. He also appeared as a relative of Peggy Bundy on the Married... with Children show where he and his wife dropped one of their numerous offspring on the Bundys.^[3]

Goldthwait appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1993, where he tossed furniture and ran around the set, then into the audience. He has also made several guest appearances on talk shows as well as comedy programs. On May 9, 1994, Goldthwait appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he briefly lit the guest chair on fire.^[4] As a result, he was fined $2,700 plus the cost of the chair ($698); he was also required to tape several public service announcements about fire safety.^[4] The incident was later the basis of the plot for his subsequent appearance on The Larry Sanders Show and also inspired a pseudo-fire safety PSA on MadTV. He was also in the 5th episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, "Bobcat," "Surprise," the 37th episode, "Anniversary" and an uncredited appearance in the episode "Kentucky Nightmare."

One of the most recognizable features of Goldthwait's performances is his voice. He has voiced characters on the television series Capitol Critters (1992), The Moxy Show (1995), Unhappily Ever After (1995–1999), The Tick (1995), Hercules: The Animated Series (1998–1999), Lilo & Stitch: The Series and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000). Goldthwait has also appeared as himself hosting the comedy quiz show Bobcat's Big Ass Show (1998). Goldthwait was also a semi-regular guest in the later seasons of the Tom Bergeron-version of Hollywood Squares in 1998.

Most recently, Goldthwait was a featured guest on the August 20, 2009, episode of Adam Carolla's podcast. And on August 26, 2009 returned to guest on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show with old friend Robin Williams which he revealed a tattoo on his buttocks of an anthropomorphized cymbal with a mustache and slanted eyes (a pun on the cliched Chinese symbol tattoo).

Goldthwait appeared in September 2010 on an episode of LA Ink, where shop owner Kat Von D gave him a tattoo of a potato impaled on a fork on his upper right arm. Goldthwait chose the design to remind himself of where he came from and to tell close friends and family that he hasn't lost his sense of humor. He also displayed his older tattoo of a cymbal with a moustache on his buttocks.

Film directing

Sleeping Dogs Lie

Goldthwait's third feature film Sleeping Dogs Lie (originally titled Stay) starring Melinda Page Hamilton was in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was part of the "Independent Dramatic Features" competition. Sleeping Dogs Lie is about a youthful, impulsive sexual encounter which opens the door to a black comedy about the complexities of honesty. It was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the "Dramatic Features" category. The film was bought by Roadside Attractions & Samuel Goldwyn Films at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival for the North American rights to the film, and was released on October 20, 2006. Gaumont bought the international rights to the film. It was released on February 21, 2007 by Gaumont in France, and on March 16, 2007 in the UK.

World's Greatest Dad

Goldthwait's fourth feature film,World's Greatest Dad, was released on July 24 on video on demand providers before its limited theatrical release on August 24, 2009. It starred Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, and Alexie Gilmore. The web site for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival described it as a "lusciously perverse, and refreshingly original comedy that tackles love, loss, and our curious quest for infamy". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave World's Greatest Dad 3 out of 4 stars, but commented that the material could have been even darker in its satire, and he questioned whether it was the director's intention.

God Bless America

God Bless America premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Personal life

Goldthwait has been married twice. He was first married to Ann Luly in 1986. Together they have a daughter, Tasha. Goldthwait and Luly divorced in 1998. He was then engaged to Nikki Cox,^[5][6] in 1997, but they ended their relationship in 2005. Goldthwait has been married to Sarah de Sa Rego since 2009.

Awards and honors

Goldthwait's film Windy City Heat won a Comedian Award for Best Comedy Film at Montreal's Just for Laughs Film Festival in 2009.

Discography

• Meat Bob (1988) Chrysalis Records
• I Don't Mean to Insult You, but You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait (September 23, 2003, Comedy Central Records)

Filmography

References

Notes

External links

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (December 2010)

• The Official Bobcat Goldthwait Website
• Bobcat Goldthwait at the Internet Movie Database
• Bobcat Goldthwait Interview at www.sci-fi-online.com (link not working)
• Goldthwait film an odd tale
• 2006 London Film Festival
• Bobcat Goldthwait: One Man & His Dog
• DVD Talk Audio Interview with Bobcat Goldthwait
• Interview with Bobcat Goldthwait about Sleeping Dogs and his next project with Robin Williams at www.eyeforfilm.co.uk
• "Bonus Bobcat Goldthwait (Navel Gazing)"
• Louisville.com interview with Bobcat Goldthwait about the Internet's impact on cultural standards and the business of being a comedian
• Louisville.com interviews Bobcat Goldthwait about his new movie, "World's Greatest Dad"
• 2010 interview with Stephen Applebaum