Michael Showalter

Michael Showalter
Michael Showalter in March 2007
Background information
Date of birth:	June 17, 1970 (1970-06-17) (age 39)
Birth location:	Princeton, New Jersey
Genre(s):	Comedy

Michael English Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and director. He is one third of the sketch comedy trio Stella. Showalter first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. He co-wrote (with David Wain) and starred in Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and he wrote, directed, and starred in The Baxter (2005), with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux and Elizabeth Banks. Both of these movies featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of his other projects. His current project is Michael & Michael Have Issues with Michael Ian Black.

Biography

Personal life

Showalter was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the son of Elaine Showalter (née Cottler), an author, literary critic, and professor, and English Showalter, a Yale-educated professor of 18th century French literature.^[1] His father is Episcopalian and his mother is Jewish.^[2] He has one older sister, Vinca Showalter LaFleur, a professional speechwriter. He attended Princeton High School. For five years, Showalter shared an apartment with his friend Andrea Rosen.^[3]

Career

Showalter began his undergraduate studies at New York University, where he joined the sketch comedy group The New Group. He transferred to and graduated from Brown University. After he completed college, The New Group changed its name to The State and began creating video shorts for an MTV show called You Wrote It, You Watch It, hosted by Jon Stewart. The State was then picked up as its own show, which aired for two years on MTV.

Showalter has also had several smaller roles in movies and TV shows. He played Ron Parker, the arrogant host of Cheap Seats, on ESPN Classic in the pilot episode. However, after a bookcase fell on Showalter's character, tape librarians (and brothers) Randy and Jason Sklar took over the hosting duties. Showalter spent a brief time as a correspondent on The Daily Show (1996). He is also one half of The Doilies, an acoustic comedy band, in which he sings lead vocals opposite guitarist Zak Orth.

Showalter and The State in 1994

Showalter is the host of The Michael Showalter Showalter, an original Internet series on Collegehumor.com which premiered January 16, 2007. His first guest was comedian Zach Galifianakis. Other guests have included David Cross, Michael Ian Black, Paul Rudd, David Wain, Andy Samberg, Michael Cera, and Mike Birbiglia. In the fall and winter of 2006, Showalter toured the US with frequent collaborator Michael Ian Black. In March 2007 Showalter briefly toured as the opening act for Janeane Garofalo. The Ten reunites him with frequent collaborators from The State.

Showalter signed with JDub Records, a non-profit record label, in June 2007. He released his first stand-up CD titled Sandwiches & Cats in November 2007. He teaches screenwriting at New York University's Graduate Film School.

Showalter is currently teaming up once more with Michael Ian Black in the new Comedy Central seried Michael and Michael Have Issues.^[4], which premiered in July 2009.^[5] The show details the two Michaels' trials and tribulations as they create a television series.

In an interview with The Rumpus in February 2009, Showalter talked about a memoir he is working on. "I am writing an 'important' memoir about not being able to write an important memoir. It winds up being kind of a novel-length comedic essay on insecurity and procrastination." ^[6]

He appeared in an episode of Law & Order, which aired on October 16, 2009. ^[7]

References

External links

• Official website
• Michael Showalter at the Internet Movie Database
• April 2008 interview with Paradigm
• Michael Showalter Interviews Human Giant
• Michael Showalter: The state of comedy That Other Paper
• "A Love for Silliness", Newsweek interview, 15 July 2005
• "Michael Showalter, comedian & filmmaker", *The Michael Showalter Showalter Premiere Episode with Zach Galifianakis
• Michael Showalter Interview at Heavy In The Streets
• News Feature at Impose Magazine
• Onion A.V. Club interview
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