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This Day in Comedy History
July 8 - July 14
July 8
1934 - Uniquely-eyed comic actor from Young Frankenstein, At Last the 1948 Show, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother, The Last Remake of Beau Geste and Silent Movie, Marty Feldman is born in East London, England.
1944 - Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show should be enough, but then he was George Bluth Sr (and his twin brother Oscar) on Arrested Development, and won two Emmys and a Golden Globeas Maura Fefferman on Transparent. Plus he did films, too. And even announced on Hollywood Squares! Jeffery Tambor is born in San Francisco.
1951 - Third generation actor (and third generation Oscar winner) Anjelica Huston is born in Santa Monica, CA. She’s known for Prizzi's Honor (1985), directed by her father John, Enemies: A Love Story (1989), Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel Addams Family Values (1993), The Witches (1990), Buffalo '66 (1998), Daddy Day Care (2003), 50/50 (2011), and her collaborations with Wes Anderson, including The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and The Darjeeling Limited (2007).
1952 - Street juggler turned stand-up comic after recognizing that his comic friends could drink while they worked, eventually becoming a prominent writer on Saturday Night Live (where he would also appear on Weekend Update doing his “The Big Picture” segment, and later be one of the early Daily Show correspondents, A. Whitney Brown is born in Charlotte, Michigan.
1958 - He made his film debut in National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) then went on to Diner (1982), Tremors (1990), The Big Picture (1989), Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987), Crazy Stupid Love (2011), He Said, She Said (1991), The Air Up There (1994) and She’s Having a Baby (1988). He’s also the only person guaranteed to win any “Six Degrees of” him game no matter who else is in the room - Kevin Bacon is born in Philadelphia.
1968 - Billy Crudup is born in Manhasset, New York. Notable comedy credits include Almost Famous, Big Fish, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, 20th Century Women and Youth in Oregon.
1973 - Besides Beverly Hills 90210, Canadian actress from Maniac Mansion, Dog Park, Scary Movie 2 and The Business, Kathleen Robertson is born in Hamilton, Ontario.
1973 - Stand-up comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco is born in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is best known to movie fans for his supporting role in Green Book (2018).
1977 - Anaheim, California sees the birth of Milo Ventimiglia. He is known for playing Jess Mariano in the series Gilmore Girls (2001-2006) and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016). He also starred in the sitcom Opposite of Sex (2000).
1981 - Ghanaian American actor Lance Gross is born in Oakland, California. He is best known for his role as Calvin in Tyler Perry's House of Payne and The Paynes. He also appears in Perry’s movies Meet the Browns (2008) and Temptations: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013).
1982 - On Late Night with David Letterman, following months of very public feuding culminating in a wrestling “injury”, Jerry Lawler slaps Andy Kaufman out of his chair. Kaufman curses him, threatens to sue, then runs out of the studio.
1985 - Stand-up comic and actor known for his talk show and variety appearances (more than 40 times on The Tonight Show, with both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, multiple Ed Sullivan, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas Shows, films including Jerry Lewis’ The Patsy, and Laverne’s father Frank DeFazio for 8 seasons on Laverne & Shirley, Phil Foster passes away aged 72.
1990 - The HBO TV series Dream On, starring Brian Benben, premieres. It would run for six seasons.
1993 - The Seinfeld cast show their true colours on the cover of Rolling Stone.
2005 - After 11 years on E!, the final episode of Howard Stern airs.
2010 - A woman injures herself after rushing the stage and slipping on debris at a Gallagher show at the Washington County Fair in Hillsboro, Oregon. We're guessing the debris was maybe watermelon chunks?
2012 - He's an Oscar winning actor, though he's probably best known from the sitcom McHale’s Navy. Movie credits include Law and Disorder, Convoy and Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? Ernest Borgnine passes away aged 95.
2020 - After a 25 year absence, Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson releases three, brand new, single panel cartoons.
2022 - The annual Edmonton International Street Performers Festival kicks off ten days of festivities at Churchill Square.
This Day in Comedy History
July 9
1901 - Actor, composer and conductor whose film credits include The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and Being John Malkovich and a TV careers that spans from Amos And Andy in the 50’s, That’s My Mama in the 70’s, Amen in the 90’s and Family Matters in the 1990’s, Jester Hairston is born in Belews Creek, North Carolina.
1936 - James Hampton is born in Oklahoma City. He is best remembered for starring in the comedy TV series F Troop (1965-1967), The Doris Day Show (1968-1969) and Love, American Style (1969-1974). Notable movie roles include The Longest Yard (1974), Hawmps! (1976) and Teen Wolf (1985).
1951 - Kansas City, Missouri’s Chris Cooper is born. An Oscar and Golden Globe winner for his supporting role in Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s Adaptation. (2002), he has also appeared in such other comedies as American Beauty (1999), John Sayles’ Silver City (2004), The Muppets (2011).
1951 - Time magazine features a very special cover - A self-portrait by one of America’s greatest humorists, James Thurber. In fact, the self-portrait in yellow crayon on black paper would turn out to be the last drawing the cartoonist and author completed, before he died following emergency brain surgery in 1961.
1955 - Comedy roles include Switch, Vital Signs and Running Scared. Jimmy Smits is born in Brooklyn, NY.
1955 - It's a true comedy mystery! Yvonne Hudson was the first African-American female to ever be a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where she had previously been an uncredited extra for a couple of years dating back to 1978 before getting cast member status, then appearing in 31 episodes of the show. SNL would be her sole tv or film credits before or after. She was born on this day in New York City.
1956 - Star of many comedies, from TV’s Bosom Buddies to films like Bachelor Party, Forrest Gump, A League of Their Own, The Terminal, Sleepless in Seattle, Splash, Big, Charlie Wilson’s War and voice work in Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story franchise - two time Oscar and 7 time Emmy winner Tom Hanks is born in Concord, California.
1966 - An Emmy Award winner for being the voice of Bobby Hill on the animated series King of the Hill in addition to her live action roles on Californication, Louie and Better Things, writer, producer and actress Pamela Aldon is born in New York City. Movie roles include: Say Anything... (1989), Lucky 13 (2005), Conception (2011) and I Love You, Daddy (2017).
1971 - Scott Grimes is born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He voices Steve Smith on Seth MacFarlane’s animated sitcom American Dad!, and also co-stars with MacFarlane in The Orville. On the big screen, he played Bradley Brown in the first two Critters films (which, in our opinion, are two of the very best Critters films).
1975 - Cher files papers to annul her marriage to Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers, after just nine days of marriage.
1976 - Actor and producer whose film work includes Austin Powers In Goldmember, Vice Versa and The Princess Bride, but who is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold on the series The Wonder Years, Fred Savage is born in Chicago.
1976 - In what he would later say marked the beginning of his career, Eddie Murphy performs in a talent show at the Roosevelt Youth Center, doing an impersonation of singer Al Green as Green's song "Let's Stay Together" played.
1988 - With some of the worst graphics work they’ve ever had, and if you can’t read it you’ll have to take our word, Head of the Class’s cast meet up on the cover of TV Guide.
1990 - Turner & Hooch - not the Tom Hanks feature film but a TV special based on it - premieres on TV… unsurprisingly, it’s not as good.
1991 - Mitchel Musso is born in Garland, Texas. He is best known for his four Disney Channel roles: as Oliver in Hannah Montana, the voice of Jeremy in Phineas and Ferb, King Brady in Pair of Kings, and for hosting PrankStars.
2001 - A mockumentary sitcom that has been successfully remade around the world, but the initial look at the Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant series The Office took place on this date on BBC Two.
2004 - After premieres in both Los Angeles and New York, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy opens in wide release. The film’s soundtrack compilation album - yes, including Ron’s totally wicked “azz flute" solo heard in the film (actually played by LA studio musician Katisse Buckingham) is on it!
2004 - The sole African-American woman to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, Louise “Weezy” Jefferson on both All in the Family and The Jeffersons, actress Isabelle Sanford passes away at the age of 86.
2009 - Young actress whose new film Observe and Report with Seth Rogen had just been released, and young actor whose series Parks and Recreation was three months into its first season, Anna Faris and Chris Pratt are married in a small ceremony in Bali.
2011 - “Weird Al” Yankovic’s two-year Alpocolypse Tour kicks off at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, California.
2013 - Comics get drunk and tell historical stories, then other comics re-enact the stories. It’s so simple! With Michael Cera guesting on the first show, Drunk History makes its debut on Comedy Central.
2015 - Stand-up comedian Greg Behrendt discusses his cancer diagnosis and treatment on Wil Anderson's podcast, Wilosophy.
2019 - Emmy Award winning comic actor Rip Torn (The Larry Sanders Show, Men in Black, Dodgeball) passes away in Lakeville, Connecticut
This Day in Comedy History
July 10
1911 - Famed, gap-toothed British comedian and actor Terry-Thomas is born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens in Finchley, North London, England. Known for his distinctive voice and frequently playing monocle-wearing upper class cads, he was a big star of 1950s and 1960s cinema.
1926 - Actor from the TV shows Car 54 Where Are You? and The Munsters and the films The Secret of My Success and My Cousin Vinny, Fred Gwynne is born in New York City.
1940 - Mills Watson is born in Oakland, CA. The actor is probably best known as Deputy Perkins on the comedy series B.J. and the Bear and its spinoff The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo. He also played Uncle Buster in the sitcom Harper Valley P.T.A.
1945 - Actor who made appearances on Sanford and Son, Maude, All in the Family, The Bob Newhart Show and Good Times before his career-making role as Detective Ron Harris on the cop sitcom Barney Miller, Ron Glass is born in Evansville, Indiana.
1951 - Actually working in the casting department for the new US version of The Office when she was offered a role on the show, Phyllis Vance (wife of Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration) on the series, Phyllis Smith is born in The Hill, St. Louis, Missouri. You’ll also recognize her voice - she played Sadness in Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out (2015).
1960 - Rom-com The Rate Race hits theatres, starring Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds. (We won’t spoil it by letting you know if they end up together at the end.) Co-stars include Jack Oakie, Kay Medford, and insult comic extraordinaire Don Rickles.
1962 - Kenyan comedian and actor best remembered for starring in the title role in the TV series Papa Shirandula, Charles Bukeko is born in Busia, Kenya.
1965 - Actor and comedian Alec Mapa is born in San Francisco. He is known for playing Adam Benet in Half & Half, Suzuki St. Pierre in Ugly Betty and Vern in Desperate Housewives.
1969 - Film (Falling for Grace, Weepah Way for Now) and TV (Hellcats, Desperate Housewives) actor Gale Harold is born in Atlanta.
1972 - Best known for playing Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the series Modern Family (a role that made her TV’s highest paid actress for seven consecutive years), Sofia Vergara is born in Barranquilla, Columbia.
1972 - Actor from Shaun of the Dead, Couples Retreat, Spy and Going In Style, Peter Serafinowicz is born in Liverpool, England.
1976 - Actor from the films The Devil Wears Prada and Trash Fire, but best known for starring as Vincent Chase in the hit HBO series Entourage, Adrian Grenier is born in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1977 - Gwendoline Yeo, best known for her role as Xiao-Mei in Desperate Housewives, is born in Singapore.
1980 - Thomas Ian Nichols is born in Las Vegas. As a child actor he starred as Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year. He also played Kevin Myers in the American Pie movie franchise.
1980 - She’s famous as a singer but has also acted in a bunch of comedies, among them The Master of Disguise (2002), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Employee of the Month (2006), Blonde Ambition (2007), The Love Guru (2008) and Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008). Jessica Simpson is born in Abilene, Texas.
1982 - The cover of TV Guide is the best place to go to get The Facts of Life. True story.
1988 - Heather Hemmens is born in Belfast, Maine. She is known for roles in the television series Hellcats, Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! and Netflix’s Jamie Foxx Show.
1989 - “The Man of a Thousand Voices” including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Barney Rubble, Speedy Gonzalas, and the majority of characters on the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoon, Mel Blanc passes away aged 81. His gravestone pays tribute to his Looney Tunes work with the highlighted phrase “That’s All Folks!”
1995 - After two years of trailing David Letterman in the late night ratings wars, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno takes over top spot with a much anticipated interview with British actor Hugh Grant following his arrest for soliciting a prostitute in Los Angeles. His first question of the Nine Months star? Bluntly, “What the hell were you thinking?”
1997 - The New York Times publishes Steve Martin’s short story "Mars Probe Finds Kitten".
1999 - Recorded at Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater, and the comic’s third special, Chris Rock’s Bigger and Blacker premieres on HBO.
2007 - At L.A.’s Laugh Factory, months after Andy Dick told Jon Lovitz “I put the Phil Hartman hex on you - you’re next to die”, Lovitz demands an apology. Dick refuses and accuses Lovitz of blaming him for Hartman's death. Lovitz then pushes Dick into the wall and smashes his head into the bar. All in all, a pretty calm day by Andy Dick’s standards.
2015 - Welsh actor Roger Rees passed away in New York City of brain cancer. Rees had continued working on Broadway as long as possible, while undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy. His film and TV roles included the films Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) and The Pink Panther (2006), but he is probably best remembered for starring in the British sitcom Singles, and for his portrayal of Robin Colcord in the American sitcom Cheers.
2019 - The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival put on a performance for the patients, family and staff at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton for their annual Comedy Cares show.
This Day in Comedy History
July 11
1916 - Best known for playing Stan Butler on the ITV series On The Buses, British TV star Reg Varney is born in Canning Town, Essex, England.
1923 - Tun Tun is born Uma Devi Khatri in Uttar Pradesh, India. Known as "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne", she acted in almost 200 films with many of her era’s best comedy actors.
1949 - Ventriloquist Jay Johnson is born in Lubbock, Texas. If you’ve never seen his live act, you can catch him on the television show Soap as Chuck Campbell, a ventriloquist who believed his puppet Bob was real and demanded everyone treat Bob as human. Unlike Chuck, Bob wasn’t shy - in fact, he was downright rude.
1950 - Actor who first made his mark as biker Daniel Simpson “D-Day” Day in National Lampoon’s Animal House and go on to appear in many more films including My Cousin Vinny, Wildcats, Shallow Hal, Black Sheep, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, and Ride Along and its sequel Ride Along 2, Bruce McGill is born in San Antonio, Texas.
1953 - Actress Mindy Sterling is born in Paterson, New Jersey. She’s best known for playing Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers film series (1997–2002). She also earned an Emmy nomination for starring in the web series Con Man (2015–2017), and was Miss Francine Briggs in the teen Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012).
1956 - Sela Ward is born in Meridian, Mississippi. Notable film roles include The Man Who Loved Women (1983), Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985), Nothing in Common (1986), Hello Again (1987), and My Fellow Americans (1996).
1966 - Heidi the Tool Time girl for six years on the hit sitcom Home Improvement - Debbe Dunning - is born in Burbank, California.
1969 - Flip Wilson headlines New York’s Madison Square Garden.
1970 - The Beverly Hillbillies drive right up onto the cover of TV Guide - an issue which also examines "the startling impact" of Jim Henson's Muppets on Sesame Street.
1977 - Celebrating the release of Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, and with a little help from co-stars Don Knotts and Dean Jones, Herbie the Love Bug gets his tire tracks in the cement of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
1980 - TV Guide celebrates the GOP convention by putting The Dukes of Hazzard 's cousins Bo, Daisy and Luke (John Schneider, Catherine Bach and Tom Wopat) on its cover.
1984 - The Last episode of Jim Carrey’s first television series Duck Factory airs on NBC.
1986 - Club Paradise, starring Robin Williams, Peter O’Toole and Rick Moranis hits theatres.
1989 - David Henrie, who starred as Justin Russo in the teen sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, is born in Mission Viejo, California.
1990 - The Canadian stand-up showcase series Yuk Yuk’s - The TV Show debuts. Hosted by Tim Conlan and Carolyn Dunn, the show would have a different theme each week and highlight a different city. For the first episode those were “Censored” and Vancouver, respectively and the comics featured were Sherry O’Brien, Herb Dixon, Stephen J. Daniels and Mike Cliff.
2001 - On South Park, Cartman gets taken by an older kid, buying some of the kid’s pubic hair for $10 after being told it would make him reach puberty, and so, seeks revenge. The episode Scott Tenorman Must Die airs on Comedy Central.
2007 - After fracturing her back, Phyllis Diller is forced to cancel her planned appearance on The Tonight Show, where she was to celebrate her 90th birthday.
2018 - Bobcat Goldthwait's anthology series Misfits & Monsters premieres on truTV.
2021 - Best remembered for playing court clerk and Vietnam War veteran “Mac” Robinson in NBC’s hit sitcom Night Court, he also had recurring roles in such other comedy series as Home Improvement, Heart of Dixie, Mom, The Guest Book and Love in the Time of Corona. Charlie Robinson passes away at age 75 in hospital in Los Angeles, from cardiac arrest related to glandular cancer.
This Day in Comedy History
July 12
1908 - Milton Berle, a star of stage, radio, movies before becoming known as Mr. Television, is born with the slightly less TV-friendly name of Mendel Berlinger in New York City.
1909 - Vaudeville comedian purported to have come up with some of vaudeville classic pieces, who later would appear on Broadway in High Button Shoes and Top Banana with Phil Silvers, Room Service, The Tender Trap and Guys And Dolls, and in the Woody Allen film The Front, Joey Faye is born Joseph Antony Palladino in New York City.
1909 - The last of the Three Stooges, Curly Joe DeRita is born Joseph Wardell in Philadelphia.
1930 - Iconic Canadian film and television actor from The Rowdyman, Saint Ralph, The Grand Seduction, The Red Green Show, Due South, Made In Canada, Republic Of Doyle and Blackula, Gordon Pinsent is born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland.
1937 - Bill Cosby is born in Philadelphia.
1948 - Emmy Award winner for his work on Murphy Brown, former Bruins goalie Eddie LeBec on Cheers, a regular on Mork and Mindy, and an annual Christmas time guest on David Letterman’s Show to tell his infamous "Lone Ranger Story" - actor/comedian/radio host Jay Thomas is born in Kermit, Texas.
1959 - American actor, comedian, and writer Charlie Murphy, best known for his work on Chappelle’s Show, is born in Brooklyn, NYC.
1967 - Natalie Desselle-Reid is born in Alexandria, Louisiana. She is best remembered for the films B.A.P.S., Madea's Big Happy Family, and Def Jam's How to Be a Player, and for the television series Built to Last, For Your Love, and Eve.
1969 - Lisa Nicole Carson is born in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known as Renee Raddick in Ally McBeal (1997–2002), and for playing Sylvia in the movie Life (1999).
1976 - Anna Friel is born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. Her breakout role was as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on ABC's fantasy comedy Pushing Daisies (2007–2009). Film credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Sunset Strip (2000), Land of the Lost (2009), and The Cleanse (2016).
1977 - Steve Howey is born in San Antonio, Texas. He’s best known for his TV roles as Van Montgomery on The WB/CW sitcom Reba, and Kevin Ball on Showtime’s Shameless. Films on his resume include: Bride Wars, Game Over, Man!, and Something Borrowed.
1978 - Topher Grace is born in New York City. Notable roles include starring it two sitcoms - as Eric Forman in Fox’s That '70s Show, and struggling author Tom in ABC’s Home Economics. He’s also been in such movies as Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, In Good Company, American Ultra, Valentine's Day, Take Me Home Tonight, The Big Wedding, War Machine, Irresistible, and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.
1984 - The very last of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts airs with Man of the Hour Michael Landon. Roasters include Norm Crosby, Slappy White, Vic Tayback, Maureen Murphy, football greats Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, and Bubba Smith, as well as Lorne Greene, Orson Welles, and Don Rickles, who had been on the very first Celebrity Roast.
1984 - He’s Mo McCracken in the TBS sitcom Clipped and Lowell in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan. Actor Matt Cook is born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
1987 - 19 year old Artie Lange performed his first stand-up comedy routine at The Improv in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, where he recalls: "I bombed for five minutes... I was unprepared, I mumbled and I forgot stuff. But I'm proud that I did it."
1990 - She won two Golden Globes and an Emmy for starring as the eponymous Mrs. Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Rachel Brosnahan is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1990 - Northern Exposure premieres on CBS, starring Rob Morrow as a doctor sent by the state of Alaska to the remote northern town of Cicely to repay his student loans for medical school. Boasting a cast including Janine Turner, Barry Corbin, John Cullum, Darren E. Burrows, John Corbett, Cynthia Geary, Elaine Miles, Peg Phillips, Paul Provenza and Teri Polo, it would run for six seasons.
1991 - Best known as Dewey, the youngest brother in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, actor Erik Per Sullivan is born in Worcester, Massachusetts.
1995 - The film Nine Months premieres, two days before its wide release. Written and directed by Chris Columbus, the film stars Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Tom Arnold, Joan Cusack, Jeff Goldblum and Robin Williams - and thanks to Grant’s recent arrest for solicitation of a prostitute and his hugely publicized appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to apologize for it, it draws big numbers at the box office despite lukewarm reviews.
2008 - German stand-up Mario Barth sets a World Record for largest crowd to see a comic as 67,000 fans fill Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
2013 - In the wake of his elimination from Dancing with the Stars, Andy Dick kicks off a weekend of partying in the Hamptons, which includes: Being abandoned by his friend at a party (without a phone or wallet)... basically terrorizing the woman who offers him a place to stay, by allegedly grabbing her steering wheel, blasting her radio, groping and propositioning both she and her husband, spitting at and verbally abusing her, then, when she finally decides he should go back to the party (for some reason!), stealing their beers to drink on the way… running through the streets of Montauk buck naked… crashing a private Beach magazine party and being asked to leave after urinating in a bush… and crashing a share-house, where he reportedly wets his bed and leaves urine soaked underwear on the floor. Pretty busy weekend, even by Andy Dick standards.
This Day in Comedy History
July 13
1928 - Star of the Nazi concentration camp comedy (yes, you read that correctly), the Colonel who put the Hogan in Hogan’s Heroes, Bob Crane is born in Waterbury, Connecticut.
1940 - Patrick Stewart is born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England. He’s best known as Star Trek’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but has performed in many comedies - particularly his voice. Credits include CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock in the Fox series American Dad!, the sheep in A Million Ways to Die in the West, the narrator in Ted and Ted 2, and “Poop” in The Emoji Movie. Live action film comedy roles include: Gunmen (1993), Masterminds (1997), Hunting Elephants (2013), Christmas Eve (2015), The Wilde Wedding (2017) and Charlie’s Angels (2019).
1942 - Hollywood franchise superstar Harrison Ford is born in Chicago, Illinois. Comedy film credits include: American Graffiti (1973), Heroes (1977), The Frisco Kid (1979), Working Girl (1988), Sabrina (1995), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Hollywood Homicide (2003), and Morning Glory (2010).
1946 - No matter how many films or TV shows he does, Richard Anthony Marin will always be best known as one half of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong - Cheech Marin is born in South Central L.A. - even though this picture comes from his movie Born in East L.A.:
1948 - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s second Aunt Vivian, Daphne Maxwell Reid is born in New York City.
1951 - In Brooklyn, New York, Didi Conn is born. She’s best known as Frenchy in Grease, and Denise Stevens Downey in the sitcom Benson.
1957 - Filmmaker and author Cameron Crowe is born in Palm Springs, California. He wrote a number of film comedy classics, including his debut effort, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as well as Say Anything..., Singles, Jerry Maguire, Elizabethtown and the autobiographical Almost Famous, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
1959 - Second City alum and cast member at SNL, Danitra Vance is born in Chicago.
1962 - Hyper stand-up comic and voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, Tom Kenny is born in Syracuse, New York.
1969 - Best known for The Hangover movies and the television shows Community, Dr. Ken and The Masked Singer, comic/actor/licensed physician Ken Jeong is born in Detroit.
1985 - Live Aid, the global fundraiser for Ethiopian famine relief takes place in London and Philadelphia, with satellite locations around the world. No doubt, the kind of event that could use some lighter touches. These were provided by Chevy Chase and Joe Piscopo sharing some of the hosting duties at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, while at Wembley Billy Connolly, Pamela Stephenson, and Tracey Ullman were in-studio guests. Connolly would duck out to introduce Elton John, and Not the Nine O’Clock News stars Griff Rhys-Jones and Mel Smith came out dressed as constables to spritz a bit before introducing the performance by Queen. You may have heard something about that.
1989 - Roseanne Barr files for divorce in Los Angeles from William Pentland.
1990 - The Andrew Dice Clay vehicle The Adventures of Ford Fairlane hits theatres.
1990 - Quick Change is released. Based on the French/Canadian Jean-Paul Belmondo film Hold-Up (1985), the heist comedy is notable not just for being hilarious, but because it was produced and co-directed by its star, Bill Murray - making it the only directing credit in Murray’s storied career. Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Phil Hartman, Victor Argo, Kurtwood Smith, Bob Elliott and Philip Bosco co-star in this underrated gem, which did well with critics but not-so-well at the box office.
1993 - At the MTV Movie Awards, Marisa Tomei wins Breakthrough Performance for My Cousin Vinny and Robin Williams takes Best Comedic Performance for Aladdin. Beyond that, each of the five Best Picture nominees (A Few Good Men, Malcolm X, The Bodyguard, Basic Instinct and Aladdin), were presented in parody clips featuring the cast of the classic '70s sitcom The Brady Bunch... (The Basic Instinct one gets a bit weird, considering they're, you know, family.)
1994 - 30 years after its initial theatrical run, Stanley Kubrick's dark comedy classic Dr. Strangelove is re-released.
1995 - Jim Carrey displays his inner Coppertone girl on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine's summer double issue.
2001 - Legally Blonde, the Reese Witherspoon fish-out-of-water legal comedy, makes its debut. Spoiler alert: It’s all about the shoes.
2006 - Beloved Borscht Belt and burlesque comic who made it to Broadway, won an Oscar and had his own long-running television show, and who is well remembered for his many “Never Got a Dinner!” routine as a Celebrity Roasts fixture, Red Buttons passes away at the age of 87.
2013 - The season four finale of Marc Maron’s series Maron airs on IFC, with Marc Maron having announced on his WTF Podcast just two days prior that it would also serve as the series finale. It had run for 49 episodes over four seasons.
This Day in Comedy History
July 14
1910 - Cartoonist, animator and voice actor William Hanna is born in Melrose, New Mexico. Along with his partner Joseph Barbera they formed Hanna-Barbera and would be responsible for creating and/or producing Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, The Banana Splits, The Wacky Races, The Huckleberry Hound Show, Atom Ant, Josie and the Pussycats and The Smurfs.
1933 - Popeye the Sailor Man appears in his first animated cartoon.
1944 - Swedish actor Emil Fjellström passes away in Stockholm, aged 59. His acting career began with a role in the comedy Thomas Graals bästa (1917), written by Gustaf Molander, directed by Mauritz Stiller and starring Victor Sjöström and Karin Molander. Working steadily until his death in 1944, he is remembered for his many comedic roles, particularly playing stern but affectionate characters. Other notable credits include Secret Svensson (Hemliga Svensson) (1933), With You in My Arms (Med dej i mina arma) (1945) and Thunder and Lightning (Blixt och dunder) (1938).
1952 - Actor and voice artist known for playing Wally Logan in a number of Brady Bunch spin offs, as well as for the movie roles of Dave “Killer” Carlson in the hockey comedy Slap Shot and Oscar "Oscy" Seltzer in Summer of '42 and its sequel, Class of '44 - Jerry Houser is born in Los Angeles.
1960 - Comic and actress who cut her teeth at The Second City in Chicago who would go on films like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, while also finding time to win five Emmy Awards for her television work, including a starring role in the series Glee, Jane Lynch is born in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
1960 - Musician, songwriter and comedian Kyle Gass, best known as a half of Tenacious D (with Jack Black), is born in Walnut Creek, California.
1961 - Tough kid Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears trilogy, as well as from the films Breaking Away, Losin’ It and Semi Pro, Oscar-nominated actor Jackie Earle Hayley is born in Los Angeles.
1970 - Great Falls, Montana’s Missy Gold is born. She played the governor's daughter, Katie Gatling, on the sitcom Benson (1979–86).
1984 - TV Guide decides to let you know why you like him.
1985 - Award winning creator, writer and star of the British cringe comedy Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is born in London.
1990 - If the headline is correct, Sinbad catches a break - and some "Goodwill" of his own - on the cover of TV Guide.
1993 - Artie gets stuck in traffic and deputizes Paula to produce that night’s show on The Larry Sanders Show episode Artie’s Gone.
1998 - The film Dennis the Menace Strikes Again is released, featuring Don Rickles and Betty White.
2005 - One of three premieres to take place in Europe - the Odeon West End hosts the London premiere of Wedding Crashers.
2007 - A rough cut of the full feature film Fanboys is shown in public for the first time at Star Wars Celebration Europe - including the cancer storyline fans demanded, which had been cut from the re-shot and re-edited version.
2020 - New Zealand-based South African comic Urzila Carlson has her special Overqualified Loser released on Netflix.
2020 - Directed by Alex Winter, the documentary Showbiz Kids premieres on HBO. Concerning the effects of stardom on youths, the film is dedicated to the memory of former child actors Cameron Boyce and Diana Serra Cary who had both passed away in the previous year.
This Day in Comedy History
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