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This Day in Comedy History
November 8 - 14
November 8
1914 - The great Norman Lloyd is born Norman Perlmutter in Jersey City, New Jersey. A consummate workhorse, he began his performance career at the age of 8 in 1923 and his last film role, in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck (2015), came out when Lloyd was 100 years old. In his legendarily long career, Lloyd played such roles as DeWitt Pyncheon in A Letter for Evie (1946), Dr. Sturdevant in No Minor Vices (1948), Bodalink in Charlie Chaplin's Limelight (1952), Carruthers in the Get Smart movie The Nude Bomb (1980), and Headmaster Gale Nolan in the acclaimed Robin Williams film Dead Poets Society (1989).
1927 - English comedian and singer Ken Dodd is born. Famous for his live stand-up performances, Sir Kenneth would be described as “the last great music hall entertainer”.
1952 - Golden Globe and four time Emmy winner Alfre Woodard is born in Tulsa, OK. Her film appearances include Scrooged (1988), Miss Firecracker (1989), Grand Canyon (1991), The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992), Heart and Souls (1993), Mumford (1999), What's Cooking? (2000), The Singing Detective (2003), Beauty Shop (2005), Something New (2006), Reach for Me (2008) and Fatherhood (2021).
1961 - He’s known from the movies Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) and Cheerleader Camp (1988), and for taking over the role of Felix Unger’s son Leonard from Willie Aames in ABC’s hit sitcom The Odd Couple. Leif Garrett is born in Hollywood, CA.
1967 - Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith, who played Georgia in Ally McBeal, Cheryl in According to Jim and Lyndsey in Two and a Half Men, is born in San Francisco.
1968 - While driving back to his hotel after a show near Leeds, Ernie Morecambe of Morecambe & Wise fame suffered a near-fatal heart attack at the age of 42. At the time he was a heavy drinker who also smoked 60 cigarettes a day.
1968 - Golden Globe nominated actress best known for her appearances in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries Best In Show, For Your Consideration, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind and Mascots, as well as Josie and the Pussycats and Dazed and Confused, Parker Posey is born in Baltimore, MD.
1972 - Gretchen Mol is born in Deep River, Connecticut. Her acting credits include Spike Lee’s Girl 6 (1996), opposite Jude Law in the rom-com Music from Another Room (1998), and Woody Allen’s films Celebrity (1998), opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sweet and Lowdown (1999).
1975 - Chevy Chase plays a shark attempting to talk a potential victim into letting him enter their home for the first time as Saturday Night Live features the first Land Shark sketch.
1975 - Actress Tara Reid, best known for the American Pie and Sharknado movie franchises, is born in Wyckoff, New Jersey.
1979 - Dania Ramirez is born in Santo Domingo, Domican Republic. On TV, she played Alex in HBO’s Entourage and Rosie in Lifetime's Devious Maids. On the big screen, her roles include She Hate Me (2004), American Reunion (2012) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).
1980 - Delicate flower that she is, Polly Holliday of her new series Flo blossoms on the cover of TV Guide.
1985 - The film Transylvania 6-5000, starring Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begly, Jr. as tabloid journalists sent to Transylvania to investigate sightings of Frankenstein, and also finding various other horror movie monsters, is released. The film’s co-stars include Joseph Bologna, Geena Davis, Michael Richards, Carol Kane, Teresa Ganzel, John Byner, and Jeffrey Jones.
1991 - He played Jeff, a Dalton Academy Warblers member, on Fox's hit musical-comedy series Glee. Riker Lynch is born in Littleton, Colorado.
1995 - Rapper Flavor Flav is arrested on gun and drug charges while driving a cab in New York City. He had been released from prison two months earlier, and would go on to star in more than one ridiculous reality TV show.
2001 - Sacha Baron Cohen presents, as Ali G, at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Frankfort, Germany.
2002 - He played teenaged son Mason in the ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together. Van Crosby is born.
2011 - Rapper Heavy D (real name Dwight Arrington Myers) collapses outside his Beverly Hills home and dies of a pulmonary embolism. He acted in such comedies as Who's the Man? (1993), B*A*P*S (1997), The Deli (1997), Life (1999), Big Trouble (2002), Larceny (2004) and Tower Heist (2011).
2014 - Actor Jeff Goldblum marries Canadian Olympic gymnast Emilie Livingston, who is 30 years his junior.
November 9
1922 - Raymond Devos, comedian clown, is born in Belgian. He was famed for his surrealist humour and sophisticated puns.
1945 - Best known 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 is born in Houston, TX.
1951 - Lou Ferrigno of The Incredible Hulk fame is born in Brooklyn, NYC. His movie credits include All’s Fair (1989), The Godson (1998) and I Love You, Man (2009). He also played a version of himself in the sitcom The King of Queens (2000-2007).
1966 - It’s music history but qualifies as comedy because it was a successful worldwide hoax: this is the date Paul McCartney supposedly was killed in a car crash, according to the infamous “Paul is Dead” hoax that circulated in 1969.
1968 - The cover of TV Guide suggests there was a wedding on Get Smart (and an opinion on James Garner).
1972 - Actor Eric Dane is born in San Francisco. He’s known for the movies Marley & Me (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), Sol Goode (2003) and Feast (2005).
1982 - The Young Ones premieres on BBC and becomes an instant hit, helping to introduce alternative comedy to Britain.
1987 - Theatre actor Emily Tyra is born in Minneapolis. She also starred in the Canadian horror-comedy Harpoon (2019).
1988 - In Great Neck, NY, Nikki Blonsky is born. She was nominated for her breakout role in the movie version of Hairspray (2007). Other credits include Harold (2008), The English Teacher (2012) and Geography Club (2013).
1991 - The sitcom Charlie Hooper, starring Tim Matheson and featuring Sam Kinison, Lucy Webb and Bill Maher, premieres on Fox. The show would last just over a month.
1993 - Movie star known for many comedies Angie Dickinson makes history, as she becomes the first person in 500 shows to walk out of a televised This Is Your Life tribute. She had been lured under the pretext of being interviewed for a special about director Brian de Palma, but when host Pat Sajak surprised her with the "this is your life!" greeting she refused to take part and walked out, surprising the show’s audience, producers, and guests including Bob Hope, Burt Reynolds, Earl Holliman and Jackie Collins. She later said that she had previously been approached about being a guest on the show and had declined, and that the main reason she refused was that she didn't look good crying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8w2534bx-U
1994 - The movie that launched director Kevin Smith’s career, Clerks is released. A classic of indie filmmaking - it was made for just over $27,000, the funds raised by Smith maxing out a number of small limit credit cards, selling off most of his comic book collection, and using funds set aside for education and from an insurance settlement, and shot in the actual video and convenience stores Smith had worked in - it A) introduced us to the characters Jay and Silent Bob, and B) was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
1997 - Actor Michael Lookinland, best known for playing Bobby on The Brady Bunch, is arrested for drunk driving in Utah after rolling his Ford Bronco.
2003 - Honeymooners star and Oscar winner for Harry and Tonto, Art Carney dies of natural causes at his home near Westbrook, Connecticut, at the age of 85.
2009 - In Coweta County, Georgia, Katt Williams is arrested after allegedly breaking into the home of the movie producer who he had been staying with and working for, to steal $3,500 in jewelry and rare coins. He was released on $40,000 bail.
2010 - Tina Fey becomes the youngest ever recipient of the Mark twain Prize For American Humor.
2012 - Tracy Morgan headlines the show at the University Of Florida’s annual homecoming week event Gator Growl.
2018 - Sarah Silverman receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Those there for support included Jon Hamm, John C. Reilly and a lifelike wax Jimmy Kimmel.
November 10
1924 - Legendary Australian TV, film and theatre comedian Bobby Limb is born.
1931 - On the day after her 63rd birthday, Canadian actress and comedian Marie Dressler wins the Best Actress Oscar for her work in the comedy-drama Min and Bill. She would hold the crown as the oldest person to win in that category for 51 years, until Katharine Hepburn took the statue for On Golden Pond in 1974.
1937 - Actor Albert Hall is born in Brighton, Alabama. He’s best known for playing Judge Seymore Walsh in two TV series, Ally McBeal and The Practice
1949 - Star of many Broadway hits as well as such movies as Movie Movie (1978), Annie (1982), and Micki & Maude (1984), Tony Award and Olivier Award winner Ann Reinking is born in Seattle.
1956 - Sinbad is born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and immediately begins working on his Star Search set.
1959 - Mackenzie Phillips is born in Alexandria, Virginia. She is best known for starring as rebellious teen daughter Julie on the sitcom One Day at a Time, as well as for her roles in the film American Graffiti and on Disney Channel’s fantasy series So Weird.
1963 - He’s known for his roles in such films as the romantic comedy Notting Hill (1999), George Clooney’s The Monuments Men (2014), and the family films Paddington (2014) and its sequel Paddington 2 (2017) - Hugh Bonneville is born in, fittingly, Paddington, London, England.
1963 - American comedian and original In Living Color cast member Tommy Davidson is born.
1964 - Michael Jai White is born in Brooklyn, NYC. He’s best known for playing the character Marcus Williams in Tyler Perry’s films Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, as well as in the TBS/OWN series Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse. He also starred in the blaxpoitation action-comedy series Black Dynamite (2009), including both the movie and animated series.
1968 - Stand-up comedian and SNL and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan is born in NYC.
1968 - Comedian Tom Papa is born in Passaic, New Jersey.
1969 - Sesame Street, featuring a number of Jim Henson’s famous Muppet creations, debuts on PBS.
1969 - Ellen Pompeo is born in Everett, Massachusetts. She’s most famous for starring in Grey’s Anatomy but has also found time to make a lot of movies, including such comedies as Coming Soon (1999), Old School (2003) and Life of the Party (2005).
1970 - Stand-up comedian Orny Adams is born in Lexington, Massachusetts.
1971 - Emmy nominated actor Walton Goggins is born in Birmingham, Alabama. He starred in the television series Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones. His film credits include House of 1000 Corpses (2003), Randy and the Mob (2007), American Ultra (2015) and Fatman (2020).
1974 - Australian comedian Chris Lilley, responsible for the hit mockumentary series Summer Heights High, is born.
1982 - Heather Matarazzo is born in Long Island, New York. She has acted in such films as Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Sorority Boys (2002) and Saved! (2004).
1986 - Actor/comedian Josh Peck is born in New York City. He’s best known for co-starring in the Nickelodeon sitcom and movies franchise Drake & Josh (2004-2008). He also acted in The Amanda Show (2000-2002) and such movies as Drillbit Taylor (2008), The Wackness (2008), Danny Collins (2015) and Take the 10 (2017).
1994 - The Vicar of Dibley premieres on BBC.
1994 - In Los Angeles, Zoey Deutch is born. She’s best known for playing Infinity Jackson in the Netflix series The Politician (2019-). Her film roles include Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! (2016), Why Him? (2016), Flower (2017), The Year of Spectacular Men (2017), Set It Up (2018), Zombieland: Double Tap (2019), and Buffaloed (2019).
2000 - Adam Sandler’s Little Nicky premieres in theatres, featuring Harvey Keitel, Patricia Arquette, Rhys Ifans, Reese Witherspoon, Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Smigel, Tiny Lister, Kevin Nealon, Dana Carvey and Michael McKean with cameos by Rob Schneider, Jon Lovitz and Henry Winkler.
2006 - On his 36th birthday, Orny Adams’ DVD/CD, Path of Most Resistance, is released.
2008 - At The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., George Carlin is awarded the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Having passed away on June 22, four days after he was announced as that year’s honoree, Carlin was its first posthumous recipient.
2009 - Weird Al Yankovic was a guest "internet scientist" on Rocketboom's "Know Your Meme" video series, in the installment on the topic of Auto-Tune.
2011 - Created by and starring Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the life of a dwarf actor series Life’s Too Short premieres on BBC Two. On the debut episode, Liam Neeson meets with the gents to talk about his next career move, the desire to move into comedy.
2012 - Stand-up Russell Peters becomes the first comic to headline Brooklyn’s brand new Barclays Center.
2012 - Disney Channel’s musical-comedy series Groove High premieres. The show would last 26 episodes, with stars Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks.
2018 - Lt. Commander Dan Crenshaw, a Texas veteran and 2018 Midterm Election candidate, appears on SNL’s Weekend Update segment to accept an apology from Pete Davidson who on the previous week’s show said Crenshaw looked like "a hitman in a porno movie."
November 11
1906 - “Brother Theodore” is born in Germany and becomes a hugely successful comedian and actor in the US. He is known as the father of “stand-up tragedy” for his rambling, stream-of-conscience monologues.
1925 - Comic, actor, author and improvisation icon Jonathan Winters is born in Bellbrook, Ohio.
1968 - Christian comedian and country musician David L. Cook is born.
1971 - With guests including John Wayne and Tiny Tim, Rowan And Martin’s Laugh-In celebrates its 100th episode.
1979 - The final episode of the first series of To The Manor Born airs on BBC1 and draws the highest numbers of any British tv show of the decade (not counting live events).
1984 - In the comedy category of the talent competition Star Search, stand-up Steve Mittleman wins the night, halting Rosie O’Donnell’s win streak at five weeks.
2003 - The Bill Engvall album Here's Your Sign Reloaded is released.
2004 - “Whoooooyyy not, Bubbe?” Comedian and actor Dayton Allen, best known as one of Steve Allen’s “men on the street”, dies of complications from a stroke in Hendersonville, North Carolina, at the age of 85.
2006 - On SNL, Steve Martin invites fellow prestigious “Five Timers Club” member Alec Baldwin into the even more exclusive Platinum Lounge, whose membership is reserved for twelve-time hosts such as them and John Goodman.
2008 - Artie Lange publishes his biographical book Too Fat to Fish, with a foreword by Howard Stern. It entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one and remained on the list's top ten for eleven weeks.
2010 - The new, live staged version of The Pee-Wee Herman Show relocated to New York for a limited run at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Over $3 million in advance tickets were sold, leading to an extra performance being added and taped for the HBO network the following January.
2014 - Shout! Factory released a special 25th Anniversary Edition of UHF on DVD and BluRay.
2014 - American character actress Carol Ann Susi, whose career spanned more than 40 years and was best celebrated for her final role, a voice only performance as Howard’s overprotective and belittling mother Mrs. Debbie Wolowitz in the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is born in Brooklyn, NY.
2017 - While in a medically induced coma in hospital in his home town of Málaga, Spain, the hugely influential and popular Spanish comedian, flamenco singer and actor Chiquito de la Calzada, passes away, at age 85.
2018 - Actor Heather Matarazzo and comedian Heather Turman get married.
November 12
1943 - “Inconceivable!” Was comedian, actor and playwright Wallace Shawn really born on this day? Yup! FUN FACT: We here at the WWCAs love Wallace Shawn… like, it’s unhealthy how delightful we find this man.
1958 - Two time Emmy winner and four time Golden Globe nominee for her role on Will & Grace, Megan Mullally is born in Los Angeles.
1959 - Sir Phillip Niles Argyle of Montreal, better known as the Phillip half of the Canadian comedy duo Terrance and Phillip, is born.
1963 - Sam Lloyd, best remembered for his wonderful portrayal of lawyer Ted Buckland on two comedy TV series, Scrubs and Cougar Town, is born in Springfield, Vermont. He also played Barkley in Double Rush, Dr. Goldfine in Desperate Housewives, Roy Galilean in Battery Park and Mr. Walker in The Middle.
1971 - Rebecca Wisocky, who played Evelyn Powell in the Lifetime comedy-drama series Devious Maids, is born in York, Pennsylvania.
1974 - Tamala Jones is born in Pasadena, CA. She has acted in such comedies as Booty Call, The Wood, Kingdom Come, The Brothers, and What Men Want. Her television roles include the recurring roles of Tina on Veronica's Closet, Bobbi on For Your Love, and Lanie Parish on Castle.
1974 - Angela Watson is born. She played Suzanne Somers’ middle child, Karen, in the 1990s sitcom Step By Step.
1976 - The crime comedy Special Delivery opens in Sweden, the native country of actor Bo Svenson, who co-stars with Cybill Shepherd. Sorrell Booke and Vic Tayback play supporting roles.
1978 - In Westchester County, NY, Ashley Williams is born. She starred in the sitcoms The Jim Gaffigan Show on TV Land and Good Morning Miami on NBC, and also played Victoria on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.
1980 - Golden Globe winner and two time Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling is born in “The Forest City,” London, Ontario, Canada. His film credits include Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), The Big Short (2015) and La La Land (2016).
1982 - Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Anne Hathaway is born in Brooklyn, NY. She has starred in such movies as Disney’s The Princess Diaries (2001), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Bride Wars (2009), Valentine's Day (2010), Love & Other Drugs (2010), The Intern (2015), Ocean's 8 (2018), The Hustle (2019) and The Witches (2020).
1990 - Emmy winning, Oscar nominated veteran American comedian and actress Eve Arden, best remembered for the TV series Our Miss Brooks and The Mothers-in-Law, passes away in her Los Angeles home from cardiac arrest and heart disease. Her film roles include Having Wonderful Time (1938) and the Marx Brothers' At the Circus (1939), as well as Grease (1978) and Grease 2 (1982).
1992 - An expanded version of the French and Saunders sketch Modern Mother And Daughter, created by French and Saunders, but only starring Jennifer Saunders (along with Joanna Lumley and more), the classic British series Absolutely Fabulous debuts on BBC Two.
1996 - The eventually long-running comedy panel show Never Mind The Buzzcocks debuts on BBC Two with regular captains Phill Jupitas and Sean Hughes.
2000 - Norm Macdonald appears on the Celebrity Edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and wins $500,000 for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Charity Camp.
2004 - At the University of Florida’s annual homecoming weekend Gator Growl, Dane Cook is the opening act for Bill Engvall in front of a crowd of 40,000.
2014 - After a two year battle between Sherman Hemsley’s business manager and half brother, a Texas court rules on the side of the manager and orders that the late actor’s remains remain burind in El Paso and not moved to Pennsylvania.
November 13
1940 - Walt Disney’s Fantasia has its world premiere in New York.
1941 - Actor Jimmy Hawkins, best known for his roles in the sitcoms The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver and The Donna Reed Show, is born in Los Angeles. We’d also like to commend him for serving on The Jimmy Stewart Museum Advisory Board, and also served on the Board of Directors of the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts for 20 years.
1947 - Tony Award winning stage and screen actor whose film credits include Three Amigos (1986), Things Change (1988), Baby’s Day Out (1994), Airheads (1994), Forget Paris (1995), Jerry and To (1998) and Kill Me, Deadly (2015), Joe Mantegna is born in Chicago. He also voices the character of mob boss Fat Tony in The Simpsons as well as The Simpsons Movie (2007).
1954 - Actor Chris Noth is born in Madison, Wisconsin. He’s best known for his Golden Globe nominated performance as Big in HBO’s Sex and the City (1998–2004) as well as the films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010).
1955 - Whoopi Goldberg is born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York City.
1960 - Actor-comedian Neil Flynn is born in Waukegan, Illinois. He is best known for playing the Janitor on Scrubs and Mike Heck in the ABC’s sitcom The Middle.
1967 - Comedian and late night host Jimmy Kimmel is born.
1967 - In Marshall, Minnesota, actor and comedian Steve Zahn is born. His film roles include Reality Bites (1994), That Thing You Do! (1996), Out of Sight (1998), Happy, Texas (1999), Stuart Little (1999) and Stuart Little 2 (2002), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). On TV, he played Ronnie in Modern Family and starred in HBO’s satirical miniseries The White Lotus.
1969 - He has starred in such films as RocknRolla (2008), The Ugly Truth (2009), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Movie 43 (2013) and All-Star Weekend (2021). Gerard Butler is born in Paisley, Scotland.
1976 - The Carol Burnett Show parodies Gone With The Wind (which had been re-released in theatres), particularly the famous scene where Rhett Butler is coming to visit, but war ravaged with nothing to wear, Scarlett takes down the curtains to sew into a dress. The Burnett version would prompt one of the longest laughs heard on the series. The sketch Went With The Wind airs on CBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksHElDPHNLI
1980 - Monique Coleman is born in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She played Taylor McKessie in Disney's High School Musical movies.
1983 - Alvin Samples Jr, better known as “Junior” Samples, passes away at age 57. He was best known for his 14 year stint on Hee Haw.
1986 - Scottish stand-up comedian Kevin Bridges is born.
1989 - Arsenio Hall lands on the cover of Time.
1991 - Devon Bostick is born in Toronto. He played Rodrick Heffley in the first three Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies.
1993 - Actress Michelle Pfeiffer and TV writer-producer David E. Kelley get married.
1995 - Ben Elton’s The Thin Blue Line, starring Rowan Atkinson, premieres on BBC.
1998 - In a “something-for-everyone (to dislike)” booking, the annual Gator Growl at the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium features Ray Romano as headliner, Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, and Larry the Cable Guy hosting.
1999 - Toy Story 2 is released.
2000 - During the Canadian Federal Election, the right wing Alliance Party and its leader Stockwell Day, in an effort to appear to be putting government more fully in the hands of its citizens, presented a policy that a referendum would be required for any proposal supported by a petition that could get 350,000 signatures (3% of the Canadian electorate). Showing how this could be manipulated by special interests, on the news/political satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Rick Mercer asked Canadians for a federal referendum to demand that Stockwell Day change his first name to “Doris”, making the party leader’s name Doris Day. It didn’t take long to surpass the number on the 22 Minutes petition, though the point was rendered moot as the Alliance fell well short in the election and could never enact the legislation.
2001 - On her 46th birthday, Whoopi Goldberg receives a nice present - a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2006 - Katt Williams is arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after a stolen gun is found in his briefcase. A month later he would plead no contest and receive a fine and a sentence of three months’ probation.
2008 - The cast of Night Court, or at least Harry Anderson, Markie Post and Charlie Robinson, reunite on the 30 Rock episode The One with the Cast of Night Court, where Tracy tries to give the show the farewell it never got to please Kenneth. Jennifer Aniston also appears on the episode in a non-Night Court storyline with Jack.
November 14
1921 - Fatty Arbuckle’s first trial begins, in the city courthouse in San Francisco. The silent film star would eventually be cleared of the charges, related to the death of a young woman he was drinking in a hotel room with, after two trials and with an apology from the jury - but his career never recovered from the scandal.
1921 - Actor of stage, film and TV fame Brian Keith is born in Bayonne, New Jersey. In his six decade long career he is best known for his television work, including starring roles in Family Affair, playing an uncle turned reluctant parent, his own The Brian Keith Show, and in the comedy series Heartland. He also appeared in such movies as Disney’s original The Parent Trap (1961) and The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966).
1928 - Veteran actress Kathleen Hughes is born in Hollywood. From her first films in 1949 (Mother Is a Freshman, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College, It Happens Every Spring) to the mockumentary Welcome to Hollywood in 1998, and her final appearance so far, in the 2017 short Swamp Women Kissing Booth, she has a pile of comedy credits. Happy Birthday, Kathleen!
1961 - D.B. Sweeney, who co-starred with Moira Kelly in the rom-com The Cutting Edge (1992), and played the recurring role of Larry in the sitcom Two and a Half Men, is born in Shoreham, NY.
1962 - Uniquely talented stand-up comedian and actor Harland Williams is born in Toronto. Also, he has seven minute abs!
1962 - BAFTA and two time Golden Globe nominated actor Laura San Giacomo is born in West Orange, New Jersey. She’s best known for starring as Maya Gallo on the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! (1997–2003) and for playing Kit De Luca in the hit rom-com Pretty Woman (1990). Other film roles include Stuart Saves His Family (1995), With Friends Like These… (1998) and Checking Out (2005).
1964 - In Paterson, New Jersey, Patrick Warburton is born. He played David Puddy on Seinfeld, Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect, Jeff Bingham on Rules of Engagement, Lemony Snicket on A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Tick on, well, The Tick. He also voices Joe Swanson on Family Guy.
1966 - Riding high with his latest Broadway success, director Mike Nichols graces the cover of Newsweek.
1972 - He has starred in such comedies as When in Rome (2010), Life as We Know It (2010), New Year's Eve (2011) and Love, Simon (2018). Josh Duhamel is born in Minot, North Dakota.
1981 - Vanessa Bayer of Saturday Night Live fame (2010-2017) is born in Orange, Ohio. The Emmy nominated comedian and actress has also appeared in such films as Trainwreck (2015), Office Christmas Party (2016), Carrie Pilby (2016) and Ibiza (2018).
1981 - In Billericay, Essex, England, Russell Tovey is born. He’s best known for playing werewolf George Sands in BBC's supernatural comedy Being Human and Steve in BBC Three’s sitcom Him & Her. He also played Rudge in both the stage and film versions of The History Boys, and Kevin in HBO’s Looking and Looking: The Movie.
1987 - After six seasons, the cable TV anthology series Faerie Tale Theatre comes to an end. The series was created and hosted by Shelley Duvall, who conceived of it on the set of Popeye (1980), asked Robin Williams for his thoughts, and ended up having him guest star in its pilot episode.
1988 - The sitcom Murphy Brown, starring Candice Bergen, debuts on CBS.
1998 - A Bug’s Life premieres.
2014 - A memorial bench dedicated to Rik Mayall was unveiled, on the same spot where the bench from Bottom’s opening credits used to be before its removal, on Hammersmith Broadway in London.