Chris Gethard

Christopher Paul Gethard (/ˈɡɛθərd/; born May 23, 1980) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He was the host of The Chris Gethard Show, a talk show based in New York City that began airing in 2011 and was cancelled in 2018. He also hosts the podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People.

Chris Gethard
Gethard performing in New York City in July 2016
Born
Christopher Paul Gethard

(1980-05-23) May 23, 1980
West Orange, New Jersey[1]
OccupationActor, comedian, television host, podcaster, writer
TelevisionThe Chris Gethard Show
Spouse(s)
Hallie Bulleit (m. 2014)

Early life
Gethard taping The Chris Gethard Show in September 2011

Gethard grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, the son of Sally and Ken Gethard,[2][3] and attended West Orange High School.[4] He is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.

Career

Gethard is an improvisational actor who works largely out of Manhattan's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He began taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2000 while he was a student at Rutgers University.[5] He is in the longform improvisation team The Stepfathers. He organizes a monthly show entitled "The Nights of Our Lives". He has also been part of the UCB Theater's national touring company. An early noted work was entitled Darryl, a one-man show where he portrayed troubled baseball player Darryl Strawberry.

Gethard also wrote the web series The Most Awkward Boy in the World which starred fellow Stepfathers member Zach Woods.

Gethard was featured on Variety magazine's "Ten Comics to Watch in 2010" list.

Gethard has appeared in multiple CollegeHumor.com videos. He has also appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Hope and Faith and Comedy Central's Crossballs.

In April 2010, he was tapped as the lead, alongside Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell, in the Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake. In May 2012, during the CollegeHumor All-Nighter, Gethard announced he would be opening a strawberry farm in upper New Jersey.

In 2013, the Independent Film Channel asked Gethard to write a pilot based on his book, A Bad Idea I'm About to Do. IFC gave Gethard a year, in addition to writing his pilot, to market for them at festivals and produce web content.[6]

Gethard released his first comedy album, My Comedy Album, on April 22, 2014 on New Jersey's Don Giovanni Records.

In August 2016, Gethard participated for the first time in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performing his show Career Suicide dealing with his experiences of depression, suicide attempts and alcoholism.[7] During his run at the festival, he also recorded an episode of Stuart Goldsmith's "Comedian's Comedian Podcast", which was published in December 2016.[8]

On May 6, 2017, HBO broadcast Career Suicide, an evening of standup comedy based on Gethard's off-Broadway show of the same title.[9] Produced by Judd Apatow, the HBO special has garnered praise from Time Magazine,[10] NPR,[11] the A.V. Club,[12] USA Today,[13] Entertainment Weekly,[14] The Daily Beast,[15] Paste Magazine,[16] The Huffington Post[17] and Splitsider.[18]

On October 10, 2019, he was featured in a 30-minute YouTube documentary called Laughing Matters, created by SoulPancake in collaboration with Funny or Die, wherein a variety of comedians discuss mental health.[19]

The Chris Gethard Show

Gethard hosted The Chris Gethard Show, a talkshow that originally aired on New York City public-access and was streamed around the world on Gethard's website. The show began as a live piece at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in 2009. Gethard then went to Los Angeles to pitch a network version of the show, but ended up returning to New York City to produce it for public-access because he wanted to retain the chaotic, cheap feel of early MTV talk shows. The show has since grown to consist of both stage and filmed performances. It has developed a reputation for outrageous spectacle, often featuring awkward viewer calls, high-concept group segments and Gethard subjecting himself to abuse, including an episode where he hired a kickboxer to hit him if he failed to answer simple questions about his friends.[5] As a child, Gethard admired comedians who seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted, such as Howard Stern, Andy Kaufman, and David Letterman. This interest influenced the style of The Chris Gethard Show and Gethard's comedic persona.

The show was entirely self-funded and none of the performers were paid for their time during its public access time. Though this largely surfaced as result of the style of Upright Citizens Brigade shows and the aesthetic of the show, Gethard had stated that he would not be opposed to the show being picked up by a television network. He met with a number of network producers, but the show was not picked up, the primary concern being its unpredictable nature and frequent swearing.[6] In early 2014, Comedy Central ordered a pilot from TCGS, to be co-produced by Funny or Die, leading to a brief hiatus from the weekly program. The pilot was taped, but ultimately not picked up by Comedy Central. The show returned to MNN from April to January 2015. In its final MNN episode it was announced that the show had been picked up by Fusion, where it ran for two seasons.

Throughout the show's many manifestations, it has attracted a number of celebrity guests including P. Diddy, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, Paul Giamatti, and Lena Dunham.[20]

After its run on Fusion, The Chris Gethard Show was picked up for a third season by truTV, and began airing live episodes in August 2017.[20] In August 2018, Chris Gethard announced the show had been canceled and would not return for another season.[21]

Beautiful/Anonymous

As of December 2019, Gethard is the host of Earwolf's podcast Beautiful/Anonymous, which first aired on March 15, 2016. The following is Earwolf's description of the show: "1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred. That’s the premise behind Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, hosted by comedian Chris Gethard...Every week, Chris opens the phone line to one anonymous caller, and he can’t hang up first, no matter what. From shocking confessions and family secrets to philosophical discussions and shameless self-promotion, anything can and will happen!"[22]

In Your Dreams

Gethard co-hosted Earwolf's podcast, In Your Dreams, with Gary Richardson.[23] The podcast first aired on December 12, 2016 with special guest comedian Aparna Nancherla, and the ninth and final episode aired on February 6, 2017.[23]

Books

Gethard is also the author of Weird NY, a book detailing the ghost stories and urban legends of New York City, and A Bad Idea I'm About to Do, a collection of stories from Gethard's life, which has been highlighted on This American Life.[24] Previously, Gethard served as an editorial assistant for the popular Weird NJ and Weird US publications.

On October 16, 2018, Gethard's self-help narrative Lose Well was published out of Harper Collins's HarperOne imprint.[25]

Interactions with fans

Gethard hitchhiked from Los Angeles to Bonnaroo (Tennessee) relying only on the good will of others to help him. He has a series of YouTube videos that document his trip. The videos include trips in vans and driving a firetruck.

The Chris Gethard Show is well known for its audience interaction. One show featured a woman calling in to inquire about the purpose of the show. Gethard invited her to join them and she became a regular for four months.[5] After this the notion of random, unknown fans becoming regular cast members became popular. The show continued this trend through its public access run, having a new "random" as a cast member for 15 episodes.

Personal life

Gethard married Hallie Bulleit, band leader for The Chris Gethard Show,[26] on August 30, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York.[27] The service was performed by fellow Chris Gethard Show cast member Murf Meyer.[28] The couple welcomed a son, Caleb David Gethard, in April 2019.

He is an avid fan of The Smiths and has two tattoos related to the band—Morrissey's signature on his right shoulder (based on an actual signature he got in marker on his arm), and "It takes strength to be gentle and kind," a lyric from "I Know It's Over," on his right biceps.[29]

Gethard has stated that his favorite sport is basketball and he is a New York Knicks fan. His favorite player growing up was Knicks guard John Starks, who appeared on The Chris Gethard Show in 2016.[30]

His brother is Philadelphia comedian Gregg Gethard, who performs as "Financial Guru Gregg Gethard" who promotes his investment seminar "Cash Dad Trash Dad" at various Motel 6s across the Eastern Seaboard.

Discography
  • My Comedy Album (2014)
  • Career Suicide (2017)
  • Taylor Ham, Egg, And Cheese (2019)

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2005M.A.S.Head ElfVideo Short
2009May the Best Man Win Tommy
2010Snoopy LampOfficer WengertVideo Short
The Other GuysClerk
2011AdultsMichaelVideo Short
A Novel Romance Unnamed Character
2012The DictatorClark
2013Iron Man 3JuanUncredited
The Angriest Man in BrooklynDr. Jordan Reed
The HeatHimself
2016Don't Think TwiceBill
GhostbustersHimselfCameo

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2004Crossballs: The Debate ShowWriter/ Additional Characters
Hope & FaithWally
2007Saturday Night LiveGuest WriterEpisode: "Scarlett Johansson/Björk"
The Knights of ProsperityBurton Employee
2010Big LakeJosh Franklin10 episodes
2010–2012Late Night with Jimmy FallonHimself3 episodes
2011The Back RoomHimself/ Banjo Kid from DeliveranceTV Series Short; 2 Episodes
Hardly WorkingHugh Jackman/ C-SnapTV Series Short
LouieOpen Mic Host
Bored to DeathSuper Ray Fan
2011–2018The Chris Gethard ShowHost
2012ConanHimself
BunkHimself
2013The OfficeTrevor3 episodes
2014–2016Broad CityTodd6 episodes
2015Parks and RecreationKipp BunthartEpisode: "Pie-Mary"
2016Netflix Presents: The CharactersMale CelebEpisode: "Natasha Rothwell"
2015–2016Inside Amy SchumerSteve/ Chris/ Juror #23 episodes
2017Chris Gethard: Career SuicideHimselfHBO special
BlindspotDr. Gary LemarshEpisode: "Lepers Repel"
2018No ActivityZach3 episodes
2019CrashingHimselfEpisode: "Mulaney"
2019–presentChris Gethard PresentsHimself/ Producer
2020Awkwafina Is Nora from QueensToby2 episodes
Dark Side of the Ring: After DarkHost
Space ForceEddieRecurring role

References
  1. Rose, Lisa (August 16, 2010). "New Jersey native Chris Gethard to star in 'Big Lake' on Comedy Central". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  2. "Beautiful/Anonymous: "Sorry Sally" T-Shirt - PodSwag". PodSwag. Chris Gethard's mother, Sally,
  3. "Ask a Grown-Up - This American Life". This American Life. March 17, 2017. Then we found Ken Gethard, comedian Chris Gethard's dad,
  4. Mishkin, Budd (May 13, 2014). "One On 1 Profile: Comedian Chris Gethard Offers a Unique Approach to the Entertainment Industry With His Public Access Following". NY1. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. It's not every comedian who can say they played Giants Stadium. Chris Gethard did with the 1996 West Orange, N.J. High School Marching Mountaineers.
  5. Raftery, Brian. "The Carson of Cable Access". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  6. Heisler, Steve. "Chris Gethard explains his new IFC deal and how he makes his public-access show". A.V. Club. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  7. Colter Walls, Seth (July 30, 2016). "Chris Gethard: turning shame and pain into laughs". The Guardian.
  8. "189 – Chris Gethard | The Comedian's Comedian". comedianscomedian.com.
  9. "Chris Gethard's Off-Broadway Career Suicide Sets HBO Air Date | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  10. Chan, Melissa (May 5, 2017). "Comedian Chris Gethard Is Risking His Career to Tackle This Topic". Time. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  11. Holmes, Linda (May 6, 2017). "Chris Gethard Isn't Kidding About 'Career Suicide'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  12. Adams, Erik (May 5, 2017). "It takes strength to be as gentle, kind, and funny as Chris Gethard's Career Suicide". AV Club. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  13. Ryan, Patrick. "How Chris Gethard's suicide attempt inspired his HBO comedy special". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  14. Bacle, Ariana (May 5, 2017). "Chris Gethard Is Far From 'Career Suicide' in New Show: EW Review". EW.com. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  15. Wilstein, Matt (January 30, 2017). "Chris Gethard Talks Turning Depression Into Comedy with 'Career Suicide'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  16. Techler, Graham (May 6, 2017). "In His Superb Career Suicide, Heaven Knows Chris Gethard's Miserable Now". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  17. Capewell, Jillian (May 4, 2017). "Chris Gethard's 'Career Suicide' Blurs The Line That Separates Tragedy And Comedy". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  18. Abriss, Erik (May 5, 2017). "Chris Gethard on 'Career Suicide's Journey from the Stage to HBO". Splitsider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  19. Comedians Tackling Depression & Anxiety Makes Us Feel Seen | Laughing Matters | Documentary, retrieved October 30, 2019
  20. Petski, Denise (May 4, 2017). "'The Chris Gethard Show' Lands At TruTV; Will Be Broadcast Live". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  21. Wright, Megh. "Chris Gethard Announces the End of The Chris Gethard Show". Vulture. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  22. Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People, Earwolf, Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  23. In Your Dreams with Chris Gethard, presented by Casper Earwolf, Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  24. "Nemeses". This American Life. December 16, 2011. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  25. "Lose Well". HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  26. Fox, Jesse David (May 5, 2017). "Conversations About Death and Comedy With Chris Gethard". Vulture.
  27. "Chris Gethard Ended Dating Affair And Married The Love Of His Life; Maintaining A Healthy Relationship With Wife And Career?". LIVERAMPUP.
  28. Gordon, Arielle (August 1, 2017). "BV interview w/ Chris Gethard: "In the end I always ask myself — what would Jeff Rosenstock do?"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved August 23, 2017. The people involved in the show are my family. In one case literally, as I married Hallie [Bulleit], the leader of our house band. Murf was our reverend. I was the reverend at his wedding, after he got engaged live on the show.
  29. Gethard, Chris (November 30, 2012). "This Charming Band". Slate. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaE469JrWzg
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