Editing Matt Besser

{{Short description|American actor and comedian}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Matt Besser
| image         = Matt Besser - 2024-03-08 SXSW-2024 Orson-Welles-Roast (cropped).jpg
| caption       = Besser at [[SXSW|SXSW 2024]]
| birthname     = Matthew Gregory Besser
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1967|9|22}}
| birth_place   = [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], U.S.
| alma_mater    = [[Amherst College]]
| occupation    = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|director|producer|writer}}
| yearsactive   = 1988–present
| spouse        = {{marriage|[[Danielle Schneider]]|2008}}
| children      = 1
| family        = [[Joe Besser]] (first cousin twice removed)
| website       = {{URL|mattbesser.com}}
}}
'''Matthew Gregory Besser''' (born September 22, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, director, producer, writer, and one of the four founding members of the [[Upright Citizens Brigade]] sketch comedy troupe, who had their own show on [[Comedy Central]] from 1998 to 2000. He hosts the improvisation-based podcast ''Improv4humans'', previously on the Earwolf network, but now solely operated by himself and Brett Morris.

==Early life==
Besser was born and raised in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Gavin|title=The Merry Pranksters|url=http://rulefortytwo.com/articles-essays/movies/upright-citizens-brigade/|work=Details Magazine|access-date=2011-08-22}}</ref> to parents Diane and Sandy Besser.<ref>[http://eggmanwalrus.com/the-funny-ones-selections-from-the-diane-and-sandy-besser-collection-april-6-may-20-2012/ "The Funny Ones" selections from the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection / Opening Reception Friday April 20th, 2012, | Eggman & Walrus Art Emporium] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011221709/http://eggmanwalrus.com/the-funny-ones-selections-from-the-diane-and-sandy-besser-collection-april-6-may-20-2012/ |date=2014-10-11 }}</ref> His father was [[Jewish]], whereas his mother was Christian. Besser is an atheist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mattbesser.com/?page_id=853|title=Nashville Scene Review -|website=www.mattbesser.com|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://heebmagazine.com/matt-besser-the-_heeb_-interview/3612|title=Matt Besser: The _Heeb_ Interview – Heeb|website=heebmagazine.com|date=29 October 2008 |access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> He is a quarter German and a quarter French from his mother's side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://totallylaimepodcast.com/2011/10/07/episode-88-matt-besser/|title=Totally Laime|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Besser's grandfather's cousin was [[Joe Besser]] of [[The Three Stooges]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earwolf.com/episode/episode-9-matt-besser|title=A Couple of Stooges, episode #9 of Who Charted? on Earwolf|website=www.earwolf.com|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref>

He was recruited to play soccer after starting on his high school team, but instead attended [[Amherst College]] with a major in American Studies. There, he started doing [[stand-up comedy]] and competed in a contest at [[University of Massachusetts Amherst|UMass]] that was judged by [[Judd Apatow]].<ref name="BA">{{cite web|title=BA #029: Matt Besser|url=http://boxangeles.com/2014/06/19/ba-029-matt-besser/|website=Box Angeles podcast|date=19 June 2014 }}</ref> After graduating, he briefly moved to Denver in an attempt to pursue stand-up, but quickly moved to Chicago. He worked various odd jobs, including stints as a substitute teacher, a host at [[Carnegie Deli]] and as a host at [[Dick's Last Resort]].<ref name="BA"/>

==Career==
After seeing an [[improvisational comedy]] show at Second City [[iO Theater]] featuring [[Dave Koechner]], [[Tim Meadows]] and [[Chris Farley]], Besser began taking classes there.<ref name="BA"/> His improv group Victim's Family (alongside [[Rick Roman]], [[Adam McKay]], Miles Stroth, and [[Ian Roberts (American actor)|Ian Roberts]]), later renamed The Family (minus Roman, plus [[Neil Flynn]], and [[Ali Farahnakian]]), was directed by [[Del Close]], the first long-form group Del focused on.<ref name="BA"/>

Besser is a founding member of Upright Citizens Brigade, which began as a [[sketch comedy]] group in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] in 1990. Original members included [[Ian Roberts (American actor)|Ian Roberts]], [[Ali Farahnakian]], [[Adam McKay]], [[Rick Roman]], and [[Horatio Sanz]].

In 1993, UCB were regular guests on stage at the [[New Variety]] produced and hosted by R. O'Donnell at the Chicago Improv comedy club.<ref name=Spitznagel>{{cite news|last=Spitznagel|first=Eric|title=The New Variety Just Might Make Comedy Dangerous Again|newspaper=The Third Word magazine Sept/Oct issue|date=October 11, 1993}}</ref>

While performing at the New Variety, Besser was cast and directed by [[Richard O'Donnell (playwright)|O'Donnell]] in the New Year's Eve special ''Twisted'', which aired on [[WFLD]] Fox 32 TV, Chicago.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hoffhines |first1=Eric |title=Fox 32 Twisted TV with Matt Besser |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaRUNICzovU |website=YouTube |date=31 March 2008 |access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref> ''Twisted'' also featured Besser (and comedian Michelle Garb) in a series of improvised commercials directed by O'Donnell for McDonald's, Toyota, and Ameritech.<ref name="Fox2">{{cite web |last1=Hoffhines |first1=Eric |title=Fox 32 Twisted TV with Besser & Garb |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdFy6l_SuDo |website=YouTube |date=20 March 2008 |access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref>

In 1996, the UCB relocated to [[New York City]]. Their sketch-comedy series ''[[Upright Citizens Brigade (TV series)|Upright Citizens Brigade]]'' aired for three seasons on [[Comedy Central]] from 1998 to 2000. The cast consisted of Besser, [[Amy Poehler]], [[Ian Roberts (American actor)|Ian Roberts]], and [[Matt Walsh (comedian)|Matt Walsh]]. It originally included a voice-over by [[Del Close]]. After its cancellation, [[Comedy Central]] released all three seasons on DVD.

Besser and the UCB moved on to other projects and opened comedy theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. Besser went on to be the creator and co-star of the [[Method Man & Redman|Redman]] & [[Method Man]] MTV hidden camera prank show ''Stung''. In 2004, he created and starred in his second [[Comedy Central]] show, ''[[Crossballs]]'', which mocked news debate shows by pitting fake experts (played by Besser and other comedians) against real people.

Besser has appeared in films such as ''[[Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story]]'', ''[[Martin & Orloff]],'' ''[[Year One (film)|Year One]]'', ''[[Undead or Alive]]'', ''[[Drillbit Taylor]]'', and ''[[Junebug (film)|Junebug]]'', in addition to a number of sitcoms including ''[[Reno 911!]]'', ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'', ''[[New Girl]]'' and alongside his wife [[Danielle Schneider]] in ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]''. In 2003, the UCB filmed their first full-length improvised movie, ''Wild Girls Gone''. In early 2010 the film was screened at several indie theaters in the [[Los Angeles]] area and is sold for digital download on iTunes and on DVD at the official ''UCB Theater'' website. The troupe had also performed their signature brand of longform improv (ASSSSCAT) in a special for the [[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]] channel in 2005. In 2008, they released a [[DVD]] entitled ''ASSSSCAT!: Renegade Improv Comedy'' through [[Shout! Factory]], which features an uncensored improv performance by the troupe and special guests. The DVD also includes deleted scenes and along with other bonus features.

In 2008, Besser played the part of "Courtney Frenchip", the hippie roommate of [[David Cross]] in ''David's Situation'', a pilot made for [[HBO]] written by Cross and [[Bob Odenkirk]]. The pilot was filmed live on May 9, 2008, but was not picked by HBO as a series. In 2013, he portrayed [[Edwin Stanton]] in the "Chicago" episode of [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[Drunk History]]''. Between 2011 and 2014, he appeared on ''[[Parks and Recreation (TV series)|Parks and Recreation]]'' as the morning [[radio personality|DJ]] Crazy Ira.

Besser and the UCB continue to run a Los Angeles comedy theater in [[Franklin Avenue (Los Angeles)|Franklin Village]]. Besser and the UCB perform several times a week at the Los Angeles theater, in their show ''ASSSSCAT 3000'' every Sunday night.

==Other work==
Besser makes frequent appearances on many podcasts on the Earwolf podcasting network, including ''[[Comedy Bang Bang]]'', as well as hosting "The Earwolf Challenge", a reality-competition series where several [[podcasters]] compete against each other.

Besser's Comedy Central pilot ''This Show Will Get You High'' aired as a [[sketch comedy]] special on October 27, 2010. The show featured video shorts and sketches from Besser and [[Upright Citizens Brigade Theater]] comedians [[John Gemberling]], [[Brett Gelman]], [[Paul Rust]], and [[Betsy Sodaro]], and [[Nathan Barnatt|Nathan Barnett]].<ref>[http://www.mattbesser.com THIS SHOW WILL GET YOU HIGH on Comedy Central]</ref>

In 2011, Besser began hosting the ''Improv4humans'' podcast, where he and guest improvisers perform scenes based on suggestions sent in via [[Twitter]]. The podcast releases an episode each week and has differing guests.

Besser wrote and directed his first film, ''[[Freak Dance (film)|Freak Dance]]'',<ref>[http://www.blankmaninc.com/matt-besser-interview Matt Besser interview on blankmaninc.com] (July 9, 2012)</ref> based on his long-running UCB stage show. The film premiered at the [[Austin Film Festival]] on October 21, 2011, and had a limited theatrical and [[video on-demand]] release in May 2012. The film was made available on DVD and iTunes on July 10, 2012.

In 2014, Besser and comedian [[Rich Fulcher]] had an [[Adult Swim]] special air as part of the channel's "4AM Infomercial Parody" series, called ''In Search Of Miracle Man''. Besser and Fulcher hosted the show as two men claiming the second coming of a savior they call "Miracle Man".

Besser co-starred in both seasons of the [[Hulu]] comedy series ''[[The Hotwives]]'', which stars his wife [[Danielle Schneider]], who also co-created the series. Besser plays the husband of Schneider's character.  In 2015, Besser and Schneider played another married couple ("Blake and Karen") in the epilogue of a 2015 episode of the comedy series ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]''.

==Personal life==
Besser married actress-comedian [[Danielle Schneider]] in 2008. Their daughter was born on July 29, 2013.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mattbesser.com/ Official Site]
*{{IMDb name|78800}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Besser, Matt}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
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[[Category:Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers]]