Editing Rich Vos

{{Short description|American comedian (born 1957)}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name              = Rich Vos
| image             = Rich Vos.jpg
| image_size        = 200px
| caption           = Vos in 2007
| birth_name =
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1957|06|30}}
| birth_place       = [[Plainfield, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date        =
| death_place       =
| medium            = [[Stand-up comedy|Stand-up]], [[television]], [[radio]]
| active            = 1984–present
| genre             = [[Observational comedy]], [[black comedy]], [[cringe comedy]]
| subject           =
| influences        =
| influenced        =
| spouse            = [[Bonnie McFarlane]] (m. 2005)
| children = 3
| website           = {{URL|http://richvos.com/}}
}}
'''Rich Vos''' (born June 30, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. Since 2011, he has been the co-host of the podcast ''My Wife Hates Me'' with his wife, comedian [[Bonnie McFarlane]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rich Vos is still standing|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/09/05/rich_vos_is_still_standing|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]|date=September 5, 2008|access-date=February 15, 2010|first=Nick A.|last=Zaino III}}</ref>

==Early life==
Vos was raised in a [[American Jews|Jewish]] family who lived in an "all black neighborhood" in [[New Jersey]].<ref name=reality2004/><ref>{{Cite news|title = Rich Vos vows |url = http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121025/MARCOENTERTAINMENT/310250044/1188/Rich-Vos-vows-keep-real-Marco-visit?odyssey=mod%257Cnewswell%257Ctext%257CHome%257Cp|newspaper= Marco Island Sun Times|access-date = January 26, 2016}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Vos's parents divorced when he was young and he did not graduate from high school.<ref name=globe2008/> He became a fan of stand-up comedy from watching television as a child and cites acts featured on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' as a big influence.<ref name=zoiksonline>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoiksonline.com/2009/10/rich-vos-has-failed-at-everything-but.html|title=Rich Vos has failed at everything but stand-up comedy|publisher= | website= ZoiksOnline.com |date= October 2009 |first=Jason|last=Tanamor|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Rich_Vos_Traveling_Virus_Worcester_2006.jpg|thumb|right|Vos on stage during [[Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour (2006)|Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour]] in 2006]]
Vos began his stand-up career in 1984, choosing to pursue it full-time as he "failed at everything else",<ref name=reality2004/> and developed his act in local clubs.<ref name=globe2008/> In 1995, Vos became the first white comic to perform a set on ''[[Def Comedy Jam]]'' on [[HBO]], a show usually featuring African American comedians.<ref name=globe2008>{{cite news|url=|title=Rich Vos is still standing|newspaper=The Boston Globe|publisher=The New York Times Company|date=September 5, 2008|first=Nick A.|last=Zaino III|access-date=}}</ref><ref name=reality2004/> In July 1999, Vos hosted at the [[Woodstock '99]] festival, later calling it a highlight of his career.<ref name=shecky2003>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheckymagazine.com/vos.htm|title=The Next to the Next to the Last Comic Standing – Interview! Rich Vos|publisher=SheckyMagazine.com|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref> In 2000, Vos received the Bistro Award for Outstanding Achievement as Comedy Performer.<ref name=BS00>{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/221081566/3FD20D9E92504BD9PQ/|title=A passion for comedy|work=Backstage|date=March 3, 2000|first=Amelia|last=David|page=46|id={{ProQuest|221081566}}|access-date=December 22, 2020}}</ref> In 2001, Vos played the bouncer and wrote and performed skits on the British television show ''[[The People vs. Jerry Sadowitz]]''.

In 2001, Vos released his first stand-up comedy album, ''I'm Killing Here''. This was followed by the DVD ''Vos'' in 2004, consisting of an unedited, 55-minute performance recorded at the [[Stress Factory]] in New Jersey. He went on to produce two half-hour specials on ''[[Comedy Central Presents]]''.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

From 2002 to 2004, Vos was a frequent guest on ''[[Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn]]'' on [[Comedy Central]]. He picked the show as one of his favorites to do as he lived close to its filming location and by the fact that he could do it with his best friends.<ref name=reality2004/> In 2003, Vos finished third on the first season of ''[[Last Comic Standing]]'' on [[NBC]]. During this time he was given the nickname "The Don" by [[Cory Kahaney]] "because of my rough and tough demeanor ... maybe it was more because I was the most experienced comic".<ref name=reality2004>{{cite web|url=http://www.realityshack.com/archives/491|title=Interview with Rich Vos of Last Comic Standing – Reality Shack|date=September 11, 2004|website=Realityshack|access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-date=September 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906042329/http://www.realityshack.com/archives/491|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the end of the season, Vos toured with Kahaney and [[Dave Mordal]] for eight months.<ref name=reality2004/> In 2004, Vos was a finalist in its third season.

Vos was a frequent guest on the ''[[Opie and Anthony]]'' radio show,<ref name=philweekly2014/><ref name=globe2008/> with jokes centered at his expense, most often highlighting his speech impediment or lack of intellect. In 2002, he was responsible for having fellow comedian [[Patrice O'Neal]] come on the show, who also became a popular regular guest. When the show aired on [[SiriusXM Radio]], Vos hosted a Saturday night program with his wife Bonnie McFarlane. He hosted the 2006 and 2007 editions of the [[Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour]].<ref name=globe2008/>

Between 2006 and 2008, Vos prepared three pilot episodes for a comedy series alongside McFarlane, but none were picked up by a network.<ref name=globe2008/><ref name=dayton2008>{{cite web|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19302518.html|title=Rich Vos to make Dayton debut at Wiley's Oct. 9–12|newspaper=[[Dayton Daily News]]|publisher=[[Cox Enterprises]]|date=October 10, 2008|first=Don|last=Thrasher|access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318083842/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19302518.html|archive-date=2017-03-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He was featured in a segment of the television show, ''[[What Would You Do? (2008 TV program)|What Would You Do?]]''.

In November 2011, Vos and McFarlane started their own podcast, ''My Wife Hates Me''.<ref>[http://www.riotcast.com/mywifehatesme Vos and Bonnie's 'My Wife Hates Me'], RiotCast.com; accessed November 29, 2017.</ref><ref name=buffalo2016/>

In 2016, Vos released his fifth comedy album ''V'', of which its material took between one year and a half and two years to develop. It charted at number one on the [[iTunes]] and ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' release charts.<ref name=buffalo2016>{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/27/comedian-rich-vos-amped-new-years-eve|title=Comedian Rich Vos amped for New Year's Eve|date=December 27, 2016|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|publisher=[[Berkshire Hathaway|BH Media]]|first=Mark|last=Ciemcioch|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Vos has married twice. He and his first wife have two daughters, Jessica and Ellen.<ref name=BS00/><ref name=shecky2003/><ref name=reality2004/> In September 2005, Vos married comedian [[Bonnie McFarlane]]. Their daughter Rayna was born in 2007.<ref name=globe2008/> Vos resides in [[Hillsborough Township, New Jersey]] to be closer to his children.<ref>{{cite news| last= Condran| first= Ed| url= http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BURB&p_multi=LBCB&p_theme=burb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1100F37750EC90B8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title= Rich Vos| work= [[Bucks County Courier Times]]| via= newsbank.com| date= February 23, 2006| accessdate= July 10, 2013| quote= 'I'm very close with my daughters,' Vos said. 'I moved to Hillsborough to be close to them. I know comics who never see their kids. I don't get that.'| access-date=}}</ref>

After struggling with [[crack cocaine]] and alcohol addiction throughout his 20s, Vos completed a one-month rehabilitation course in 1987, three years into his comedy career. He has been clean since.<ref name=globe2008/><ref name=philweekly2014>{{cite web| url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3296770821.html|title=Rich Vos|newspaper= [[Philadelphia Weekly]]| via= highbeam.com |date=April 2, 2014|first=Daniel|last=Gelb |access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170318085223/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3296770821.html|archive-date=2017-03-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Stand-up releases ==
* ''I'm Killing Here!'' (2001)
* ''Vos'' (2004)
* ''Vos: Live in Philly'' (2010)
* ''Still Empty Inside'' (2011)
* ''141 IQ'' (2016)
* ''V'' (2016)
* ''When I Saw Hamilton...'' (2019)
* ''VII'' (2022)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.richvos.com RichVos.com]

{{Last Comic Standing}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vos, Rich}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Hillsborough Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:American comedy podcasters]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:Last Comic Standing contestants]]
[[Category:Male actors from New Jersey]]
[[Category:American humorists]]
[[Category:American radio personalities]]
[[Category:Comedians from Somerset County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Comedians from Union County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Jewish American comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century American comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Jews from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Actors from Somerset County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Plainfield, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Actors from Union County, New Jersey]]