Chris Gethard

Chris Gethard used his unique viewpoint and fearlessness to become one of the most respected improvisational comedians of his generation. A native of West Orange, New Jersey, he began studying improv in college. He quickly became a mainstay at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade, working with the in-house team, The Stepfathers. Working with fellow UCB member Zach Woods, he created the web series "The Most Awkward Boy in the World" (2009). He appeared regularly in short films produced by UCB and had small roles on TV and film in projects like "The Other Guys" (2010). His profile received a boost when he was cast alongside Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell in the short-lived sitcom "Big Lake" (Comedy Central, 2010). For the next several years, the comedian hosted a weekly talk show, "The Chris Gethard Show" (MNN/Fusion/TruTV, 2011-18), which began on New York public access. The loose, unstructured feel of the show called to mind early David Letterman, but without the restrictions of network television. Besides hosting his own show, Gethard became a popular guest on other talk shows like "Conan" (TBS, 2010-) and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (NBC, 2014-). He also put his improv skills to use in other people's projects. He appeared in Sasha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator" (2012) and played a version of himself in Mike Birbiglia's "Don't Think Twice" (2016). On television, he lent his talents to "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central, 2013-16) and "Broad City" (Comedy Central, 2014-19), where he played Ilana Glazer's former boss, Todd. He earned critical raves in 2017 with a special based on his stage show "Career Suicide" (HBO, 2017), where he opened up about his struggle with depression. Gethard eventually returned to the world of public access, creating "Chris Gethard Presents" (MNN, 2019-), a showcase for New York area comedians.