Christopher Paul Gethard (; born May 23, 1980) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He was the host of ''

The Chris Gethard Show ''The Chris Gethard Show'' was a phone-in comedy and variety talk show created and hosted by Chris Gethard. Initially a live show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the show debuted on public-access channel Manhattan Neighborho ...

'', a talk show based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, which aired from 2011 to 2018. He hosts the podcasts ''Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People'' and ''New Jersey is the World''.

Early life

Gethard grew up in

West Orange, New Jersey West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census.

, the son of Sally and Ken Gethard, and attended West Orange High School.

Career

Gethard is an improvisational actor who works largely out of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre) is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh. Prior t ...

. He began taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2000 while he was a student at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and wa ...

. In 2013, the

Independent Film Channel IFC (formerly known as the Independent Film Channel) is an American basic cable channel owned by AMC Networks, originally launching in 1994 as a TV channel devoted to independent films. The Independent Film Channel originally operated as a co ...

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. In August 2016, Gethard participated for the first time in the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

, performing his show ''Career Suicide'' dealing with his experiences of depression, suicide attempts and alcoholism. 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. On May 6, 2017, HBO broadcast ''Career Suicide'', an evening of standup comedy based on Gethard's

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

show of the same title. Produced by

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...

, the HBO special has garnered praise fro
''The New York Times''
''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

'', NPR, '' The A.V. Club'', ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...

'', ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'', ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'', ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' and

Splitsider ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...

. 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.

''The Chris Gethard Show''

Gethard hosted ''

'', a talk show that originally aired on the

Manhattan Neighborhood Network Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) is an American non-profit organization that broadcasts programming on five public-access television cable TV stations in Manhattan, New York City. The country’s largest community media center, MNN operates t ...

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 Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

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. As a child, Gethard admired comedians who seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted, such as

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...

Andy Kaufman Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. While often called a "comedian", Kaufman preferred to describe himself instead as a "song and dance man". He has sometimes b ...

, and

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of '' Late Night with David Letterma ...

. This interest influenced the style of ''The Chris Gethard Show'' and laid the groundwork for 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. However, 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. 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 Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy trou ...

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 20 ...

Paul Giamatti Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor and film producer. He first garnered attention for his breakout role in '' Private Parts'' as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, leading to supporting roles in ''Saving Private R ...

, and

Lena Dunham Lena Dunham (, born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations ...

. After its run on Fusion, ''The Chris Gethard Show'' was picked up for a third season by

truTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows. The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that f ...

, and began airing live episodes in August 2017. In August 2018, Gethard announced the show had been canceled and would not return for another season.

''Beautiful/Anonymous''

Gethard hosts the

Earwolf Earwolf is an American comedy podcasting network founded by Scott Aukerman and Jeff Ullrich in August 2010. In 2011, they announced a partnership with Funny Or Die. It merged with podcast advertising network The Mid Roll in 2014, a separate comp ...

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!" He won the

Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...

for Best Host in 2017.

''In Your Dreams''

Gethard co-hosted Earwolf's podcast, ''In Your Dreams'', with Gary Richardson.In Your Dreams with Chris Gethard, presented by Casper
''Earwolf'', Retrieved March 20, 2018. 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.

''Planet Scum Live''

Gethard has hosted the show Planet Scum Live, the title of which was given to his live streaming comedy network, since May 3, 2020.

Books

Gethard is also the author of ''Weird NY'', a book detailing the

ghost stories A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...

and

urban legends An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

, 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 ''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internatio ...

''. 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 HarperOne is a publishing imprint of HarperCollins, specializing in books that aim to "transform, inspire, change lives, and influence cultural discussions." Under the original name of Harper San Francisco, the imprint was founded in 1977 by 13 em ...

imprint.

Interactions with fans

''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. 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'', on August 30, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. The service was performed by fellow ''Chris Gethard Show'' cast member Murf Meyer. The couple had a son, Caleb David Gethard, in April 2019. He is an avid fan of

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to em ...

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 "I Know It's Over" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Recorded in 1985, it is the third track on their third studio album '' The Queen Is Dead''. Background The instrumentation was written by Johnny Marr in summer 1985. Morrissey's ...

," on his right

biceps The biceps or biceps brachii ( la, musculus biceps brachii, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join ...

. Gethard has stated that his favorite sport is basketball and he is a

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...

fan. His favorite player growing up was Knicks guard John Starks, who appeared on ''

'' in 2016.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
His brother, Gregg Gethard, frequently performs as "Financial Guru Gregg Gethard".

Discography

* ''

My Comedy Album ''My Comedy Album'' is the debut album by comedian Chris Gethard. The album was released on April 22, 2014, by Don Giovanni Records. Track listing #Alan Rickman 11:17 #Lesbian Girlfriend 1:09 #I Survived (This Is A Joke About Advertising) 7:13 ...

'' (2014) * ''Career Suicide'' (2017) * ''Taylor Ham, Egg, And Cheese'' (2019) * ''Chris Gethard: Half My Life'' (2021)

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

*
The Chris Get Hard Show – Comedy at its finest
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gethard, Chris 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American screenwriters 1980 births American humorists American information and reference writers American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male television writers American podcasters American public access television personalities American television talk show hosts American television writers Don Giovanni Records artists Living people Male actors from New Jersey People from West Orange, New Jersey Screenwriters from New Jersey Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers West Orange High School (New Jersey) alumni 21st-century American male writers