Paul R. Gilmartin (born January 9, 1963) is an American stand up comedian, podcast host, and television personality best known as the longtime host of TBS's ''

Dinner and a Movie ''Dinner and a Movie'' is an American cooking and entertainment television program aired on TBS from September 8, 1995 to 2011 and made its return since 2024. The show was hosted by chef Claud Mann and comedian Paul Gilmartin throughout its ...

''. Since 2011, he has been the host and executive producer of the podcast ''The Mental Illness Happy Hour''.

Early life

Paul Gilmartin was born in

South Holland, Illinois South Holland is a village and south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States, within Thornton Township. The population was 21,465 at the 2020 census. It is named after the Dutch province of South Holland. History The area ...

, and attended St. Joseph's school in Homewood. He is an alumnus of

Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

. While there, he majored in theater and was a member of the academic honor society

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

. He also studied at Chicago's famed Second City. Before his foray into stand-up comedy in 1987, Gilmartin regularly appeared in several plays around Chicago.

Career

''Dinner and a Movie''

In 1995, Gilmartin assumed hosting responsibilities for TBS cooking and entertainment show, ''

'', a position he held for more than 16 years from the show's premiere to its eventual finale in 2011. While at the helm, Gilmartin was best known for his sardonic wit and self-effacing humor. Throughout its run, the show relied heavily on Gilmartin's improvisational abilities and the easy-going rapport he established with his string of female co-hosts. ''

'' was a hit from the onset, helping significantly improve ratings for TBS. One critic dubbed it, "the first television show to combine well-worn theatrical movies, improvisational comedy and culinary education."

''The Mental Illness Happy Hour''

In 2011 Gilmartin launched a weekly podcast, ''The Mental Illness Happy Hour''. The long-format interview style show examines lives affected by mental health issues, including depression, addiction, fear, anxiety, abuse, and gender identity. Gilmartin was described by ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' as "a patient and empathetic interviewer", and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' noted that with these hosting abilities, he had created "a perversely safe place in which he and his guests talk about their fears, addictions and traumatic childhoods." Gilmartin's guests on the podcast include celebrities, mental health professionals, and everyday people. Notable guests include

Tiffany Haddish Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish (born December 3, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Her breakthrough came in with a leading role in the comedy film '' Girls Trip'' (2017), which earned her several accolades and was included on ...

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, Dan Harris,

Paul F. Tompkins Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He worked in television on such programs as '' Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and '' Best Week Ever'', later renamed ''Bes ...

and

Doug Benson Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television and podcast host, and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006–present), '' The Benson Interr ...

. In its first year of production, the show received over 1 million downloads. It currently ranks as one of the most popular

self-help Self-help or self-improvement is "a focus on self-guided, in contrast to professionally guided, efforts to cope with life problems" —economically, physically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. When ...

podcasts on iTunes.

Additional appearances

Gilmartin's television credits include his own half-hour comedy special, "

Comedy Central Presents ''Comedy Central Presents'' is an American stand-up comedy television series created for Comedy Central. It is the network's main half-hour program which highlights either one or a series of stand-up comedians each episode. In 2011, the series ...

Paul Gilmartin". He has also appeared on

Politically Incorrect "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...

, The List on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

, HBO Comedy Showcase, MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour,

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airi ...

, This Week in Comedy and The Naughty Show. He is also a frequent guest on The Adam Carolla Show, performing political satire as right-wing Congressman Richard Martin and is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Show. As a live performer, Gilmartin has appeared before many audiences in the United States and abroad. His stage credits include the Montreal Comedy Festival, and three separate appearances at the

Aspen Comedy Festival The Comedy Festival, formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival, was a comedy festival that ran from 1995 to 2008. The festival included stand-up comedy performances, appearances by the casts of television shows, and has a film component calle ...

. Gilmartin has also appeared on the "Jimmy Dore Show" on KPFK 90.7FM, Los Angeles. He also appears on the Jimmy Dore show "Left, Right & Ridiculous" at the Improv Lab in Hollywood, CA.

Personal life

Gilmartin has faced his own battles with mental health and addiction. He suffers from clinical depression, which went undiagnosed until his mid-30s. Following a major depressive episode in 2003, in which Gilmartin experienced suicidal thoughts, he entered treatment and discovered he had drug and alcohol addiction. He has been sober since 2003. He currently resides in Los Angeles. In addition to his theatrical successes, Gilmartin is an accomplished practicing woodworker, creating pieces in a

Danish Modern Danish modern also known as Scandinavian modern is a style of minimalist furniture and housewares from Denmark associated with the Danish design movement. In the 1920s, Kaare Klint embraced the principles of Bauhaus modernism in furniture de ...

style.

References

External links

*
''Dinner and a Movie'' website on tbs.com''The Mental Illness Happy Hour'' website''Official website of Paul Gilmartin''Furniture by Paul Gilmartin
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20161102212722/http://manschoolshow.com/blog/2013/2/13/class-3-depression-with-paul-gilmartin Interview with Paul Gilmartin about his battles with depression and suicidebr>Interview with Paul Gilmartin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmartin, Paul 1963 births American health and wellness podcasters American television hosts Indiana University Bloomington alumni Living people Comedians from Illinois American stand-up comedians New World Order (professional wrestling) members People from South Holland, Illinois American male comedians