Paul Scheer

Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. Scheer is best known for his roles in FX/ FXX's ''The League'' and Showtime's comedy series '' Black Monday''. Scheer also co-created and starred in MTV's '' Human Giant'' and Adult Swim's series '' NTSF:SD:SUV::'', and has had recurring roles on ABC's ''Fresh Off the Boat'' and HBO's ''Veep''. He is also known for voicing Chip Whistler in Disney’s '' Big City Greens''.

Away from his acting work, Scheer also co-hosts two film discussion podcasts: '' How Did This Get Made?'', alongside his wife June Diane Raphael and longtime collaborator Jason Mantzoukas, and '' Unspooled'' with film critic Amy Nicholson.

Scheer is the author of a memoir, ''Joyful Recollections of Trauma'', which was published by HarperCollins in May 2024, and became a New York Times Bestseller.

Early life and education

Scheer was born in Huntington, New York, to Gail Ann (Decarlo) and William Paul Scheer. Scheer attended Catholic schools during his childhood and graduated from St. Anthony's High School. Scheer began performing in high school with Chicago City Limits, a New York-based short-form improv group. He later attended New York University, where he majored in communication and education. Scheer often speaks about his early life on the ''How Did This Get Made?'' podcast.

Career

Live performances

In 1995, Scheer became a member of New York City's longest-running Off-Broadway comedy show, '' Chicago City Limits''. As a member of their touring company, Scheer extensively traveled throughout the United States and overseas.

In 1998, while at NYU, Scheer started performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. Scheer performed in multiple weekly shows, including ''Talk Show, The Real Real World'' and the house team '' Respecto Montalban''. The group included Rob Riggle, Rob Huebel, Jack McBrayer, and Dannah Feinglass. They performed long-form improvisation to sold-out crowds every Saturday night for over five years and starred in a political sketch comedy show called ''George Bush is a Motherfucker''.

In 2002, Scheer created and starred in ''Automatic Vaudeville'' at the Ars Nova theater, which ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called "one of the top five shows in the country".

In 2006, Scheer moved to Los Angeles and has been a regular performer at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles (UCBTLA). He performed an improvised show based on audience members' Facebook profiles called ''FACEBOOK''. The show was named the "Best Improv Show" by ''Los Angeles'' magazine and has been profiled on ''Good Morning America''. Cast members include McBrayer, Riggle, and Huebel.

Television

In 2003, Scheer was hired as a writer and performer for Oxygen’s ''Meow TV''. ''Meow TV'' was a project by Meow Mix that aired programming for cats and their owners.

''Best Week Ever''

From 2004 to the conclusion of the show’s first run in 2009, Scheer was a regular cast member on VH1’s ''Best Week Ever''. The show, which originally featured a panel of comedians including Scheer, shifted to a single host format under Paul F. Tompkins and provided comedic commentary on popular culture. Other panelists included Nick Kroll, John Mulaney and Patton Oswalt.

''Human Giant''

In 2005, Scheer began collaborating with comedians Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari, and Jason Woliner on short films. Their first videos were ''Shutterbugs and Illusionators. Shutterbugs'' saw Huebel and Ansari play talent agents for child actors, and ''llusionators'', starred Ansari and Scheer as Criss Angel-style magicians. In mid-2006, MTV greenlit a sketch series from the trio, called '' Human Giant''. The series debuted April 5, 2007, and ran for two seasons from 2007 to 2008, exploring comedic aspects of modern life and pop culture.

''The League''

In 2009, Scheer joined the semi-scripted FX comedy'', The League'', from Jeff and Jackie Marcus Schaffer about a group of friends in a fantasy football league. Scheer plays Dr. Andre Nowzick, a rich plastic surgeon whose naivete makes him the butt of many jokes. Scheer co-scripted a handful of episodes: " The Anniversary Party," "Expert Witness," " The Out of Towner," and " Tailgate" with co-star Nick Kroll; he co-wrote the episode " Bringer Show" with Stephen Rannazzisi and was the sole credited writer of episode 81, " The Block." The series premiered on October 29, 2009, and ran for seven seasons through December 2015.

''NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle)''

In 2009, Scheer created a 15-minute spoof commercial for an action series called '' NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle)'', that aired on Adult Swim. Shortly after airing, it was picked up as a series and ran for three seasons (40+ episodes). Scheer played Trent Hauser. The cast included Kate Mulgrew, Rebecca Romijn, Martin Starr, June Diane Raphael (Scheer's wife), Rob Riggle, Brandon Johnson, and the voice of Peter Serafinowicz as S.A.M. Scheer served as executive producer, writer, director, and actor. It was produced by Abominable Pictures, Inc. and Scheer's 2nd Man on the Moon Productions. The show concluded with a special “movie event” shot in London, which was made to look like San Diego.

''Fresh Off the Boat''

In 2015, Paul Scheer joined the cast of ''Fresh Off the Boat'', an ABC comedy loosely based on a memoir by chef Eddie Huang. Scheer played the recurring role of Mitch, whom Eddie Huang hired to be the host at a steakhouse restaurant. He appeared in 26 episodes over the show's six seasons.

''Veep''

In 2017, Scheer joined the sixth season of ''Veep'' as the character Stevie, the producer of ''CBS Morning News'' Show. He won a SAG Award for an Outstanding Performance by a Cast or Ensemble in a Comedy Series. In 2020, Scheer returned to the cast of ''Veep'' along with other special guests, including Don Cheadle, Mark Hamill, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen Colbert, and Bryan Cranston in a live table read playing multiple roles to support turnout for the Georgia runoff elections.

''Black Monday''

In 2018, Scheer joined the Showtime pilot for '' Black Monday''. The show is an ensemble period comedy about the Wall Street crash in 1987 and premiered on Showtime on January 20, 2019. Scheer plays Keith, a closeted stockbroker who was originally scripted to die in the first season. That plotline was later altered. ''Black Monday'' aired for three seasons, concluding in 2021. Scheer's performance was named in the ''Hollywood Reporter'''s "top 30 best supporting characters on TV" in 2019.

Other work

Scheer has appeared in recurring roles on ''30 Rock'', ''The Good Place'', ''Future Man'', '' I'm Sorry'', and the Nick Jr. Channel series ''Yo Gabba Gabba!''. Scheer also had recurring animated series appearances on '' Star Trek: Lower Decks'', '' Big City Greens'', '' Big Mouth'', and ''Adventure Time''. Scheer and Jack McBrayer made semi-regular appearances on ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', during a segment called "Knock Knock Joke of the Day". They were featured as themselves in the ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' comic book, and made appearances on the ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' live tour. In 2012, Scheer appeared as a villainous Cowboy Android in an episode of '' The Aquabats! Super Show!'', another series from the creators of ''Yo Gabba Gabba!''

Scheer appeared as a contestant on the second season of ''Nailed it! Holiday''. He won the competition, but chose not to keep the $10,000 prize, and instead split it between the other two contestants. In August 2015, Scheer and Rob Huebel created a comedy special on a moving bus, ''Crash Test'', produced by Paramount and released on Comedy Central. In 2017, he appeared on '' Celebrity Family Feud'' and lost to his wife, June.

Producing

In addition to acting, Scheer has produced '' The Hotwives'' for Hulu, '' Party Over Here'' for Fox, ''Drive Share'' for Go90, '' Filthy Preppy Teen$'' for FullScreen, ''The Amazing Gayle Pyle'' for Seeso, and ''Unsend'' for Comedy Central. In 2016, in addition to executive producing '' Party Over Here'', Scheer created and directed segments for the late-night sketch comedy series with The Lonely Island. It starred Nicole Byer, Alison Rich, and Jessica McKenna.

Scheer and Jonathan Stern are executive producers on the Hulu comedy series '' The Hotwives''. Scheer also co-stars in the series.

Internet and streaming projects

Scheer and Rob Huebel are co-creators and directors on the Go90 comedy series ''Drive Share''. Scheer also co-created '' Filthy Preppy Teen$'' with Curtis James Gwinn and Jon Stern.

In 2013, upon the return of ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', Scheer launched a web series for JASH called ''The ArScheerio Paul Show''. In each episode, Scheer re-creates interviews from Arsenio Hall's original show, including the famous Bill Clinton episode, with Will Arnett playing Clinton. Scheer sports a comically enlarged flat-top haircut to resemble Hall.

In 2014, Scheer co-wrote and co-starred in multiple episodes of the Adult Swim mockumentary, '' The Greatest Event in Television History'', detailing the recreation of famous television show openings. In 2015, Scheer launched a follow-up web series with JASH to ''Arscheerio Paul'' called, ''ScheeRL'', which recreates interviews from MTV's ''Total Request Live'' hosted by Carson Daly, with Scheer playing the role of Daly and various comedians playing the musician guests.

In 2016 Scheer lent his voice to the first Vine animated series '' White Ninja'' as the titular character. In 2017 Scheer produced and starred in ''Playdates'', the first independent pilot to debut at Sundance Group, alongside Carla Gallo.

In 2020, Scheer started the FriendZone Channel on Twitch, where he and other comedians put on weekly shows. Their streams have raised money for charities like Miles for Migrants & Feeding America. In 2021, Scheer's YouTube web series, ''Marvel Presents The World's Greatest Book Club'', won an honorary Webby for best reality program.

Podcasting

'' How Did This Get Made?'' a podcast hosted by Scheer, his wife June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas launched in 2010 on Earwolf. Each episode has a celebrity guest/comedian and features the deconstruction and mockery of terrible films. In 2011, iTunes selected ''How Did This Get Made?'' as its favorite comedy podcast of the year. In 2012, ''LA Weekly'' named the show "The Best Comedy Podcast." Guests have included Kevin Smith, Damon Lindelof, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Danny Trejo, Vanilla Ice, Adam Scott, Tatiana Maslany, and Nick Kroll. In 2022 and 2024, ''How Did This Get Made?'' won the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for best TV & film podcast. The podcast also won the 2022 and 2024 Ambie Award for Best Comedy Podcast.

In 2018, Scheer started '' Unspooled'', a podcast dedicated to watching and discussing all 100 films on the American Film Institute's top movies of all time, with co-host Amy Nicholson. ''Unspooled'' was well received by the press, earning top reviews from ''Esquire'', '' Vanity Fair'', '' Town & Country'', ''Vulture'', and ''Rolling Stone''. In 2021, Scheer was involved with HBO Max's scripted podcast, '' Batman: The Audio Adventures''.

Scheer also co-founded Wolfpop which later merged with Earwolf.

Comics

In 2014, Scheer ventured into comics with writing partner Nick Giovannetti to create a 5-part Boom mini-series, ''ALIENS vs. PARKER''. In 2015, he appeared in The Astonishing Ant-Man #4 by Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas, after co-writing a team-up between Ant-Man and Drax the Destroyer in Guardians Team-Up #7.

Scheer and Giovanetti continued their collaboration with Marvel Comics, where they penned '' Deadpool Bi-Annual #1'', a ''Guardians Team Up'', which were released September 2014 and 2015. More recently, they wrote for Marvel "Spider-Man-Deadpool" (2017) and "Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History" (2019).

Scheer and Giovanetti have also written for DC Comics: ''Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder, #1'' (Get Gaggy); The Harley Quinn short story "It's a Horrible Life" which he co-wrote with Nick Giovanetti, Steve Lieber, Marissa Louise, and Carlos M. Mangual; and ''Batman: The Audio Adventures Special'', a prequel to the podcast series Scheer voiced. Other writers for the comic include Dennis McNicholas, Bobby Moynihan and Heidi Gardner.

Author

In May 2024, Scheer released his memoir "Joyful Recollections of Trauma," which quickly became a New York Times Bestseller for Hardcover Nonfiction. The book is a memoir that candidly explores Scheer's childhood trauma and the impact these experiences had on his life and career. Scheer combines dark anecdotes with self-deprecating humor, offering readers an engaging and uplifting narrative. The memoir also highlights Scheer's journey to self-acceptance and his reflections on fatherhood and family life, providing a look at his personal growth Critics have praised the book for its balance of humor and sincerity, making it a compelling read for fans of both comedy and memoirs.

Philanthropy and activism

In 2008, along with fellow comedians Rob Riggle, Horatio Sanz, and Rob Huebel, Scheer completed four USO comedy shows for American troops in Iraq.

In 2010, Scheer organized a charity event with Ben Stiller called ''A Night of 140 Tweets'', in which he got 140 comedians and actors to appear on stage at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles, each of them reading a single tweet. The performers included Stiller, Will Ferrell, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Aziz Ansari, the cast of ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', Dane Cook, Wilmer Valderrama, John Cho, Mindy Kaling, and Sasha Grey. The event, released as a charity DVD and online download, raised over $500,000 for Haiti.

In 2019, Scheer was arrested during Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Friday demonstration on the Capitol steps in Washington DC. Scheer also helped organize The Big 100, a program that asked Americans to take progressive actions in the 100 days following President Donald Trump's inauguration.

On November 2, 2022, Scheer told Twitter followers that his mail-in ballot had not arrived and thanked nonpartisan voter advocate organization VoteRiders for letting him know what credentials he needed to vote in person.

In 2023, Scheer co-hosted "The Give Back-ular Spectacular," a live telethon-style fundraiser at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, which raised funds to support TV and film crew members affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Scheer and June Diane Raphael hosted the 2024 Humanitas Prizes event, supporting writers who explore the human condition and raising funds for programs like the New Voices Fellowship and College Screenwriting Awards.

Scheer also directed and starred in a public service announcement titled "Fake Happy" for Oklahoma’s 988 Mental Health Lifeline during Super Bowl LVIII, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness.

Personal life

Scheer is married to actress-writer June Diane Raphael. They first met in January 2004, after the artistic director of Manhattan's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre brought Scheer in to offer tips to Raphael and her comedy partner, Casey Wilson, on improving their UCB two-woman sketch show and started dating shortly afterward. In October 2009, Scheer and Raphael married at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, where Scheer's best man was a Jack Nicholson impersonator. They have two sons. Scheer has frequently vacationed at Walt Disney World since childhood; in 2020, he said he had outgrown the reliance he had on the park when he was younger, but said that it remained "such a part of my life, for better or worse" and that he enjoyed visiting with his children. He is a fan of the Los Angeles Clippers, having begun following the team when he moved to Los Angeles from New York in 2006.

In a 2015 interview, Scheer discussed practicing Transcendental Meditation.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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''Unspooled''
with Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson on Earwolf

''How Did This Get Made?''
with Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas and June Diane Raphael on Earwolf

''Human Giant'' home page

Paul Scheer talks about the fear behind ''NTSF:SD:SUV::''

Artwork created by Scheer and presented at the ''Lost'' Panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009

;Interviews/articles

Podcast interview
with Caleb Bacon

Interview
at /Film

Interview at LosAnjealous.com

Interview at Bloodydisgusting.com

Interview at WickedInfo.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scheer, Paul
1976 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Actual play performers
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American comedy podcasters
American sketch comedians
American television writers
American male television writers
Male actors from New York (state)
Male actors from New York City
New York University alumni
People from Huntington, New York
American showrunners
Comedians from New York City
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers
Screenwriters from New York (state)
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
American film and television podcasters