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Matt Walsh (comedian)

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Matt Walsh
Walsh in 2014
Birth nameMatthew Paul Walsh
Born (1964-10-13) October 13, 1964 (age 60)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • film
  • television
Alma materNorthern Illinois University
Years active1991–present
GenresImprovisational comedy
SpouseMorgan Walsh[citation needed]

Matthew Paul Walsh (born October 13, 1964)[1] is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Mike McLintock in Veep for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, with which he co-starred in its original television series and the 2015 reboot. He also previously starred in short-lived comedy programs such as Dog Bites Man and Players, and was a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has also appeared in films such as Road Trip (2000), Bad Santa (2003), School for Scoundrels (2006), Role Models (2008), The Hangover (2009), and The Do-Over (2016).

Early life

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Walsh was born in Chicago, the fourth of seven children of Dick and Audrey Walsh. He graduated from Hinsdale South High School in 1982.[2] While in high school he played on the football team as a backup tight end. He attended Northern Illinois University, where he graduated with a degree in Psychology, also spending a year studying abroad in Austria at Salzburg College.[1]

Career

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After college, Walsh took improvisational comedy classes in Chicago, where he became a regular performer at the Annoyance Theater and ImprovOlympic, and studied under Del Close. In 1991, he met comedian Matt Besser, with whom he began performing stand-up comedy. Along with Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, and Ian Roberts, he is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv comedy troupe and played "Trotter" in the troupe's sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central. Before the show, the UCB comedy foursome had already been doing improv shows at their theatre in New York, which used to be a burlesque house before they remodeled it to become a theatre. To date, they have founded four successful Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theaters located in New York at UCB Chelsea and The East Village UCB, and Los Angeles with UCB Franklin and UCB Sunset.

Besides his sketch work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Walsh is also known for his memorable supporting roles in popular comedy films in recent years including Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Be Kind Rewind, Ted, and Keeping Up with the Joneses. Walsh also wrote and starred in the cult indie-comedy Martin & Orloff. Walsh was a correspondent on The Daily Show from 2001 to 2002, and made regular appearances in comedy sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and MTV's Human Giant as well as starring in the Comedy Central mockumentary series Dog Bites Man in the summer of 2006. Walsh has the distinction of having appeared in several Todd Phillips comedy films, most often playing characters aptly named "Walsh".

In 2010, Walsh created the improvised comedy series Players for Spike TV. Walsh (creator, writer, director and executive producer of the show) stars in the series alongside his Upright Citizens Brigade partner Ian Roberts, as two brothers who run a sports bar together. The show aired for one season, concluding on August 14, 2010.[3]

Walsh hosted the podcast Bear Down[4] with comedian Scot Armstrong (screenwriter of Old School) where they discuss their favorite football team The Chicago Bears and do sports-themed comedy bits such as fake call-ins and in-character interviews. The podcast has also featured appearances by comedians such as Horatio Sanz, Ian Roberts, Joe Nunez, and Matt Price.

In 2010, Walsh had recurring roles on the NBC comedy series Outsourced and on the HBO comedy series Hung. In 2012, he began co-starring as Mike McLintock in the HBO series Veep, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016 and 2017. During that year, Walsh portrayed J. R. R. Tolkien in The Dead Authors Podcast.

Walsh directed his first feature film High Road, an indie-comedy he co-wrote with Josh Weiner.[5] The film was released on March 6, 2012.[6] Walsh co-wrote his second film, A Better You, with Brian Huskey, who also stars in the film.[7]

In the movie Into the Storm, Walsh stars as Pete Moore, who is the driver of the Tornado Intercept Vehicle nicknamed "Titus."[8]

He appeared in the MyCareer mode in the basketball simulation game NBA 2K17.[9]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 Tomorrow Night
Talent Ted
1999 Fatty Drives the Bus Man in Baseball Uniform
2000 Road Trip Crime Scene Photographer
2002 Martin & Orloff Dr. Eric Orloff
2003 Pushing Tom Co-Worker
Old School Walsh
The Test Joe Short film
Death of a Dynasty Frat Boy No. 1
Elf Eye Witness
Brainwarp Captain Maniac Video
Bad Santa Herb
2004 The Sensual Lover of Bindalele Budo Short film
Starsky & Hutch Eddie
Christmas with the Kranks Neighbor #2
2006 School for Scoundrels Walsh
2007 Wild Girls Gone Sheriff Terry Moran
Dante's Inferno Mussolini / Fox Reporter / Airport Security Pursuer (voice)
2008 Lower Learning Mr. Conroy
Be Kind Rewind Officer Julian
Drillbit Taylor Not for Pot Driver
Semi-Pro Father Pat
Step Brothers Drunk Corporate Guy
Role Models Davith of Glencracken
2009 Mystery Team Jim
I Love You, Man Impatient Golfer
The Hangover Dr. Valsh
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Captain Ortiz
May the Best Man Win Fred Anderton
2010 Cyrus Tim
Due Date TSA Agent
Cherry Prof. Van Auken
Breast Picture Jack
2011 Freak Dance Adolf Hitler Jr.
2012 High Road Man Also co-writer and director
Ted Thomas
Free Samples Mr. Hightower
Queens of Country Cleveland Norvis
The Brass Teapot Antique Dealer
2013 Movie 43 Amanda's Dad Segment: "Middleschool Date"
Coffee Town Police officer
2014 Hits Dave
Into the Storm Pete
Sex Ed Washout
Jason Nash Is Married Randy Plymouth
A Better You Patrick Also writer and director
2015 Get Hard Bathroom Stall Man
Bad Night Ari
2016 Other People Steve
The Darkness Gary Carter
The Do-Over Shecky
Ghostbusters Rourke
Wild Oats Forbes
Keeping up with the Joneses Dan Craverston
Office Christmas Party Ezra
2017 Brigsby Bear Greg Pope
2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Matty Simmons
Family[10] Dan
Life of the Party Daniel "Dan" Miles
Under the Eiffel Tower Stuart
Widows Ken
2019 The Perfect Date Charlie Rattigan
2020 For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close Mike Gold
2022 Unplugging Dan Dewerson Also writer and producer
Father of the Bride Dr. Gary Saeger
Press Play Mr. Knott
2023 You People Don Wood
Flamin' Hot Lonny Mason
Jess Plus None Ranger
The Good Half Darren Wheeland
Bolt from the Blue Michael
Not An Artist TBA
2024 Suncoast Mr. Ladd
Drugstore June Crawford
2025 Novocaine TBA Filming
TBA Chicken Jeff Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1996 Escape from It's a Wonderful Life Clarence / Various (voice)
1996–2000 Saturday Night Live Angry Dad / Construction Worker / Hidden Camera Victim 3 episodes
1996–2004 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Various
1997 Apartment 2F Iron Stomach 2 episodes
1998–2000 Upright Citizens Brigade Trotter/Various Characters 30 episodes
2000 Strangers with Candy Banker / Doctor Robots Episode: "Yes You Can't"
2001 Late Friday Old Man Episode: "#1.6"
2001–2002 The Daily Show Correspondent
2004 Cheap Seats without Ron Parker Gordon Sumner Episode: "#Stanford-Cal: The 1982 Big Game"
Arrested Development The D.A. Episode: "Let 'Em Eat Cake"
O'Grady Kevin's Dad (voice) Episode: "The Fly"
2004–2009 Reno 911! Ranger Glen / Ian Meltzer 5 episodes
2006 Dog Bites Man Kevin Beeken 9 episodes
2007–2008 Human Giant Various characters 9 episodes
2008 Worst Week Peacemon Episode: "The Monitor"
The Sarah Silverman Program Tennis Player Episode: "Patriot Tact"
Little Britain USA Senator's Press Rep / Businessman at Urinal 3 episodes
2009 The League Mr. Freidman Episode: "The Draft"
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Ray (voice) Episode: "Fry Legs"
2010 Players Bruce Fitzgerald 10 episodes
Party Down Larry Duckett Episode: "Cole Landry's Draft Day Party"
Nick Swardson's Pretend Time Police Chief Episode: "Relapse Into Refreshment"
Community Joshua the Groundskeeper Episode: "Aerodynamics of Gender"
Funny or Die Presents Producer Episode: "#1.5"
Hung Matt Saline 6 episodes
Childrens Hospital Cameraman / Dr. Trotter 2 episodes
2010; 2022 Hell's Kitchen Himself 2 episodes
2010–2011 Outsourced Jerry Stern 8 episodes
2011 Jon Benjamin Has a Van Dr. Nathan Kumerly / Rob Shutterman 2 episodes
2011–2013 NTSF:SD:SUV:: President Grant / NASA Agent 2 episodes
2012 Animal Practice Alan Waxman Episode: "Pilot"
Happy Endings Duckie Blenkinship Episode: "KickBall 2: The Kickening"
MyMusic Mr. Indie Episode: "Back in Black!"
2012–2019 Veep Mike McLintock 65 episodes
2013 Parks and Recreation Leonard Tchulm Episode: "Emergency Response"
The Aquabats! Super Show! Santa Claus Episode: "Christmas with the Aquabats!"
2013–2014 Drunk History Joseph Pulitzer / KKK Member 2 episodes
2013–2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! L. Jefe Maninchargo 11 episodes
2014 How I Met Your Mother Captain Dearduff Episode: "Sunrise"
Bob's Burgers Rick (voice) Episode: "The Kids Rob a Train"
2014–2016 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Detective Lohank 3 episodes
2015 Rick and Morty Sleepy Gary (voice) Episode: "Total Rickall"
Playing House Phil Episode: "Employee of the Month"
Hot in Cleveland Arnie Episode: "Bad Girlfriends"
2016 Animals. Grey Horse (voice) Episode: "Rats"
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Jason Clark Episode: "Doping"
2017 Teachers Harvey Episode: "Getting Drilled"
Black-ish President Schock Episode: "Liberal Arts"
Do You Want to See a Dead Body? Himself Episode: "A Body and a Train"
2018 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Frank Episode: "Oh, Nathaniel, It's On!"
Another Period Father Episode: "Little Orphan Garfield"
The Good Fight Judge Oliver Walenstadt Episode: "Day 443"
Alex, Inc. Detective Phipps Episode: "The Grande Apologano"
No Activity Larry Turnbull 3 episodes
Champaign ILL Lester Noyce Episode: "Cherry Vintage Rascal"
The Guest Book Dave Episode: "Someplace Other Than Here"
2019 Weird City Tawny's Dad Episode: "A Family"
Desus & Mero Dexter Homeland Episode: "Electric Lemonade"
2020 American Dad! Agent (voice) Episode: "100 Years a Solid Fool"
Star Trek: Lower Decks Lieutenant Commander Ron Docent (voice) Episode: "Cupid's Errant Arrow"
2021 Curb Your Enthusiasm Walt Kinney Episode: "The Mormon Advantage"
2022 The Conners Professor Glen 3 episodes
The Conor Moore Show Various 2 episodes
2022–2023 Ghosts Elias Woodstone 2 episodes
2023 Dancing with the Stars Himself/Contestant Season 32 first to be eliminated
Carol & the End of the World (voice) 2 episodes
2024 Manhunt Samuel Mudd Miniseries
Not Dead Yet Frederick P. Moreau Episode: "Not You Yet"

References

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  1. ^ a b "Matt Walsh Biography". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016.
  2. ^ Ingram, Bruce (November 15, 2017). "Matt Walsh takes break from 'Veep' for performance in Darien". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "Spike TV greenlights 'Players'".
  4. ^ Bear Down
  5. ^ "Matt Walsh to take the 'High Road'". The Hollywood Reporter. July 15, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  6. ^ Evans, Bradford (March 2012). "Talking to Matt Walsh, Horatio Sanz, and Joe Lo Truglio, the Cast and Crew of the New Movie High Road". www.vulture.com. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  7. ^ "Hypnotherapy Run Amok: Matt Walsh's 'A Better You' At SBIFF – Hot Trailer". Deadline. January 21, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  8. ^ Trumbore, Dave (July 5, 2014). "Matt Walsh Talks INTO THE STORM, Researching Storm Chasing, Cameras on the Titus, Driving the Vehicle, Tornado Anecdotes & His Character's Serious Nature". Collider. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  9. ^ Sarkar, Samit (August 26, 2016). "NBA 2K17 demo lets you start the career mode early, for free". Polygon. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  10. ^ Fear, David (March 6, 2018). "20 Movies We Can't Wait to See at SXSW 2018". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
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