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Upon moving from Mexico to ], Szekely discovered he wanted to become a writer and comedian, citing ], ], and ] as some of his influences.<ref name="Vogel"/> When he was around the age of 10, his parents ]d. Consequently, Szekely was raised as one of four children by a single mother in ].<ref name="Hagan">{{cite news|last=Hagan|first=Joe|title=Can HBO Save the Sitcom? Louis C.K. Says Yes|url=http://www.observer.com/node/50661|accessdate=November 10, 2010|newspaper=]|year=2005}}</ref> His primary influence for aspiring to produce movies and television turned out to be his mother: "I remember thinking in fifth grade, 'I have to get inside that box and make this shit better'... because she deserves this."<ref name=Hagan/> Upon moving from Mexico to ], Szekely discovered he wanted to become a writer and comedian, citing ], ], and ] as some of his influences.<ref name="Vogel"/> When he was around the age of 10, his parents ]d. Consequently, Szekely was raised as one of four children by a single mother in ].<ref name="Hagan">{{cite news|last=Hagan|first=Joe|title=Can HBO Save the Sitcom? Louis C.K. Says Yes|url=http://www.observer.com/node/50661|accessdate=November 10, 2010|newspaper=]|year=2005}}</ref> His primary influence for aspiring to produce movies and television turned out to be his mother: "I remember thinking in fifth grade, 'I have to get inside that box and make this shit better'... because she deserves this."<ref name=Hagan/>


After ], he worked as the overseer of a raw sewage treatment facility in Boston before summoning the courage to try stand-up.<ref name="Knutzen"/> His first attempt was in 1984 at a ]'s ] night, where he was given five minutes of time, but only had two minutes of material.<ref name="louisweb">{{cite web|title=Louis C.K.'s Bio|url=http://www.louisck.net/bio.html|publisher=Louisck.net|accessdate=October 12, 2010}}</ref> The experience kept him away from comedy for two years.<ref name="Bromley">{{cite web|last=Bromley|first=Patrick|title=Louis C.K. – Biography|url=http://comedians.about.com/od/comediansal/p/louisck.htm|publisher=About.com|accessdate=October 12, 2010}}</ref> Szekely gradually moved up into paid gigs, opened for ] and hosted comedy clubs<ref name="Knutzen"/> until he moved to ] in 1989.<ref name="louisweb"/> After ], he worked as an auto mechanic in Boston before summoning the courage to try stand-up.<ref name="Knutzen"/> His first attempt was in 1984 at a ]'s ] night, where he was given five minutes of time, but only had two minutes of material.<ref name="louisweb">{{cite web|title=Louis C.K.'s Bio|url=http://www.louisck.net/bio.html|publisher=Louisck.net|accessdate=October 12, 2010}}</ref> The experience kept him away from comedy for two years.<ref name="Bromley">{{cite web|last=Bromley|first=Patrick|title=Louis C.K. – Biography|url=http://comedians.about.com/od/comediansal/p/louisck.htm|publisher=About.com|accessdate=October 12, 2010}}</ref> Szekely gradually moved up into paid gigs, opened for ] and hosted comedy clubs<ref name="Knutzen"/> until he moved to ] in 1989.<ref name="louisweb"/>


==Career== ==Career==
===Writing=== ===Writing===
His credits as a writer include '']'', '']'', '']'' and the '']''. His work for the ''Chris Rock Show'' was nominated for an ] sixteen times, including "Best Writing in a Variety or Comedy Series" in 1999. He never won one. He was also nominated for an ] for his work writing ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. However, the feature film born from the Chris Rock sketches, '']'', which C.K. wrote and directed, received largely negative reviews by critics but became a cult classic.<ref name="Tobias">{{cite web|last=Tobias|first=Scott|title=A.V. Club; The New Cult Canon: Pootie Tang|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/pootie-tang,30745/|accessdate=March 21, 2011}}</ref><ref name="esquire">{{cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/man-at-his-best/q-and-a/louis-ck-interview-0611 |title=Louis C.K. Interview |last=Raab |first=Scott |date=23 May 2011 |work=Esquire |publisher= |accessdate=29 July 2011}}</ref> He wrote and directed the independent black-and-white film ''Tomorrow Night'' (1998) (which premiered at ])<ref></ref> and several shorter films, including six short films for the sketch comedy show "Sunny Skies" (1995) on the ] cable network.<ref>Louis CK Bio, http://www.louisck.com/bio.htm</ref> He was nominated for an ] for writing on his 2008 special, ''Chewed Up''. His credits as a writer include '']'', '']'', '']'' and the '']''. His work for the ''Chris Rock Show'' was nominated for an ] three times, including winning "Best Writing in a Variety or Comedy Series" in 1999. He was also nominated for an ] for his work writing ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. However, the feature film born from the Chris Rock sketches, '']'', which C.K. wrote and directed, received largely negative reviews by critics but became a cult classic.<ref name="Tobias">{{cite web|last=Tobias|first=Scott|title=A.V. Club; The New Cult Canon: Pootie Tang|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/pootie-tang,30745/|accessdate=March 21, 2011}}</ref><ref name="esquire">{{cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/man-at-his-best/q-and-a/louis-ck-interview-0611 |title=Louis C.K. Interview |last=Raab |first=Scott |date=23 May 2011 |work=Esquire |publisher= |accessdate=29 July 2011}}</ref> He wrote and directed the independent black-and-white film ''Tomorrow Night'' (1998) (which premiered at ])<ref></ref> and several shorter films, including six short films for the sketch comedy show "Sunny Skies" (1995) on the ] cable network.<ref>Louis CK Bio, http://www.louisck.com/bio.htm</ref> He was nominated for an ] for writing on his 2008 special, ''Chewed Up''.


C.K. has co-written two screenplays with ], '']'' in 2001, and '']'' in 2007. C.K. has co-written two screenplays with ], '']'' in 2001, and '']'' in 2007.
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===Acting=== ===Acting===
In June 2006, C.K. began starring in '']'', a ] he and, debatably, Dane Cook created. The series premiered on HBO and was videotaped in front of a live studio audience; it was HBO's third series in that format. It tanked in ratings. the pilot received a total of 101,326 viewers nation-wide, ten percent of which did not watch the second episode. ''Lucky Louie'' is described as a bluntly realistic portrayal of family life. However, HBO canceled the series after its first season. He also plays a small role as a security guard in '']''. In 2009, C.K. was added to NBC's '']'', where he appeared in a multi-episode story arc as a potential love interest for ]'s character.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/07/louis-ck-gets-another-shot-at-television |title=Louis C.K. Gets Another Shot at Television |publisher=Slashfilm.com |date=August 7, 2009 |accessdate=August 19, 2010}}</ref> In June 2006, C.K. began starring in '']'', a ] he created. The series premiered on HBO and was videotaped in front of a live studio audience; it was HBO's first series in that format. ''Lucky Louie'' is described as a bluntly realistic portrayal of family life. However, HBO canceled the series after its first season. He also plays a small role as a security guard in '']''. In 2009, C.K. was added to NBC's '']'', where he appeared in a multi-episode story arc as a potential love interest for ]'s character.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/07/louis-ck-gets-another-shot-at-television |title=Louis C.K. Gets Another Shot at Television |publisher=Slashfilm.com |date=August 7, 2009 |accessdate=August 19, 2010}}</ref>


In August 2009, ] picked up his new series '']''. In it, C.K. is starring, writing, directing, editing, filming, and boom operating. The show features his stand-up routines blended with skits based somewhat on his offstage experiences.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007486.html | work=Variety | title=More laffs in FX lineup | first=Cynthia | last=Littleton | date=August 19, 2009}}</ref> The show premiered on June 29, 2010. The show's first season consisted of thirteen episodes and the second is currently airing with a third season planned. It addresses life as a divorced, aging father: "It's hard to start again after a marriage," he started in one of his early routines on the show. "It's hard to really, like, look at somebody and go, hey, maybe something nice will happen. ... Or you'll meet the perfect person, who you love infinitely, and you even argue well, and you grow together, and you have children, and then you get old together, and then she's going to die...that's the best case scenario."<ref name="FA01" /> In August 2009, ] picked up his new series '']''. In it, C.K. is starring, writing, directing, and editing. The show features his stand-up routines blended with skits based somewhat on his offstage experiences.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007486.html | work=Variety | title=More laffs in FX lineup | first=Cynthia | last=Littleton | date=August 19, 2009}}</ref> The show premiered on June 29, 2010. The show's first season consisted of thirteen episodes and the second is currently airing with a third season planned. It addresses life as a divorced, aging father: "It's hard to start again after a marriage," he started in one of his early routines on the show. "It's hard to really, like, look at somebody and go, hey, maybe something nice will happen. ... Or you'll meet the perfect person, who you love infinitely, and you even argue well, and you grow together, and you have children, and then you get old together, and then she's going to die...that's the best case scenario."<ref name="FA01" />


C.K. has also appeared in the films '']'', '']'', and '']. C.K. has also appeared in the films '']'', '']'', and ''].

Revision as of 20:36, 20 August 2011

Louis C.K.
Louis C.K. performing in Kuwait, December 2008
Birth nameLouis Szekely
Born (1967-09-12) September 12, 1967 (age 57)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
MediumStand-up, television, film
NationalityAmerican, Mexican
Years active1985–present
GenresObservational comedy, black comedy, surreal humor
Subject(s)Everyday life, self-deprecation, marriage, pessimism, parenting, sexuality
SpouseAlix Bailey (1995–2008; 2 children)
Notable works and rolesThe Chris Rock Show
Late Night with Conan O' Brien
Pootie Tang
Lucky Louie
Louie
Websitewww.louisck.net
Template:Infobox comedian awards

Louis Szekely (born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K., is a stand-up comedian, television and film writer, actor, producer, and director from Washington, D.C. He currently stars in the FX comedy series Louie, which he also writes, directs, and edits.

Early life and career

His stage name is derived from an approximate English pronunciation of his originally Hungarian surname Szekely (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈseːkɛj]). Szekely was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Mary Louise (née Davis), a software engineer, and Luis Szekely, an economist. His mother is of Irish Catholic ancestry and his father, a native of Mexico, is of Mexican Catholic and Hungarian Jewish descent. The two met at Harvard University while Luis was trying to finish his degree during a summer school program. Louis moved to Mexico City and lived there until the age of seven. His first language is Spanish, and he still retains his Mexican citizenship. Upon moving from Mexico to Boston, Massachusetts, Szekely discovered he wanted to become a writer and comedian, citing Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin as some of his influences. When he was around the age of 10, his parents divorced. Consequently, Szekely was raised as one of four children by a single mother in Newton, Massachusetts. His primary influence for aspiring to produce movies and television turned out to be his mother: "I remember thinking in fifth grade, 'I have to get inside that box and make this shit better'... because she deserves this."

After high school, he worked as an auto mechanic in Boston before summoning the courage to try stand-up. His first attempt was in 1984 at a comedy club's open mic night, where he was given five minutes of time, but only had two minutes of material. The experience kept him away from comedy for two years. Szekely gradually moved up into paid gigs, opened for Jerry Seinfeld and hosted comedy clubs until he moved to Manhattan in 1989.

Career

Writing

His credits as a writer include The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Dana Carvey Show and the Chris Rock Show. His work for the Chris Rock Show was nominated for an Emmy Award three times, including winning "Best Writing in a Variety or Comedy Series" in 1999. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for his work writing Late Night with Conan O'Brien. However, the feature film born from the Chris Rock sketches, Pootie Tang, which C.K. wrote and directed, received largely negative reviews by critics but became a cult classic. He wrote and directed the independent black-and-white film Tomorrow Night (1998) (which premiered at Sundance) and several shorter films, including six short films for the sketch comedy show "Sunny Skies" (1995) on the Showtime cable network. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for writing on his 2008 special, Chewed Up.

C.K. has co-written two screenplays with Chris Rock, Down to Earth in 2001, and I Think I Love My Wife in 2007.

Stand-up

C.K. has performed his stand-up frequently on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Lopez Tonight, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In August 2005, C.K. starred in a half-hour HBO special as part of the stand-up series One Night Stand.

In 2006, C.K. starred in his own hour-long HBO special titled Shameless. On March 1, 2008, Louis recorded a stand-up special, Chewed Up, that premiered on Showtime October 4, 2008 and went on to be nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Special." On April 18, 2009, Louis recorded a stand-up special titled Hilarious that was released in 2010. It is the first stand-up comedy film to be accepted into Sundance.

In a 2010 interview, C.K. described returning to stand-up and doing specials after his divorce as a year and a half working "to catch up to" the breakup of his marriage which, although portrayed in the HBO series Lucky Louie as fractious, had nonetheless been central to the show and his life. One element in his preparation for stand-up was training in the boxing gym, including with locally well-known Lowell, Massachusetts fighter Micky Ward, trying to "learn how to ... do the grunt work and the boring, constant training so that you'll be fit enough to take the beating."

Acting

In June 2006, C.K. began starring in Lucky Louie, a sitcom he created. The series premiered on HBO and was videotaped in front of a live studio audience; it was HBO's first series in that format. Lucky Louie is described as a bluntly realistic portrayal of family life. However, HBO canceled the series after its first season. He also plays a small role as a security guard in Role Models. In 2009, C.K. was added to NBC's Parks and Recreation, where he appeared in a multi-episode story arc as a potential love interest for Amy Poehler's character.

In August 2009, FX picked up his new series Louie. In it, C.K. is starring, writing, directing, and editing. The show features his stand-up routines blended with skits based somewhat on his offstage experiences. The show premiered on June 29, 2010. The show's first season consisted of thirteen episodes and the second is currently airing with a third season planned. It addresses life as a divorced, aging father: "It's hard to start again after a marriage," he started in one of his early routines on the show. "It's hard to really, like, look at somebody and go, hey, maybe something nice will happen. ... Or you'll meet the perfect person, who you love infinitely, and you even argue well, and you grow together, and you have children, and then you get old together, and then she's going to die...that's the best case scenario."

C.K. has also appeared in the films Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Diminished Capacity, and The Invention of Lying.

Louis C.K. was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in July 2011 for Louie.

Other work

As a voice actor, C.K. portrayed Brendon Small's estranged father, Andrew Small, in Home Movies, and appeared numerous times on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.

C.K. is a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony radio show, which also features his Lucky Louie co-star Jim Norton, and was also a part of Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour with other comedians in 2007. He makes frequent appearances on Raw Dog Comedy on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and in 2007 hosted a three-hour phone-in show on the service at the request of Opie & Anthony, during which he advised callers on their relationship troubles.

During an interview with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on the Opie and Anthony radio show, Louis C.K. famously asked Rumsfeld whether he is in fact a Mexican baby-eating space lizard "who eats the poor." Rumsfeld declined to comment.

He is also an occasional guest on the Bob and Tom radio show which is a popular showcase for comedians and he frequently works with Robert Smigel on TV Funhouse shorts exclusively for Saturday Night Live, ranging from politics to surrealism.

C.K. started his own YouTube channel, featuring sketches, short films he made independently in the earlier years of his career, and rejected HBO segments. In 2007, he wrote a controversial sketch presenting the Catholic Church as existing "solely for the purpose of boy rape" that attracted the ire of several Christian media organizations (the same groups would later attack Lucky Louie for being "barbaric").

Personal life

He was married to artist and painter Alix Bailey; they divorced in 2008. He has two daughters from the marriage and shares joint custody of them with Bailey.

Discography

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1993–1994 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Nicknames for Conan Guy / Various Also Writer
1996 The Dana Carvey Show Various 3 Episodes / Also Writer
HBO Comedy Half-Hour Himself Stand-Up Special
1996–1997 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Louis 2 Episodes
1997 The Chris Rock Show Various Also Writer
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
2001 Comedy Central Presents Himself Stand-up Special
2002 Home Movies Andrew Small Voice Only
2005 One Night Stand Himself Stand-up Special
2006–2007 Lucky Louie Louie Creator / Writer / Ex. Producer
2007 Shameless Himself Stand-up Special
2008 Diminished Capacity Stan
Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins Marty
Role Models Security Guard
Chewed Up Himself Stand-up Special / Director / Editor
2009 The Invention of Lying Greg
Parks and Recreation Dave Sanderson 5 Episodes
2010–present Louie Louie Creator / Writer / Director / Editor
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
2011 Hilarious Himself Stand-up Special / Director / Editor
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Special {Single or Multi-Camera)

Non-performance credits

Year Title Notes
2001 Down to Earth Screenwriter
Pootie Tang Screenwriter / Director
2007 I Think I Love My Wife Screenwriter

References

This article uses bare URLs, which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot. Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style. Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting, such as reFill (documentation) and Citation bot (documentation). (July 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
  1. ^ Vogel, Laura (May 27, 2007). "Louis C.K." New York Post. Retrieved November 10, 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ Knutzen, Eirik. "Louis C.K." Copley News Service. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  3. "Interview with Louis C.K." One Night Stand. HBO. 2005. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  4. "Patton Oswalt: The AST Interview". Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  5. http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/louis-ck.
  6. http://punchlinemagazine.com/blog/2011/03/louis-c-k-s-fx-show-louie-coming-to-blu-ray
  7. Kelly, Brendan (March 8, 2011). "Just for Laughs to fete Louis C.K". Variety.
  8. "June Wedding Was Held In Traverse City". Owosso Argus-Press. June 27, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved January 24, 2011. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. Smiley, Tavis (2009). "Louis C.K." PBS. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  10. ^ Hagan, Joe (2005). "Can HBO Save the Sitcom? Louis C.K. Says Yes". The New York Observer. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  11. ^ "Louis C.K.'s Bio". Louisck.net. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  12. Bromley, Patrick. "Louis C.K. – Biography". About.com. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  13. Tobias, Scott. "A.V. Club; The New Cult Canon: Pootie Tang". Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  14. Raab, Scott (23 May 2011). "Louis C.K. Interview". Esquire. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  15. Tomorrow Night (1998) – Release dates
  16. Louis CK Bio, http://www.louisck.com/bio.htm
  17. Pabst Theater Show Gallery, http://pabsttheater.org/_galleries/louisck_pabst_041809/louisck.html
  18. IMDb Hilarious Page, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1421373/
  19. Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2010). "Louis C.K. | TV | Interview". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  20. ^ "Finding Laughs Post-Divorce", transcript, Louis C.K. interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, July 7, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  21. "Louis C.K. Gets Another Shot at Television". Slashfilm.com. August 7, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  22. Littleton, Cynthia (August 19, 2009). "More laffs in FX lineup". Variety.
  23. "63rd Annual Pimetime Emmy Awards".
  24. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La0gD5eccJA
  25. "Louis C.K. Asks Donald Rumsfeld: Are You A 'Lizard From Outer Space'?".
  26. http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1156
  27. Singer, Matthew (November 17, 2008). "Louis CK talks America off the ledge—then kicks it in the balls". Willamette Week Online. Retrieved January 1, 2009.

External links

Louis C.K.
Stand-up
Series created
Film
Related
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series (1980–1989)

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