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==Career== ==Career==
Stack got his start in comedy with the improv comedy troupe ].<ref name="SplitSider4.2.15">{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=2015-04-02|title=Longtime ‘Conan’ Writer Brian Stack Is Headed to ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/longtime-conan-writer-brian-stack-is-headed-to-late-show-with-stephen-colbert.html|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref> Stack got his start in comedy with the improv comedy troupe ]<ref name="SplitSider4.2.15">{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=2015-04-02|title=Longtime ‘Conan’ Writer Brian Stack Is Headed to ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/longtime-conan-writer-brian-stack-is-headed-to-late-show-with-stephen-colbert.html|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref> in Chicago, working alongside fellow comedians such as ].<ref name=WashingtonPost>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/interactive/2021/conan-final-show-best-moments/|newspaper=]|title=End of a late-night era: 28 years of memorable Conan moments|author=Yahr, Emily|date=June 23, 2021|accessdate=June 23, 2021|archivedate=June 23, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623181817/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/interactive/2021/conan-final-show-best-moments/}}</ref>


===''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''=== ===''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''===
Stack became a sketch writer on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' in 1997,<ref name="SplitSider4.2.15"/> and served as a writer and actor on the show. He first appeared onscreen when one of the writers asked him to play a doctor in a sketch in which he had no dialogue. One of the first characters he did on the show was Bathtime Bob the Hygiene Cowboy, who sang about bath time, but like many of Stack's characters, he had a very dark, tragic underbelly to his upbeat nature. Stack had previously tried to develop this character at Second City, but it never appeared in any shows.<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14">{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=2014-09-03|title=Sketch Anatomy: Brian Stack on the Traveling Salesman and His Conan Characters|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/sketch-anatomy-brian-stack-on-the-traveling-salesman-and-his-many-other-conan-characters.html|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref> Stack became a sketch writer on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' in 1997,<ref name="SplitSider4.2.15"/> and served as a writer and actor on the show. The first sketch he wrote for the show was the October 8, 1997 inaugural iteration of the running gag "Andy’s Little Sister, Stacy," in which Stack's former Chicago improv colleague ] portrayed the 13-year-old younger sibling of O'Brien's sidekick, ], whose unrequited crush on O'Brien manifests in a range of emotion that runs "from adorable bashfulness to volcanic, homicidal rage." Stack would later say of Poehler in a 2021 '']'' interview, "I’ve always been in awe of her incredible talent, but seeing her, Conan and Andy have so much fun in that sketch is an especially wonderful memory for me and I’ll never forget it."<ref name=WashingtonPost/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7V5zaV6o2k|author=Stack, Brian|title=Andy's Little Sister Stacy|work=]|publisher=]|via=]|date=October 8, 1997|accessdate=June 23, 2021}}</ref>

Stack first appeared onscreen when one of the writers asked him to play a doctor in a sketch in which he had no dialogue. One of the first characters he did on the show was Bathtime Bob the Hygiene Cowboy, who sang about bath time, but like many of Stack's characters, he had a very dark, tragic underbelly to his upbeat nature. Stack had previously tried to develop this character at Second City, but it never appeared in any shows.<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14">{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=2014-09-03|title=Sketch Anatomy: Brian Stack on the Traveling Salesman and His Conan Characters|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/sketch-anatomy-brian-stack-on-the-traveling-salesman-and-his-many-other-conan-characters.html|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref>


Stack remained with O'Brien after O'Brien's move to '']'' in 2009. Stack played many recurring characters on the show, most notably those clad in anachronistic or elaborate outfits, and was known for playing many characters with long beards and mustaches, such as God, ], ], ], ], and ]. Jeff Loveness of '']'' has observed of Stack's characters that there was "such a sadness to each character, but they would not acknowledge their sadness", an assessment that Stack agrees with.<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14"/> Stack has further explained that, "My favorite kind of comedy on the late-night has always been the non-topical silly stuff where it's not really at anybody's expense. My least favorite kind of joke is a celebrity joke, because it tends to be very familiar or sometimes very mean, and if it's not mean it doesn't even work, usually...But my favorite kind of comedy on late night is at no one's expense but the character that's involved in the sketch where you're not really going after anybody."<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14"/> Stack made occasional appearances on ''The Tonight Show'', such as when he played an NRA spokesman who intimates violence to accomplish his agenda. Stack remained with O'Brien after O'Brien's move to '']'' in 2009. Stack played many recurring characters on the show, most notably those clad in anachronistic or elaborate outfits, and was known for playing many characters with long beards and mustaches, such as God, ], ], ], ], and ]. Jeff Loveness of '']'' has observed of Stack's characters that there was "such a sadness to each character, but they would not acknowledge their sadness", an assessment that Stack agrees with.<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14"/> Stack has further explained that, "My favorite kind of comedy on the late-night has always been the non-topical silly stuff where it's not really at anybody's expense. My least favorite kind of joke is a celebrity joke, because it tends to be very familiar or sometimes very mean, and if it's not mean it doesn't even work, usually...But my favorite kind of comedy on late night is at no one's expense but the character that's involved in the sketch where you're not really going after anybody."<ref name="SplitSider9.3.14"/> Stack made occasional appearances on ''The Tonight Show'', such as when he played an NRA spokesman who intimates violence to accomplish his agenda.


Among the characters he has portrayed: Among the characters he portrayed:
*''']''' *''']'''
*'''] *''']

Revision as of 18:39, 23 June 2021

American actor, comedian, and writer (born 1964) For other people named Brian Stack (comedian), see Brian Stack (comedian) (disambiguation). "The Interrupter" redirects here. For other uses, see Interrupter (disambiguation).

Brian Stack
Born (1964-08-18) August 18, 1964 (age 60)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian, writer

Brian Stack (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer best known for his sketch comedy work on all three Conan O'Brien late-night talk shows, previously working on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and on O'Brien's current talk show, Conan on TBS. Stack left Conan in April 2015 to join the writing staff of the CBS series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Early life

Stack was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Catholic schools from grades 5–12, graduating from St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He worked at the college radio station and drew cartoons/illustrations for the Indiana Daily Student. He began doing improvisational comedy, or improv, in 1987 at the Ark Theater in Madison, Wisconsin, while attending graduate school at University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Career

Stack got his start in comedy with the improv comedy troupe The Second City in Chicago, working alongside fellow comedians such as Amy Poehler.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Stack became a sketch writer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1997, and served as a writer and actor on the show. The first sketch he wrote for the show was the October 8, 1997 inaugural iteration of the running gag "Andy’s Little Sister, Stacy," in which Stack's former Chicago improv colleague Amy Poehler portrayed the 13-year-old younger sibling of O'Brien's sidekick, Andy Richter, whose unrequited crush on O'Brien manifests in a range of emotion that runs "from adorable bashfulness to volcanic, homicidal rage." Stack would later say of Poehler in a 2021 Washington Post interview, "I’ve always been in awe of her incredible talent, but seeing her, Conan and Andy have so much fun in that sketch is an especially wonderful memory for me and I’ll never forget it."

Stack first appeared onscreen when one of the writers asked him to play a doctor in a sketch in which he had no dialogue. One of the first characters he did on the show was Bathtime Bob the Hygiene Cowboy, who sang about bath time, but like many of Stack's characters, he had a very dark, tragic underbelly to his upbeat nature. Stack had previously tried to develop this character at Second City, but it never appeared in any shows.

Stack remained with O'Brien after O'Brien's move to The Tonight Show in 2009. Stack played many recurring characters on the show, most notably those clad in anachronistic or elaborate outfits, and was known for playing many characters with long beards and mustaches, such as God, Zeus, Socrates, Gandalf, Dumbledore, and The Interrupter. Jeff Loveness of Jimmy Kimmel Live has observed of Stack's characters that there was "such a sadness to each character, but they would not acknowledge their sadness", an assessment that Stack agrees with. Stack has further explained that, "My favorite kind of comedy on the late-night has always been the non-topical silly stuff where it's not really at anybody's expense. My least favorite kind of joke is a celebrity joke, because it tends to be very familiar or sometimes very mean, and if it's not mean it doesn't even work, usually...But my favorite kind of comedy on late night is at no one's expense but the character that's involved in the sketch where you're not really going after anybody." Stack made occasional appearances on The Tonight Show, such as when he played an NRA spokesman who intimates violence to accomplish his agenda.

Among the characters he portrayed:

  • Artie Kendall the Ghost Crooner
  • Fantastic Guy
  • Frankenstein Wastes a Minute of Our Time
  • Hannigan the Traveling Salesman
  • The Interrupter
  • The Slipnutz
  • Bullet Proof Legs Assassin, a man dressed in all black who always shoots the "Bullet Proof Legs Guys" at the end of every sketch.
  • Clive Clemmons, British heavy metal guitar legend with his own satellite tv channel filled with his favorite inappropriate responses from everyday life.
  • Ira (of Jeremy & Ira), performed with Late Night writer Jon Glaser (as Jeremy), as two bizarre men from another dimension dressed in black hoods, who would visit Conan & Andy from time-to-time, always appearing in the corner of the TV screen. They never speak, and only communicate through nodding and other gestures.
  • Kilty McBagpipes, an extremely stereotypical Scottish man who dresses in a kilt and dances to bagpipe music.
  • Steve St. Helens, a stagehand on the show whose temper rises until he erupts. The character first appeared when Mount St. Helens began showing activity in early 2005.

Stack also provided the voices of numerous celebrities parodied in the Syncro-Vox faux interviews conducted by O'Brien, including Dick Cheney, Mike Tyson, and Martha Stewart.

Among the other characters Stack has created on the show are Stacy Richter, Andy Richter's Conan-obsessed little sister, (played by Stacks' fellow Upright Citizens Brigade alumna, Amy Poehler). Stack also created the recurring segment "Pierre Bernard's Recliner of Rage".

Conan recurring characters

Stack continued his work on O'Brien's TBS series, Conan. His last episode aired on April 2, 2015, with Stack in a sketch as The Interrupter where he and his character bade farewell to the series.

Among his recurring characters:

  • James Sinclair St. Wallins, Audiencey Awards Fashion Correspondent.
  • Brian LaFontaine, Singer on "Basic Cable Name That Tune". Conan frequently expresses his contempt for this character, making comments such as "Hate that guy" or "Easily my least favorite person".
  • Voiceover of Minty, the Candy Cane That Briefly Fell on the Ground, singing the theme song for "Minty the Candycane Who Briefly Fell On The Ground" (played by Brian McCann).
  • Joe Galliano, John Galliano's 'brother' who Conan interviews, generally in response to comments made by John Galliano. Joe tries to defend his brother while changing into ridiculous hats every time the camera switches back to Conan.
  • Wiki Bear, Stack provides the voice of 2014 recurring character "Wiki Bear", a teddy bear who has a vast knowledge of very disturbing facts.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

After fellow Second City alumnus Stephen Colbert succeeded David Letterman as the host of the CBS series Late Show, Stack left Conan, and returned to New York to take a job on the Late Show writing staff. He voices the characters of "Cartoon Donald Trump", "God," and "The Ghost of Abraham Lincoln" on the show.

Other work

Personal life

Stack is married to actress Miriam Tolan, another Second City alum, regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart who has also appeared in the movie The Heat and on shows like 30 Rock, The League, At Home with Amy Sedaris and Jon Glaser Loves Gear.

Awards

  • As a member of Late Night's writing staff, Stack won five Writers Guild Awards for Writing in a Comedy/Variety Series for 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He was also nominated in 1999, 2001, and 2004.
  • Stack was also nominated for an Emmy Award every year since 1998 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program as a member of the writing team, winning in 2007.

See also

References

  1. ^ Wright, Megh (April 2, 2015). "Longtime 'Conan' Writer Brian Stack Is Headed to 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert'". Vulture. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  2. ^ Yahr, Emily (June 23, 2021). "End of a late-night era: 28 years of memorable Conan moments". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. Stack, Brian (October 8, 1997). "Andy's Little Sister Stacy". Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Retrieved June 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Wright, Megh (September 3, 2014). "Sketch Anatomy: Brian Stack on the Traveling Salesman and His Conan Characters". Vulture. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  5. Satellite TV Channels: The Greatest Hits - "Late Night With Conan O'Brien", retrieved May 7, 2021
  6. Guys From Another Dimension - 1998, retrieved May 7, 2021
  7. Jeremy and Ira, Two Guys from Another Dimension - 9/16/1998, retrieved May 7, 2021
  8. Jeremy & Ira - 12/16/98, retrieved May 7, 2021
  9. Captain Barnacle and Kilty McBagpipes - 2/29/2000, retrieved May 7, 2021
  10. Kilty McBagpipes - 3/17/2004, retrieved May 7, 2021
  11. Steve St. Helens & Celebrity Survey - 10/5/2004, retrieved May 7, 2021
  12. Late Night 'St. Helen's Major Eruption! 10/8/04, retrieved May 7, 2021
  13. Stack, Brian (December 4, 2014). "As Steve St. Helens, the stagehand who was about to erupt, at "Late Night" years ago". Twitter.
  14. Wright, Megh (April 3, 2015). "Brian Stack Visits Conan O'Brien as The Interrupter One Last Time". Vulture. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  15. Stone, Natalie (August 7, 2015). "7 Former 'Daily Show' Correspondents Who Didn't Attend Jon Stewart's Finale". The Hollywood Reporter.

External links

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series (2000–2009)
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