home/movie/2015/thank you del the story of the del close marathon
Thank You, Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon
Not Rated
Documentary
5.6/10(5 ratings)
Del Close was never a household name, but any comedy enthusiast is aware of his impact. From Bill Murray to Chris Farley to Amy Poehler, many of the most famous comedians consider him their mentor. Fifteen years after Del Close’s death, thousands of Improv students, comedy fans, actors, and successful comedians gather to celebrate the most important person in modern comedy that no one knows.
10-13-2015
1h 24m
THIS
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Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
Todd Bieber
Production:
FilmBuff
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Del Close
Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was one of the influences on modern improvisational theater. Close is co-founder of the ImprovOlympic (iO).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amy Poehler (/ˈpoʊlər/; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, she co-founded the improvisational-comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade. The group moved to New York City in 1996 where their act became a half-hour sketch-comedy series on Comedy Central in 1998. Along with other members of the comedy group, Poehler is a founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Amy Poehler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Matthew Paul Walsh (born October 13, 1964) 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).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Matt Walsh (comedian), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has frequently collaborated with directors Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, and Jim Jarmusch. He has earned numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Independent Spirit Awards, as well as a nomination for an Academy Award. In 2016, Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Murray was born in Evanston, Illinois, to Lucille (1921–1988), a mail-room clerk, and Edward Joseph Murray II (1921–1967), a lumber salesman. He was raised in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Murray and his eight siblings grew up in an Irish Catholic family. His paternal grandfather was from County Cork, while his maternal ancestors were from County Galway. Three of his siblings, John Murray, Joel Murray, and Brian Doyle-Murray, are also actors.
Murray attended Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where he studied pre-med for a year. He dropped out after being arrested for marijuana possession. In 1973, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy. He joined the National Lampoon Radio Hour, and later appeared in the National Lampoon stage show Lemmings.
In 1977, Murray joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. He quickly became one of the show's most popular cast members, known for his deadpan delivery and his ability to improvise. He left the show in 1980 to pursue a film career.
Murray's first major film role was in the 1979 comedy Meatballs. He went on to star in a number of successful comedies, including Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), and Groundhog Day (1993). He has also starred in a number of critically acclaimed dramas, such as Lost in Translation (2003) and Broken Flowers (2005).
Murray is known for his eccentric and unpredictable behavior. He has been known to disappear from sets and film projects, and he has often been quoted as saying that he doesn't like to work. However, he is also known for his generosity and his willingness to help out his fellow actors.
Harold Allen Ramis was an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) and Russell Ziskey in Stripes (1981), both of which he co-wrote. As a writer/director, his films include the comedies Caddyshack (1980), Groundhog Day (1993), and Analyze This (1999). He was the original head writer of the TV series SCTV (in which he also performed), and one of three screenwriters for the film National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).
Matt Besser was born on September 22, 1967 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Drillbit Taylor (2008) and Bad Teacher (2011).
Nicole Byer is an American comedian, actress, writer, television host, and podcaster. She is known as the host of the Netflix comedic reality bake-off series Nailed It!, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Byer gained recognition for her work in the commentary series Girl Code
Louis Székely, known professionally as Louis C. K., is an American stand-up comedian, Emmy-winning television and film writer, actor, producer, and director from Boston, Massachusetts.
American actress and comedian who has found fame with her roles on comedy series like Broad City and The Good Place. She has also landed roles in comedy films like 2013's The To Do List and 2016's Other People.
Neil Casey (born July 28, 1981) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He served as a writer on Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2013 and Inside Amy Schumer in 2014, receiving Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for both shows. As an actor, he was a series regular on the comedies Other Space (2015) and Making History (2017). Casey also appeared in the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters.
Michael Austin Cera (born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian actor and musician. He started his career as a child actor, voicing the character of Brother Bear on the children’s television show The Berenstain Bears and portraying a young Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002).
He has had numerous roles in United States television and film productions, including character George Michael Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and for his film roles as Evan in Superbad (2007), Paulie Bleeker in Juno (2007), Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and a fictional version of himself in This Is the End (2013). He voiced Dick Grayson/Robin in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), Barry (a deformed sausage) in Sausage Party (2016), and Sal Viscuso, the voice behind the announcements in Childrens Hospital.
Cera made his Broadway debut in the 2014 production of Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth. For his performance in the 2018 production of Lonergan's Lobby Hero, Cera was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. Cera starred in the revival of Lonergan's The Waverly Gallery.
In addition to acting, Cera is a musician, having released his debut album True That in 2014. Cera has also performed as the touring bassist for indie rock supergroup Mister Heavenly.
Sean Conroy has studied improvisation with every member of the Upright Citizens Brigade as well as Armando Diaz and Kevin Mullaney. He has performed stand-up comedy on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Late Friday on NBC. His one-man show, Taught, was selected for the 2001 HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado. He has written for the Comedy Central show Shorties Watching Shorties as well as Comedy Central's Crossballs. He has appeared in the feature films Happy Hour, Martin and Orloff, The Untitled Onion Sketch Movie and Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story. He improvised with Chicago City Limits in national tours and as a mainstage player in their Off-Broadway show. Sean is also a founding member of the longform improv group, The Swarm. As of March 2008 performs every Saturday and Sunday in ASSSSCAT.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: ucbtheatre.com
Elizabeth Stamatina 'Tina' Fey (born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL, 1997–2006), the critically acclaimed NBC comedy series 30 Rock (2006–2013), and such films as Mean Girls (2004), Baby Mama (2008), Date Night (2010), and Admission (2013). She has received eight Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, four Writers Guild of America Awards and was nominated for a Grammy Award for her autobiographical book Bossypants, which topped the The New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks.
She first broke into comedy as a featured player in the Chicago-based improv comedy group The Second City. She then joined SNL as a writer, later becoming head writer and a performer, known for her position as co-anchor in the Weekend Update segment. In 2004, she adapted the screenplay Mean Girls in which she also co-starred.
After leaving SNL in 2006, she created the television series 30 Rock, a situation comedy loosely based on her experiences at SNL. In the series, she portrays the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy series. In 2008, she starred in the comedy film Baby Mama, alongside former SNL co-star Amy Poehler. She next appeared alongside Steve Carell in the 2010 comedy film Date Night and with Will Ferrell in the animated film Megamind.
In 2008, the Associated Press (AP) gave her the AP Entertainer of the Year award for her satirical portrayal of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a guest appearance on SNL. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the youngest-ever winner of the award.
On January 13, 2013, she hosted the Golden Globe Awards with her long-time friend and fellow comedian, Amy Poehler. Their performance was critically acclaimed. The duo hosted again the following year to similar acclaim, generating the highest ratings for the annual ceremony in ten years.
Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Janeane Garofalo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
John Gemberling is an actor and writer, known for Marry Me (2014), CHI Enforcement Unit (2006) and Broad City (2014). Attended the prestigious Collegiate School in New York, NY. Other Famous Alumni include David Duchovny and John F. Kennedy Jr.
Christopher Paul Gethard (born May 23, 1980) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He was the host of The Chris Gethard Show (2011-2018), a talk show based in New York City. He hosts the podcasts Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People and New Jersey is the World.
Howard Hesseman (February 27, 1940 – January 29, 2022) was an American actor known for his television roles as burned out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, and the lead role of history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class. He appeared regularly on television and in film from the 1970s to 2010s, with other noteworthy roles including Sam Royer (the husband of lead character Ann Romano) in the last two seasons of One Day at a Time, and a supporting role as Captain Pete Lassard in the film Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Howard Hesseman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brian Huskey (born September 8, 1968) is an American character actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy programs such as People of Earth, Childrens Hospital, Veep, and Another Period. He also provides the voice of Regular Sized Rudy on the animated comedy Bob's Burgers.
Brandon Scott Jones (born June 6, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Captain Isaac Higgintoot in the CBS series Ghosts and as Donny in the Warner Bros./Netflix film Isn't It Romantic.
Nick Kroll (born June 5, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his role as Rodney Ruxin in the FX/FXX comedy series The League, and for creating and starring in the Comedy Central series Kroll Show. He has had supporting roles in films such as I Love You, Man, Date Night, Get Him to the Greek, Dinner for Shmucks, and A Good Old Fashioned Orgy and more prominent roles in films such as Adult Beginners, Joshy, My Blind Brother, Sausage Party, and Loving.
Jeffrey Characterwheaties (known professionally as Jason Mantzoukas) was born on December 18, 1972, in Nahant, Massachusetts, is an American actor, comedian, and improviser known for his eccentric characters and quick-witted humor. His comedic journey began with improvisational comedy, where his sharp wit and knack for off-the-wall characters shone.
Mantzoukas gained recognition for his roles in various comedy series and films, often portraying eccentric and unpredictable characters. He's notably known for his roles in TV shows like "The League," where he portrayed the eccentric Rafi, and his recurring role as Derek in "The Good Place." His performances are characterized by his ability to infuse even the most absurd characters with a bizarre charm and infectious energy.
With a knack for stealing scenes and a unique comedic timing that keeps audiences on the edge of laughter, Mantzoukas has become a beloved figure in the comedy world. His distinctive voice and comedic style have also led to numerous voice acting roles in animated series and films.
Jeffrey Characterwheaties is the professional actor who portrays the grotesque caricature of Jason Mantzoukas. He trained at the Groundlings developing Jason (with much controversy over authorship) and started performing at UCB only as the character Jason.
Adam McKay (born April 17, 1968) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. McKay began his career in the 1990s as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for two seasons and is the co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade. He rose to fame in the 2000s for his collaborations with comedian Will Ferrell and co-wrote his comedy films Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and The Other Guys. Ferrell and McKay later co-wrote and co-produced numerous television series and films, and produced their comedy website Funny or Die through their company Gary Sanchez Productions.
Venturing into more dramatic territory in the 2010s, McKay's The Big Short was the first film he directed without Ferrell in the cast. For this film, he was nominated for several awards including two Academy Awards, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (with co-writer Charles Randolph), and two British Academy Film Awards, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He and Randolph won Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards, and the WGA Awards. For his work on the Dick Cheney biographical film Vice, McKay received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In 2019, McKay founded Hyperobject Industries.
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. He is known for being the host of the late night shows: Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-2009), The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009-2010) and Conan (2010-2021), he is currently the host of the podcast Conan O'Brien needs a friend.
O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and raised in an Irish Catholic family. He landed his first comedy job as a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News, after first serving as president of the Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote for several comedy shows, and later moved to New York City to work on the writing staff of Saturday Night Live, and later for The Simpsons. O'Brien went on to serve as host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien from 1993 to 2009, before going on to host the short-lived The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien for seven months. He is the only personality to ever serve as host for both the NBC Late Night and Tonight Show franchises.
In 2010, it was announced that O'Brien would begin hosting a new late-night talk show on TBS called Conan, which ran from 2018 to 2021. During the time this show was in hiatus, he started the podcast Conan O'Brien needs a friend, which he hosts with his producer Matt Gourley and his assistant Sona Movsesian. Besides this, Conan also starred in Conan O'Brien Must Go, a series on Max in which he visits countries from around the world and meets up fans whom he talked to on the podcast.
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and released several comedy albums including Reality ... What a Concept in 1980. He rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). He received his first leading film role in Popeye (1980). Williams went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1997). His other Oscar-nominated roles were for Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991).
Williams starred in the critically acclaimed dramas The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), Patch Adams (1998), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), and World's Greatest Dad (2009). He also starred in family films such as Hook (1991), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Jack (1996), Flubber (1997), RV (2006), and the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014). He lent his voice to the animated films Aladdin (1992), Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), and its 2011 sequel.
Williams was found dead at his home in Paradise Cay, California, in August 2014, at the age of 63. At the time of his suicide, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. According to his widow, Williams had experienced depression, anxiety, and increasing paranoia. His autopsy found "diffuse Lewy body disease" and Lewy body dementia professionals said his symptoms were consistent with dementia with Lewy bodies.
Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his run as a series regular for three seasons on the NBC sitcom The Office, playing the role of Gabe Lewis, and his role as Jared Dunn on the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley. He also recurs on the HBO series Veep and on the USA Network sitcom Playing House, as well as the HBO show Avenue 5.
Sasheer Zamata Moore (born May 6, 1986) is an American actress, writer, and comedian known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2017. She has also served as a celebrity ambassador for the ACLU.
She has appeared on Hulu’s Woke, Comedy Central’s Robbie, the horror comedy film Spree, the Lionsgate’s romantic comedy The Weekend, and the movie I Feel Pretty with Amy Schumer. She stars as Denise on the ABC sitcom Home Economics.
She is one half of the weekly podcast Best Friends, with her best friend Nicole Byer.
