Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright and actor. He is known for his comedy style which often includes simulating a mental breakdown or an increasingly angry rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, trends and cultural phenomena. He hosted Comedy Central's The Root of All Evil and makes regular appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart delivering his "Back in Black" commentary segment. When not on the road performing, he resides in Manhattan and also maintains a residence in Chapel Hill, N.C.Black was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the son of Jeannette, a teacher, and Sam Black, an artist and mechanical engineer. He was raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Silver Spring, Maryland, graduating from Springbrook High School in 1966, summa cum laude having the highest average of all males in high school. Black claims in his book that he scored highly on the math section of his SAT exam and later applied to Princeton University among others. Black matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied playwriting and was a brother of Pi Lambda Phi International fraternity and a member of Student Congress. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama in 1977.Originally, his career was in the theater as a playwright. He served as the playwright in residence and associate artistic director of Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in Hell's Kitchen in New York City, where he collaborated with composer and lyricist Rusty Magee and artistic director Rand Foerster on hundreds of one-act plays from 1981 to 1989. Also with Rusty Magee, Lewis wrote the musical The Czar Of Rock and Roll, which premiered at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1990.Black's stand-up comedy began as an opening act for the plays as he was also the master of ceremonies. After a management change at the theater, Black left and began working as a comedian as well as finding bit parts in television and films.Lewis Black's style of comedy is that of a man who, in dealing with the absurdities of life and contemporary politics, is approaching his personal limits of sanity. Sarcasm, hyperbole, profanity, shouting and trademark angry finger-shaking bring emphasis to his topics of discussion. He once described his humor as "being on the Titanic every single day and being the only person who knows what is going to happen." He claims that he doesn't write his jokes down, he merely starts talking about something that makes him angry until he has to move on before he has a stroke.Black describes his political affiliation as such: "I'm a socialist, so that puts me totally outside any concept...the Canadians get it. But seriously, most people don't get it. The idea of capping people's income just scares people. 'Oh, you're taking money from the rich.' Ooh, what a horrifying thing. These people really need $200 million".Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman.In 1998, he starred in his first comedy special on the series Comedy Central Presents. He starred in two additional episodes of the series in 2000 and 2002. He starred in another special for the network in 2002 titled Taxed Beyond Belief.In 2000, Black and fellow comedian Jim Norton were arrested for their involvement with "The Naked Teen Voyeur Bus", a specially designed bus with acrylic glass walls containing numerous (18 and 19 year old) "teen girls." This bus rode around Manhattan while being broadcast on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show. Unfortunately, radio station management did not inform the O&A show that the bus' route was also the route that President Clinton was taking that same day. Twenty-eight hours after the arrest, Black and Norton were released. Black appeared on The Daily Show the following night where he stated he was exercising his constitutional rights. He then joked that the location of
Graduated from University of North Carolina and Yale University
Grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Had a younger brother named Ronald, who died of cancer in July 1997 at 46. Black claims in his book, "Me of Little Faith", that his success as an entertainer finally took off after his brothers death, and thus he views him as an archangel.
Once co-owned a theater in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Went to University of Maryland his freshman year.
Once worked for the Appalachian Regional Commission under President Nixon.
Graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Once worked for the Silver Spring Post Office.
His father, Sam, was a mechanical engineer who built sea mines for the government during World War II and the Vietnam War. He quit ten years earlier than he had planned after reading the Geneva Accord and deciding there was no justification for the United States occupation of Vietnam. He then dedicated his life full-time to art, mostly stained glass and painting. He was also the one who introduced his son to theater and play writing, two things that defined Lewis Blacks artistic endeavors long before stand-up comedy.
He has written 40 plays.
His mother, Jeannette, taught math in an all-black high school in Washington, D.C. She quit after the administration told her to stop straying from the rigid curriculum, wherein there were no real practical applications for students, many of whom were not going to college.
Attended the Yale School of Drama.
Played basketball in high school.
Toured Europe with childhood friend, Cliff, in the late 60s with the intent on "hitchhiking and getting laid", neither of which were successful. His tour took him to London, Paris, Vatican City, and many cities in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Germany. Among others, he saw the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and visited the Nazi concentration camp, Dachau.
Is a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.
Friends with fellow comedian-actor Mark Linn-Baker , and worked with him on a comedy act in New York in the early 1980s called "The Laundry Hour". The act was recreated on the audio-book version of "Me of Little Faith" with Linn-Baker.
Has a beer named after him at The Top of The Hill bar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Lewis Black Imperial Stout.
Great influence on him growing up was George Carlin.
His mother, Jeanette, is now 90 years young [2008].
Release of his book, "Me of Little Faith".
Release of his book, "Nothings Sacred".
Lives in New York City and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
In one of his early concerts, he declared that he believed the "End of the Universe" to be in Houston, Texas, because on West Gray Street, there are two Starbucks coffeehouses on adjacent corners. More than a decade later, not only do both Starbucks still stand, but there is a third within a Barnes & Noble just slightly down the block.
Each of us is full of shit in our own special way. We are all shitty little snowflakes dancing in the universe.
Just relax and breathe through your ass.
My parents are the last of the middle class. My father worked for the government designing sea mines. My mother was a substitute teacher. Together, they worked really only until they were sixty.
All food is comfort food. Maybe I just like to chew.
All the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911.
Republicans have nothing but bad ideas and Democrats have no ideas.
