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David Wain | |
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![]() Wain in 2019 | |
Born | David Benjamin Wain August 1, 1969 Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S. |
Alma mater | New York University |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1991–present |
Notable work | Wet Hot American Summer Role Models Wanderlust They Came Together |
Spouse | Zandy Hartig (m. 2009;div. 2015) |
Children | 2 |
Website | davidwain |
David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and director. He has co-written and directed six feature films, including Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Role Models (2008), Wanderlust (2012) and They Came Together (2014). He has also served as a creator, producer, writer and director on a number of television series, including Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later , Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp , Childrens Hospital and Medical Police . He has had small roles in most of the films and TV series he has produced or directed. Wain had a starring voice role as The Warden on the 2008–2014 Adult Swim animated series Superjail! , and has provided the voices for Courtney Wheeler and Grover Fischoeder on Bob's Burgers since 2012.
He began his career as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The State. The group had their own TV show on MTV from 1993 to 1995, The State , for which Wain directed many of the sketches. He is also a member of the comedy trio Stella, along with two other members of The State who were also involved in Wet Hot American Summer, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. The three wrote and starred in short films or skits called the Stella shorts, as well as the 2005 TV series Stella .
Wain was born to a Jewish family [1] [2] in Shaker Heights, Ohio, the son of Nina (née Saul) and Norman Wain. [3] As a young man, Wain went to a summer camp in Canaan, Maine, on which Wet Hot American Summer was loosely based.
In 1988 while attending NYU film school, Wain became a founding member of the sketch comedy group The New Group. This group later came to be known as The State, and in 1993 he and his fellow members created and starred in The State , a sketch show that lasted 26 episodes on MTV. Wain and Michael Patrick Jann directed most of the show's sketches.
In 1997, Wain, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Showalter formed the comedy trio Stella.
Wain's first feature film, Wet Hot American Summer (2001), was an absurdist summer camp comedy starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Ken Marino and Elizabeth Banks. Wain directed the film, and co-wrote and co-produced it with Showalter, who also plays a lead role.
His second feature film The Ten , starring Winona Ryder and Paul Rudd (and a large ensemble cast of well-known actors), had a short theatrical run and was released on DVD on January 15, 2008.
Wain's third feature, Role Models , starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch and Elizabeth Banks, was his first widely released film. Released in theaters on November 7, 2008, the film received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, as well as earning $19 million on its opening weekend. [4]
Wain starred in a web series titled Wainy Days on the website My Damn Channel, which ran for five seasons and ended in January 2012. The series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to romance numerous women and discusses his problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Josh Charles, Paul Rudd, and Michael Ian Black, and various other Stella, The State and Wet Hot American Summer alumni have all guest-starred in various episodes. The recurring cast included A.D. Miles, Matt Ballard and Zandy Hartig, who was instrumental in the creation of the series.
As one third of the comedy troupe Stella, Wain has co-hosted the long running nightclub show in New York City, toured the United States and made a series of shorts with the group, and eventually help create a 2005 series on Comedy Central based on their routines.
Wain is featured as the voice of The Warden in the animated series Superjail! . He was a featured commentator in the I Love the 70s series, I Love the 90s Part Deux series, and the weekly VH1 show Best Week Ever .. With The State, Wain co-wrote the book State by State with The State. He has appeared in such movies as The Baxter , Keeping the Faith and Role Models . Wain's fourth feature film, Wanderlust , was released on February 24, 2012. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Malin Akerman and Alan Alda. Wain directed the film, from a screenplay he wrote with Ken Marino, and has a cameo in the film as a TV weatherman.
His fifth feature, the romantic parody They Came Together , was released in June 2014. The cast includes Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, and Christopher Meloni. Wain and Showalter co-wrote the eight-episode Netflix prequel Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp based on the 2001 film with almost the entire cast of the original film returning. The series premiered on July 31, 2015, and was more well received by critics. He returned to co-write and direct another Netflix sequel Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later , which premiered in 2017. [5]
In 2018 Wain directed A Futile and Stupid Gesture , a feature film biography of National Lampoon founder Doug Kenney, starring Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson and Joel McHale.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, Wain founded the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band, in which he plays drums alongside fellow State alum Ken Marino. [6]
Wain lives in Los Angeles. He has two sons and is divorced from Zandy Hartig, an actress and producer. [7] [8]
† | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Aisle Six | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short film; also editor |
2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Yes | Yes | Co-producer | |
2007 | The Ten | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2008 | Role Models | Yes | Yes | ||
2012 | Wanderlust | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2014 | They Came Together | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
2018 | A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Yes | Executive |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Keeping the Faith | Steve Posner | |
Bamboozled | Bunning | ||
2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Paco | |
2003 | The Third Date | Ralph | Short film |
2004 | Along Came Polly | Wedding Videographer | Uncredited |
2005 | The Baxter | Louis Lewis | |
2006 | Delirious | Byron | |
2007 | The Ten | Abe Grossman / Cartoon Voices | |
Reno 911!: Miami | Breen the Plumber | ||
Puberty: The Movie | Principal Kirkpatrick | ||
2008 | The Guitar | Phone Man | |
Role Models | Chevron Baine | ||
2009 | I Love You, Man | Wedding Photographer | |
2012 | Sleepwalk with Me | Pete | |
Thanks for Sharing | Addict #2 | ||
2013 | Hell Baby | Dr. Marsden | |
She Said, She Said | Mediator | Short film | |
2014 | They Came Together | Keith | |
2016 | Brother Nature | Uncle Mel | |
2017 | Fun Mom Dinner | Wayne | |
2018 | My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes | Narrator | Documentary short |
A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Interviewer | ||
Under the Eiffel Tower | Frank | ||
Dog Days | Wacky Wayne | ||
2022 | Kimi | Angela's Dentist | |
The Bob's Burgers Movie | Grover Fischoeder (voice) | Voice role |
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992–1993 | You Wrote It, You Watch It | Yes | Yes | ||
1993–1995 | The State | Yes | Yes | ||
1995 | The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special | Yes | Yes | TV special | |
1997 | Apartment 2F | Yes | Yes | ||
1999 | Random Play | Yes | |||
2000 | Strangers with Candy | Yes | Episode: "The Blank Page" | ||
2000–2001 | Mad TV | Yes | |||
2000–2002 | Sheep in the Big City | Yes | 3 episodes | ||
2005 | Stella | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
2007–2011 | Wainy Days | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directed 20 episodes |
2008–2016 | Childrens Hospital | Yes | Yes | Executive | Also developer; Directed 12 episodes |
2010 | Party Down | Yes | Episode: "Not on Your Wife Opening Night" | ||
2013–2015 | Newsreaders | Yes | Executive | Also creator; Directed segment "Sitcom Family" | |
2014 | A to Z | Yes | Episode: "F Is for Fight, Fight, Fight!" | ||
2015 | Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp | Yes | Yes | Executive | Also creator |
2017 | Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
2020 | Medical Police | Yes | Yes | Executive | Also creator; Directed 5 episodes |
2023 | Miracle Workers | Yes | No | No | Directed 2 episodes |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992–1993 | You Wrote It, You Watch It | Various characters | |
1993–1995 | The State | Various characters | |
1995 | The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special | Various characters | TV special |
1997 | Apartment 2F | David | Segment: "Finishing the Novel" |
1999 | Random Play | Various characters | |
2000–2002 | Sheep in the Big City | Stu (voice) | Episode: "Belle of the Baaah" |
2003 | Crank Yankers | Al Foster #1 / David | 2 episodes |
2003, 2008 | Reno 911! | Sam / Sensual Masseuse | 2 episodes |
2004 | Cheap Seats without Ron Parker | Brian Lewis | Episode: "High-School Cheerleading" |
2005 | Stella | David | 10 episodes |
2006 | Entourage | Agent | Episode: "Three's Company" |
2007–2011 | Wainy Days | David | |
2007–2014 | Superjail! | The Warden (voice) | |
2008–2016 | Childrens Hospital | Rabbi Jewy McJewJew / himself / various characters | |
2009 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Shell Dante | Episode: "Hair" |
2012 | New Girl | Male Race Participant | Episode: "Secrets" |
Comedy Bang! Bang! | Gordon Thatchet | Episode: "Elizabeth Banks Wears a Red Dress" | |
2012–2021 | Bob's Burgers | Courtney / Grover Fischoeder (voice) | 12 episodes |
2013 | Burning Love | Reg Durjmah | Episode: "Dancing!" |
The Greatest Event in Television History | Bell Taint | Episode: "Hart to Hart" | |
Key & Peele | Person at People Park #6 | Episode: "#3.13" | |
2013–2015 | Newsreaders | Jim Davidson | |
2014 | Married | David | Episode: "Waffles & Pizza" |
2015 | Broad City | Maureen's Ex | Episode: "Coat Check" |
Weird Loners | Howard | 2 episodes | |
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Maternity | Episode: "Paid Family Leave" | |
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp | Yaron | ||
2015–2018 | Another Period | Albert Downsy Jr. | 14 episodes |
2016 | Younger | Hugh Shirley | 2 episodes |
2016–2019 | Drunk History | Thomas Jefferson / Julius Caesar | 2 episodes |
2017 | Fresh Off the Boat | Reggie | Episode: "Living with Eddie" |
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later | Yaron / Bill Clinton | ||
2018 | Portlandia | Brad | Episode: "Open Relationship" |
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Dr. Pratt | Episode: "Nathaniel Is Irrelevant" | |
2018–2019 | Teachers | Pastor Ted | 3 episodes |
2019 | Tuca & Bertie | (voice) | 2 episodes |
2019–2020 | Superstore | Dan | 3 episodes |
2020 | American Dad! | Mailroom Guy (voice) | Episode: "Businessly Brunette" |
2021 | Big City Greens | Ronald Featherman (voice) | Episode: "Winter Greens" |
2022 | Murderville | Magic Melvin | Episode: "The Magician's Assistant" |
The State is an American sketch comedy television series, originally broadcast on MTV from 1994 to 1995. The show combined bizarre characters and scenarios to present sketches that won the favor of its target teenaged audience. The cast consisted of comedy troupe The State, who were 11 comedians who created, acted, wrote, directed and edited the show. In various combinations, the former members of The State have continued to collaborate over the years, with alumni playing major creative, directing and acting roles in a number of notable projects including Reno 911! and Wet Hot American Summer.
Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by David Wain from a screenplay written by Wain and Michael Showalter. The film features an ensemble cast, including Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Showalter, Elizabeth Banks, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Zak Orth, and A. D. Miles. It takes place during the last full day at a fictional summer camp in 1981, and spoofs the sex comedies aimed at teen audiences of that era.
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and comedian. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in July 2015, and was included on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019. In 2021, he was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive".
Michael Ian Black is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Viva Variety, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Michael & Michael Have Issues, and Another Period. In the late 1990s to early 2000s, he was the puppeteer and voice actor for the Pets.com sock puppet dog, and played a supporting character on the TV series Ed. Since 2008 he has written a number of books, including several for children.
Kenneth Joseph Marino is an American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He was a cast member on MTV's The State and has starred in shows such as Party Down, Marry Me, Burning Love, and Childrens Hospital. He played the Lehman brothers on the Showtime series Black Monday. He also stars as Victor in the cult-classic comedy film Wet Hot American Summer, as well as its spin-offs.
Stella is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran from June 28 to August 30, 2005 on Comedy Central. It was created by and stars Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, former cast members of MTV's The State (1993). As a comedy troupe, Stella started in 1997 and played to sold out shows across the United States with a cult following. In September, after 10 episodes, Stella's timeslot was succeeded by Mind of Mencia. The DVD was released on September 12, 2006.
Michael Showalter is an American comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer. He first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, with Showalter co-writing and starring in Wet Hot American Summer (2001), and the Netflix series. Showalter wrote and directed The Baxter (2005), in which he starred with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks. Both films featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of his other projects. Showalter is also a co-creator, co-producer, actor, and writer for the TV series Search Party. He directed the 2017 critically acclaimed feature film The Big Sick.
Anthony David Miles is an American actor, writer and comedian. He was head writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon from 2014 to 2017, which he helped to develop. As an actor, he is best known as step-dad Gary on the Fallon skit Ew! and as Marty Shonson on Comedy Central's Dog Bites Man. He has also appeared in multiple other Fallon sketches, such as a member of the Ragtime Gals and Mr. Fletcher in the sketches in which Fallon and Justin Timberlake sing songs at their childhood camp. He also appeared in recurring roles on both Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Stella is a comedy trio or comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain. The group formed in 1997 as a weekly nightclub comedy attraction, performing at New York City nightclub Fez from 1997 until the club's closing in February 2005. Stella soon gained a wider cult following after a series of self-produced shorts known as the Stella shorts were released in limited quantities on DVD beginning in 2002. The trio later created and starred in a Stella television series in 2005. Now known for their unique blend of potentially mainstream comedy and surrealist humor, Stella has garnered a small but dedicated fanbase.
Adam Zachary Orth is an American actor. He is known for his roles in Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, Melinda and Melinda, In and Out, Music and Lyrics, and NYC 22. He also starred in the NBC television drama Revolution as Aaron.
The Stella shorts are a collection of short films by the comedy group Stella. The short films were produced and written by Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain, who also star in the shorts with a number of guest actors. They have gained considerable popularity on the Internet, after initially appearing on CollegeHumor.
Joseph Vincent Lo Truglio is an American actor and comedian. Best known for his role as Charles Boyle on the Fox/NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he also was a cast member on the television series The State and Reno 911!. His notable film roles include Wet Hot American Summer, I Love You, Man, Superbad, Paul, Role Models, and Wanderlust.
Wainy Days is an internet video series starring David Wain that is hosted on the website My Damn Channel. The web series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to form relationships with numerous women and discusses his problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Julie Bowen, Megan Mullally, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Corddry, Lake Bell, Amanda Peet, Rosemarie DeWitt, Elizabeth Reaser, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Josh Charles, Lucy Punch, A.D. Miles, Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black, Rashida Jones, Michael Showalter and various other Stella/The State/Wet Hot American Summer alumni have all guest-starred in various episodes. A DVD containing the first four seasons was released February 14, 2012. In 2013, Blip Partnered with My Damn Channel, leading to season 5 of Wainy Days being premiered simultaneously on Blip and MyDamnChannel.
They Came Together is a 2014 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Michael Showalter. The film stars Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, with supporting roles from Cobie Smulders, Christopher Meloni, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, Melanie Lynskey, and Ed Helms.
Jonathan Stern is the founder of Abominable Pictures, a creator-driven comedy production company that develops and produces content for television, web and film.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is an American satirical comedy television miniseries written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. First Day of Camp is the second installment in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. The eight-episode Netflix series is a prequel to Wain's 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, a parody of teen sex comedies which has since developed a cult following. Although many of the original film's ensemble cast have gone on to high-profile work, all of the then-adult actors returned for this series, playing even younger versions of their original roles. The episodes were released for online viewing at the end of July 2015.
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later is an American satirical comedy television miniseries set in 1991 in a summer camp and New York City.
Paul Rudd is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. His career began in 1992 when he played a recurring role in the television series Sisters until 1995. In 1995, he made his film debut opposite Alicia Silverstone in the cult film Clueless, and starred as Tommy Doyle in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. The following year, he played Dave Paris in Baz Luhrmann's romantic drama Romeo + Juliet. He co-starred in the ensemble comedy film Wet Hot American Summer (2001), and had further comedic roles in Role Models (2008) with Seann William Scott and I Love You, Man (2009) with Jason Segel.
Wet Hot American Summer is an American satirical comedy media franchise created by David Wain and Michael Showalter with stories centered on Camp Firewood, a summer camp located near Waterville, Maine. Since the release of the 2001 film, the franchise has expanded to include a documentary film, two television series, two books, a tabletop role-playing game and a soundtrack.
The State is an American comedy troupe. The troupe was founded by a group of New York University students in 1988, as an offshoot of the NYU improv comedy group The Sterile Yak; it was briefly named The New Group before landing on the name The State. The troupe's members are Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Robert Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter and David Wain. As a group, the troupe is best known for creating and starring in the 1993-1995 MTV sketch comedy series The State. However, since the show aired, members of the troupe have frequently collaborated on other television and film projects, including Viva Variety, Reno 911!, and the Wet Hot American Summer media franchise. The comedy group Stella is composed of three of The State's members, Showalter, Black and Wain, and starred in the 2005 sketch comedy series Stella, among other works. Additionally, some members of The State have achieved independent success as comic actors, writers and directors.