Emo Philips

Last updated
Emo Philips
Emo Philips Opening for Weird Al Yankovic at the Apollo Theater (40964853051).jpg
Philips in 2018
Born (1956-02-07) February 7, 1956 (age 69)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • stand-up comedian
  • producer
  • writer
Years active1976–present [1]
Comedy career
Medium Stand-up
Genres
Website emophilips.com

Emo Philips (born Philip Soltanec, February 7, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His stand-up comedy persona makes use of paraprosdokians spoken in a wandering falsetto tone of voice. [2]

Contents

Career

The character of Emo Philips appears as a fidgety, possibly mentally disturbed, nervous but highly intelligent individual. [3] Philips constantly moves throughout the routine, often shifting from sitting to standing positions, wandering from end to end on stage, playing with his hair or clothing, or going as far as to partially undress as he delivers punchlines. His comedy, which is largely self-deprecating, is often delivered in a modulated falsetto. His look (occasionally described as geeky, disco and vaudeville-inspired), particularly his hair—a 1970s-style bob with straight-lined front fringe—has been a signature part of his appearance and act for most of his career.

Philips has recorded three comedy albums. His album E=mo², recorded live at Caroline's in Manhattan, New York City won the 1985 New Music Award for best comedy album. It was later re-released along with his Live at the Hasty Pudding Theatre album on a single CD. He also released an album called Emo in 2001. A joke of his was voted funniest religious joke ever in a 2005 online poll. [4] In 2006, he appeared at the Newbury Comedy Festival. He was included in the top 50 of E4's 100 Greatest Comedians, and also appeared number 54 on Channel 4's top 100 greatest standups.

Aside from Philips's long career as a standup comic, he has been featured in acting roles on television series such as Miami Vice and The Weird Al Show . In 2006, he appeared on British television, as a guest on the panel game 8 Out of 10 Cats . Philips has several voiceover credits in animation, including the animated improv series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist ; improvised sitcom Home Movies ; talk show parody Space Ghost Coast to Coast ; scripted fantasy series Adventure Time as Cuber the mysterious storyteller; and the voice of Dooper in the animated series Slacker Cats . [5] he has also appeared on four episodes of @midnight , in February 2015, April 8, 2016, a 1990s themed episode on September 26, 2016, and the finale episode on August 4, 2017.

He has appeared in feature films including 1989's UHF (as Joe Earley, a rather clumsy school shop teacher who accidentally saws his thumb off) and Desperation Boulevard in 1998. Additionally, he appeared in the original 1992 version of Meet the Parents (also executive producer) and was an associate producer of the 2000 remake. [6]

Around 2001, Philips began to appear more often after a hiatus in the 1990s.[ citation needed ]

"Weird Al" Yankovic and Philips toured together throughout the US in 2018, in Yankovic's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour , [7] and again in the 2022 iteration. On November 5, 2011, Emo married actress and screenwriter Kipleigh Brown. [8]

Discography

Filmography

Key
Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Film

Emo Philips' film credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 Journey to the Center of the Earth NimrodFilm debut role
1989 UHF Joe Earley
1992 Meet the Parents Video Store EmployeeIndependent film
Also executive producer and writer of title theme song
1992The Can ManThe Can ManShort film
1995The FanScreenwriter
Direct-to-video
1998 Desperation Boulevard
2000 Meet the Parents Associate producer
Remake of the 1992 film
2005 The Aristocrats HimselfDocumentary
2006 Relative Strangers Guest at Hoedown
2008 The Seventh Python HimselfDocumentary
2014Rise of the Kitchen AppliancesBlenderVoice role
Short film
2015American DirtbagsGundealer's Brother-in-Law
2017Dying LaughingHimselfDocumentary
2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Meeks ServantVoice role
2022 Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Salvador Dalí
TBAStalking EmoHimselfPost-Production
TBAUnder the Smogberry TreesHimselfPost-Production

Television

Emo Philips' television credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1984—89 Late Night with David Letterman HimselfEpisode: "Dated 25 September 1984"
1985 Miami Vice Rat Race ContestantEpisode: "Phil the Shill"
1986 The Bob Monkhouse Show HimselfEpisode: "#3.6"
1987Emo Philips Live! at the Hasty Pudding TheatreHimselfTelevision special
1987Stand-Up AmericaHimself1 episode
1987 The Max Headroom Show HimselfEpisode: "#1.5"
1987 The Secret Policeman's Third Ball HimselfTelevision special
1987 Showtime at the Apollo HimselfEpisode: "#1.7"
1988 Saturday Live (British TV programme) HimselfEpisode: "#3.5"
1988Howard Stern's Negligeé and Underpants PartyHimselfTelevision film
1988 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards HimselfTelevision special
1989The Hippodrome ShowHimselfEpisode: "#1.5"
1989—90 The Arsenio Hall Show HimselfEpisode: "9 February 1990"
1990 The Lowdown HimselfEpisode: "Making People Laugh"
1990Emo Philips: Comedian and MammalHimselfTelevision special
1991Molson Canadian Comedy ReleafHimselfTelevision special
1991Amnesty International's Big 30HimselfTelevision special
1995—96 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist EmoVoice role
2 episodes
1997 The Weird Al Show Dr. Philips / The Slawmeister2 episodes
1998 Space Ghost Coast to Coast HimselfEpisode: "Curses"
1999 Behind the Music HimselfEpisode: "Weird Al Yankovic"
1999—2004 Home Movies ShannonVoice role
3 episodes
2001 Late Show with David Letterman HimselfEpisode: "October 5, 2001"
2002Late FridayHimselfEpisode: "#2.12"
2004The World Stands UpHimselfEpisode: "#1.2"
2004—05 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself2 episodes
2005 Just for Laughs Himself2 episodes
2006 8 Out of 10 Cats HimselfEpisode: "#3.7"
2007Scott Bateman PresentsHimselfEpisode: "One"
2007100 Greatest Stand-UpsHimselfTelevision special
2007—09 Slacker Cats DooperVoice role
10 episodes
2010Iron Core TalkHimself1 episode
2012—16 Adventure Time Cuber / Flour DemonVoice role
6 episodes
2014 Review GeorgieEpisode: "Revenge; Getting Rich; Aching"
2014 TripTank KarlVoice role
2016Funny as HellHimselfEpisode: "#6.6"
2016—17 @midnight Himself3 episodes
2017Ben and Holly's Little KingdomWriter
Episode: "Welcome to Ben's Palace"
2017SXSW Comedy with Natasha Leggero: Part 2HimselfTelevision special
2017—19 Welcome to the Wayne Dennis O'BannonVoice role
6 episodes
2018Hunky Boys Go Ding-DongCecilTelevision film
2019Le Lineup du BordelHimself2 episodes
2019 Crashing HimselfEpisode: "The Viewing Party"
2019VendorsLenTelevision film

Video games

Emo Philips' video game credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations CuberVoice role

Music videos

Emo Philips' music video credits
YearSongArtistNotes
1999"It's All About the Pentiums"'Weird Al' YankovicDirected by 'Weird Al' Yankovic

References

  1. Dessau, Bruce (August 6, 2001). "Remember Emo Philips?". The Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  2. "Emo Philips". www.emophilips.com. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  3. Rossi, Melissa (October 1985). "Extraterrestrial comic? Nerd god? Or less?". Spin . p. 13.
  4. Philips, Emo (29 September 2005). "The best God joke ever - and it's mine!". The Guardian. London. Retrieved Jan 10, 2009.
  5. ""Slacker Cats" Coming to ABC Family". Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
  6. "Emo Philips". imdb.com. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  7. "Weird Al's facebook page". facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  8. "Kipleigh Brown - IMDb". IMDb.