Frank Lesser

Last updated
Frank Lesser
BornJanuary 1980 (age 44)
Columbus, Ohio
Alma mater Brown University
Occupations
  • Novelist
  • screenwriter
Website www.franklesser.com

Frank Lesser (born 1980) is an American author and satirist best known as a staff writer for The Colbert Report from 2005 until 2013. For his work in the show he has received four Primetime Emmys. [1] In 2011 he wrote the book Sad Monsters and in 2019 created the IMDb adult animated series You're Not a Monster . He was also a writer for the first season of TruTv's At Home with Amy Sedaris (2017–2021) Lesser has also contributed comedic pieces for The New York Times , The Washington Post , Slate.com, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. [2]

Contents

Early life

Lesser was born an only child and grew up in Bexley, Ohio. He attended Brown University, where he wrote for The Brown Jug and majored in Semiotics, graduating in 2002. [3] [4] After college Lesser worked as a production assistant and freelance writer for various Viacom stations. [3]

Career

2005–2013: The Colbert Report

Lesser joined Comedy Central's The Colbert Report as a writer in 2005:

I met somebody who had just been hired as a writer’s assistant on Colbert. She invited me to a taping and asked what was up. I told her this whole sob story ending with, “I was at the lowest point in my life,” and she said, “Oh well, you know that they're hiring,” and then sort of didn't say anything. And then a month later they hired me, although she did say after I got hired, “Yeah, give it a month and a half, you'll be complaining just as much as you were before.” I think she really nailed the comedy writer mindset. [4]

On The Colbert Report Lesser has appeared as different characters, among them a drug lord, a conquistador, and Colbert's "interview stunt beard." [5] During his send-off on the show, Colbert remarked that "Around the office Frank was known for his intelligence, sensitivity, and his completely unproducible scripts. Seriously, Frank, where are we going to get a hovercraft." [6] When asked about his experience writing for The Colbert Report , Lesser said:

It’s wonderful when the person who’s in charge is a brilliantly talented, hilarious person. And so in some ways, you don’t feel as bad when they cut your jokes because you’re like, “Okay, well this person knows what they’re talking about,” and in other ways you’re like, “Why doesn’t Stephen Colbert like this joke?” [4]

2011–present: Sad Monsters and You're Not a Monster

In 2011 he wrote the book Sad Monsters: Growling on the Outside, Crying on the Inside, a collection of short humor pieces exploring the trial and tribulations of different monsters, accompanied by illustrations by Willie Real. [7] [3]

In 2017 he joined the writing staff of surreal comedy television series At Home with Amy Sedaris . In 2019, Lesser created the adult animated series You're Not a Monster for IMDb. [8] It was the streaming service first ever scripted series. The show starred Kelsey Grammer as a vampire turned therapist mentoring his great-great grandson Max, played by Eric Stonestreet, "a therapist who has inherited his practice". [9] [10]

Personal life

As of 2011 Lesser lived in the East Village neighborhood of New York. [11]

Credits

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005–2013 The Colbert Report VariousWriter
2010 Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear -TV special, writer
2017 At Home with Amy Sedaris -Six episodes, writer
2019 You're Not a Monster -Creator and writer

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References

  1. ↑ "Frank Lesser - IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Lesser, Frank (9 April 2012). "Tattoos for the Terrified" . Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Exclusive Interview with Frank Lesser author of "Sad Monsters"". Colbert News Hub. 15 December 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Brew, Jamie. "Frankly, Somewhat Pro-Pun". The College Hill Independent. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Soren, Emma. "Frank Lesser" . Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sign Off - Farewell to Frank Lesser". 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Grant, Drew (October 4, 2011). "Partying With Colbert Writer Frank Lesser's Sad Monsters". Observer . Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Frank Lesser". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  9. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 9, 2019). "IMDb Unveils First Scripted Series "You're Not A Monster"; Sets Sneak Peek At Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  10. ↑ Wojnar, Zak (October 10, 2019). "Creator Frank Lesser Interview: You're Not a Monster". ScreenRant . Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  11. ↑ "'Sad Monsters' author Frank Lesser imagines human problems for non-human counterparts". New York Daily News . October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
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