Peter Grosz

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Peter Grosz
Born
Occupation(s)Actor, writer

Peter Grosz is an American actor and television writer. He is most recognizable for appearing in Sonic Drive-In's "Two Guys" commercials, in which he appears as the straight man in a double act with improvisational comedian T. J. Jagodowski until it was replaced by families in 2020.

Contents

Early life and education

Grosz was born in New York City, and was raised in Scarsdale, New York. [1] Grosz is Jewish. [1] For years he attended Camp Greylock in Massachusetts where he was a Red & Grey captain. He attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1996. [2] One of his college roommates during that time was fellow actor Seth Meyers. [3]

Career

From 2002 to 2012 and 2014 on, Grosz has starred as one half of the "Two Guys" for the Sonic Drive-In commercials alongside fellow improviser T. J. Jagodowski. [4] [5] In 2020, it was reported that Sonic's commercials would be going in a different direction, but that the "Two Guys" series would continue to be part of the chain's advertising in some way. Lori Abou Habib, Sonic's Chief Marketing Officer, said that the commercials are "a huge part of our voice, and they’ll be part of our brand going forward." [6] The two actors also appeared together in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction .

Grosz worked as a writer for The Colbert Report from 2007 to 2010, [7] where he has appeared on screen at least four times: once as the Time-Travelling Brandy Thief, once as a version of himself on September 23, 2008, [8] once on May 13, 2010, to interrupt Stephen Colbert's attempt to introduce guest band The Hold Steady, only to perform the introduction himself, and on January 9, 2013, as McGnaw the Gluten-Free Beaver. [9] In addition, the May 13, 2010 episode ended with Colbert wishing farewell to the Time-Travelling Brandy Thief; Grosz confirmed on his Facebook page that this was his last episode of the Report as a writer. Additionally, the birth of his child was announced on the show on March 9, 2009. [10]

Grosz joined the writing staff of Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014.

Grosz recurred on the HBO comedy series Veep , playing callous oil lobbyist Sidney Purcell over four of the first five seasons. [11] He also played Mike Pence on The President Show . [12]

On December 18, 2018, Grosz appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor for policy to US President Donald Trump, in a sketch with Colbert about Miller's appearance on Face the Nation the previous Sunday. [13]

Grosz also routinely appears as a panelist and has been a guest host on the NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! .

In April 2023, he made his Broadway debut playing Robert Sarnoff, President of NBC, in the Tony Award-winning play Good Night, Oscar , opposite Tony Award winner Sean Hayes.

Filmography

Acting

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005 The Weather Man Shelly's Archery Instructor
2006 Stranger than Fiction IRS Co-Worker #5
2008 The Promotion Guy in Windbreaker
2014DriftersAlbertShort film
2015 Slow Learners Dr. Mark Sonderskov
2017 Aardvark Anthony
Rough Night Cliff
2021 Things Heard & Seen Martin
Here Today Doctor Joe
2022 The Menu Sommelier
Who Invited Charlie? Trey Reynolds

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007Science DigestBrad CraneEpisode: "Animal Guy"
2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Minyan Member #2Episode: "Mister Softee"
2012 Key & Peele David SchwartzmanEpisode: "Landlord"
2012–2019 Veep Sidney Purcell12 episodes
2013 The Chris Gethard Show Chef Michael DinaldiEpisode: "Let's Sell Out with Real Late Night Characters"
Inside Amy Schumer Jason's FatherEpisode: "Clown Panties"
2014 Deadbeat Jeremy GoldbergEpisode: "The Ghost in the Machine"
2014–2015 Late Night with Seth Meyers Various characters12 episodes
2015–2016Cop ShowManager18 episodes
2016 Vinyl Nate Druker2 episodes
Odd Mom Out Dylan UngerEpisode: "The O.D.D. Couple"
Jon Glaser Loves Gear PhotographerEpisode: "Photography"
2019 A President Show Documentary: The Fall Of Donald Trump Mike Pence Television film
The Loudest Voice Alan Colmes Episode: "2001"
You're Not a Monster Frankenstein / Freddy / Cannibal4 episodes
Living with Yourself Too HipEpisode: "Va Bene"
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Bernie Zucker3 episodes
2020 Little America Man with YarmulkeEpisode: "The Silence"
At Home with Amy Sedaris Amy's DateEpisode: "First Dates"
2021 Search Party Roger CarrotsEpisode: "Something Sharp"
The Crew DirectorEpisode: "Hot Mushroom Meat"
Gossip Girl Mr. SpencerEpisode: "You Can't Take It with Jules"
2022 Fleishman Is in Trouble Camp director2 episodes
2023 New Amsterdam EricEpisode: "Right Place"
White House Plumbers Earl Silbert Episode: "True Believers"
2024 Elsbeth Leonard RosenEpisode: "A Classic New York Character"

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023 Good Night, Oscar Robert Sarnoff, President of NBC Broadway debut

Writing

YearTitleNotes
2007UCB Comedy OriginalsEpisode: "2 Square"
The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show 8 episodes
2007–2010 The Colbert Report 189 episodes
2008 The Daily Show Episode: "Indecision 2008: Election Night - America's Choice"
2011Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A Royal Pain in the NewsTelevision special
2014 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
2014–2015 Late Night with Seth Meyers 44 episodes
2017 The President Show 21 episodes
2020 At Home with Amy Sedaris 2 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 Aschenbrand, Periel. "The Chosen Ones: An Interview With Peter Grosz". Tablet . Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  2. "The Good Humor Man: Northwestern Magazine - Northwestern University". northwestern.edu. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  3. "Q&A with Seth Meyers, Northwestern homecoming parade Grand Marshal". Daily Northwestern . October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  4. Andrew Adam Newman (February 21, 2012). "Sonic Drive-In revives 'out of work' spokesmen". The New York Times . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  5. Lazare, Lewis (June 19, 2014) "Thanks Sonic: Two (funny) Guys are headed Uptown" Chicago Business Journal
  6. Stanley, T. L. (February 20, 2020) "After 8 Years of ‘2 Guys’ Ads, Sonic Moves in a New Direction With Mother LA" Adweek
  7. Ms Interpreted (March 16, 2007). ""The Colbert Report" welcomes a new writer: Peter Grosz". Nofactzone. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  8. Colbertnation.com: Peter Grosz insults
  9. "Thought for Food - Wheat Addictions - The Colbert Report". Comedy Central. January 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  10. "New Baby Abraham Carter Grosz - The Colbert Report". Comedy Central. March 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  11. "Peter Grosz". IMDb. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  12. D'Zurilla, Christie (April 3, 2017). "With 'The President Show,' Comedy Central commits to peak Trump". LATimes.com . Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  13. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (December 18, 2018), Stephen Miller Has A Bad Hair Day, archived from the original on December 15, 2021, retrieved December 19, 2018