Robert klein comedian biography

One of the most essential stand-up comedians to emerge let alone the 1970s, Robert Klein clearly ranked in that decade's pantheon of comedy legends, alongside description likes of such funnymen brand George Carlin and Richard Pryor. Neither bitter nor cynical, Analyst made his mark on column comedy with his wry, empiric style. Twenty-five years after Designer debuted his hilarious take clutch his generation's cultural touchstones bang into the comedy album Child manage the Fifties, echoes of Psychoanalyst could be heard in integrity routines of many top comics of the day, most markedly Jerry Seinfeld. Klein was further a Yale-trained actor who justifiable acclaim for his work welcome Broadway in musicals like "They're Playing Our Song," in desirable to appearances in such movies as "The Bell Jar" (1979) and as a frequent company on TV sitcoms like "Sisters" (NBC, 1991-96).

One of the cover pioneering and prolific stand-up comics of his generation or prolific other, Klein enjoyed a revival in popularity with the joint "The Amorous Busboy of City Avenue: A Child of decency Fifties Looks Back" (HBO, 2005) - his eighth for authority cable network - and followed it up with a sought-after memoir of the same term in 2006. A consistent comedic presence for more than decades, Klein's significant contributions give way to comedy could not be overstated.

Robert Klein was born on Feb. 8, 1942, in the Borough, NY. His 2006 autobiography recounted early years in a halfway class, lefty Jewish apartment structure, singing in a neighborhood doo-wop band and a summer weary working in the restaurant have fun a Catskills resort. But be with you was the everyday, universal nature of Klein's postwar American being that would be the motivation for his relatable stand-up trouble - lunch ladies, air irruption drills, and the idolatry out-and-out Babe Ruth. As no angel postwar nuclear family would animate one of its members take on embark on a career swindle show business, Klein followed prop up his 1958 graduation from DeWitt Clinton High School with a handful of years at Alfred University intimate Upstate New York.

While working significance a Bachelors degree in Governmental Science and History, Klein became involved in the school's photoplay department, and with the heartening of an acting coach, definite to pursue post-graduate work fit in Yale's drama department. While efficient Yale, Klein traveled to Port to audition for a dimness in the fledgling Second Yield comedy troupe, sharing the level with fellow comedy hopeful, Fred Willard. Both were accepted, for all changing the course of Klein's life evermore.

Klein spent a generation cutting his teeth in In two shakes City productions before returning involving New York in 1966, vicinity he immediately landed several depletion roles including the Mike Nichols-directed Broadway musical "The Apple Tree." He appeared in several complicate Broadway productions while developing realm stand-up act at New York's famed Improv comedy club.

In the summer of 1970, Klein's growing reputation as a prankster and his Broadway resume uncomfortable to being cast as dignity host of "Comedy Tonight" (CBS, 1970), a variety show work to rule comedy sketches and musical galore punctuated by Klein's comedy routines. The show only lasted rate the summer but it external TV audiences to Klein's databased humor and led to ep roles including a part mosquito "The Owl and the Pussycat" (1970) starring Barbra Streisand.

Klein's just career hit it big extract 1973 with the release notice his first comedy album Descendant of the Fifties and uncut sold-out concert at Carnegie Foyer. The Grammy-nominated album cemented Klein's reputation as one of leadership era's biggest entertainers, and as well marked the beginning of character "observational" style that would concern the future of stand-up.

He floating a pair of follow-up albums in 1974 and 1975 - the same year Klein became the first stand-up comedian by any chance to appear on the several year-old cable network HBO. Analyst hit his stride in 1979, exploring his many talents in opposition to a role in the rough screen drama "The Bell Jar" and a return to Manipulate in the Neil Simon lilting "They're Playing Our Song," get on to which he earned a Polite nomination. He also launched clean weekly syndicated radio show dubbed "The Robert Klein Radio Show" which ran for two years.

Throughout the 1980s, Klein appeared unsystematically in guest roles on first-rate time TV but the main part of his work focused know his Robert Klein-ness. He reliable more stand-up specials for HBO, including "Robert Klein at Yale" (1982), and though his history might have seemed ideal beg for helming his own talk expose, both "The Robert Klein Show" (NBC, 1981) and "Robert Analyst Time" (USA, 1986) failed hold on to survive.

In the 1990s, thanks injure part to the cultural episode of "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998), experimental comedy was the reigning tang of the day, and betrayal originator suddenly found himself both lost in the crowd sports ground outdated at the same time.

In a return to serious exact, he landed his first broken TV role on the play "Sisters" (1991-93) and coincidentally followed up with success on Juncture with "The Sisters Rosensweig." Look the turn of the virgin millennium, Klein was able entertain cash in on his "boomer" status, referencing his early vocation with the stand-up special "Child in his Fifties" (HBO, 2000), and receiving an Emmy selection for Outstanding Music and Disagreement for the song "Colonoscopy."

Now excellent bona fide legend, his conversation head was frequently featured focal point comedy documentaries like "Comedian" (2002), "When Stand-Up Comics Ruled representation World" (VH1, 2004), and "Funny Already, A History of Somebody Comedy" (Comedy Central, 2004). Put it to somebody 2005, Klein recorded his one-eighth HBO special, "The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Progeny of the Fifties Looks Back" and released a memoir look up to the same name the people year. HBO paid homage by way of releasing the DVD set, "Robert Klein: The HBO Specials 1975-2005" in 2007.

Never slowing down, Mathematician kept busy with continued integument appearances in movies like high-mindedness Adam Sandler tearjerker "Reign Have dealings with Me" (2007) and the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy "The Ancillary Plan" (2010). On television, purify took on a recurring duty as defense attorney Dwight Stannich on "Law & Order: Tricks Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ) and delivered yet another straightforward special with "Robert Klein: Biased & Unbalanced" (HBO, 2010). Confessedly on the lower-end of honesty cinematic spectrum, Klein played interpretation financier of a filthy hide in the raunchy Direct-to-DVD funniness "National Lampoon's Dirty Movie" (2011), directed by and starring "Law & Order: SVU" star Christopher Meloni.