Biography
Lewis Black. Known as the king of the rant, Lewis Black uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing to expose the hypocrisy and madness he sees in the world. A critically-acclaimed stand-up, actor, and author, Black has performed around the globe.
After studying theatre at UNC and the Yale School of Drama, Black became the playwright-in-residence at the West Bank Cafe's Downstairs Theatre Bar in New York City, where he oversaw the development of over 1,000 plays. His "Back in Black" segments for Comedy Central's The Daily Show remain one of the show's most popular pieces since he began doing them in 1996. Black has also taped four Comedy Central Presents specials, co-created Last Laugh with Lewis Black, and presided over Lewis Black's The Root of All Evil. He won Best Male Stand-Up at the 2001 American Comedy Awards. He has released nine albums, for which he has received five Grammy nominations and two wins, for 2007's The Carnegie Hall Performance, and 2011's Stark Raving Black. His specials for HBO include Black On Broadway and 2007's Emmy-nominated Red, White and Screwed. He won a Sports Emmy for his regular feature on Inside the NFL. In 2013, Black recorded his ninth special, Old Yeller: Live At The Borgata.
Black portrayed Ezra Merkin in the 2015 ABC miniseries Madoff, and has appeared on Larry King Live, Piers Morgan Tonight, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Black has also made numerous appearances on CNN and MSNBC, and occasionally done the weather with Al Roker.
He has written three New York Times bestsellers, Nothing's Sacred, Me of Little Faith, and I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas. Black has penned more than 40 plays, many of which have been produced around the country. The Deal, a dark comedy, was made into a short film and picked up by the Sundance Channel. His play One Slight Hitch was produced at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the ACT Theatre, and The George Street Theatre.
Black's film roles include Accepted, Unaccompanied Minors, Farce of the Penguins, and Man of the Year with Robin Williams. Black calls his role as "Anger" in the 2015 Oscar-nominated Pixar film Inside Out career-defining.
Black has done extensive work with the 52nd Street Project as a longtime mentor, roast recipient, advisory board member, capital campaign co-chair, and creator of the Ron Black Memorial Scholarship fund. Black also supports the Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Autism Speaks. He was honored by The Brady Center for his commitment to ending gun violence, and by the ACLU of Georgia with their National Civil Liberties Award. He also established the William Foeller Fellowship at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and performed in three tours with the USO to support military personnel.
Black resides in both Manhattan and Chapel Hill, N.C., where he works with students to create the yearly Carolina Comedy Festival at his alma mater, UNC. He continues to tour heavily and provide a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. In his leisure time, Black likes to play golf, even though golf hates him.
