Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black is a multi-talented actor, writer, comedian and director. Most recently, he's become a filmmaker, writing and directing MGM's "Wedding Daze,” starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher. He also wrote “Run, Fatboy, Run,” starring Simon Pegg and Thandie Newton under the direction of David Schwimmer.  It was released by PictureHouse this past spring.

This summer, Michael will be on Comedy Central with his new half hour comedy series, "Michael and Michael Have Issues."  He and former State colleague Michael Showalter created and will be starring, writing and producing this hilarious look at the intertwining lives of two contentious best friends.

Along with Showalter and David Wain, Black created, starred in and co-wrote the Comedy Central series, "Stella."  He's one of the lead commentators on VH1's "I Love the..." series, and his writings on contemporary culture have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Wired, Filter Magazine, CMJ Magazine and McSweeney's online.

Black starred opposite Julie Bowen and Jay Harrington in the recent film, "Partners," and he was a lead opposite Paul Rudd and Janeane Garofalo in the USA Films cult hit, "Wet Hot American Summer." He appeared in “Reno 911!: Miami,” “The Ten” and “The Baxter.”  He’ll next be seen opposite Topher Grace and Anna Faris in “Kids in America.” For four years, he starred on NBC's hit drama, "Ed," playing bowling alley manager Phil Stubbs.

Black's career began when he graduated from NYU and co-created, co-wrote and starred in the acclaimed MTV sketch comedy show, "The State."  From there, he co-created, co-wrote and starred in the Comedy Central series "Viva Variety."  Black was also the voice and forearm of the popular Pets.com sock puppet.

Black gives comedy lectures around the country under the title, "The Awesome Life with Michael Ian Black."  He also performs stand-up comedy in clubs all over the U.S.

Black lives in Connecticut with his wife Martha and their two children.

Michael Showalter

When I was in 4th grade I saw “Animal House” and it changed my life. I wanted to be John Belushi. In fact, after I graduated from college I overdosed on cocaine and heroin and died. I grew up in Princeton, NJ. My parents were both college professors. My Father’s name is English; he teaches French. My Mother’s name is Elaine; she teaches English. Growing up I wanted to be a cartoonist; to draw pictures of ferns and lamp shades in the margins of The New Yorker. I hated middle school. I had a second life changing experience in high school when I visited my sister at Yale and she took me to see their improv group, Purple Crayon. I was blown away. That night I said to myself, “When I grow up I wanna do comedy.” Foreshadowing. I had my first comedy group in high school. We were a hip-hop/improv troupe called The Disposable Rappers. After high school, I went to NYU. There I met the guys and gal of what would eventually become The State. At that time we were called The New Group. We made comedy our life. It was amazing yet I longed for the “traditional campus experience”. I transferred to Brown. I stayed involved with the New Group all through Brown. After college, The New Group changed its name to The State. We started making short videos for a show on MTV called “You Wrote It, You Watch It” hosted by Jon Stewart. There were 11 of us. We shared an office and a weekly paycheck meant for only one person. Michael Black and I regularly shoplifted bologna from Key Food. From our short videos on “YWI,YWI” we got our own pilot and then our own show. “The State” lasted four great years. We went on to make an album, a book, and an infamous Halloween Special on CBS (featuring Sonic Youth). After the State I chain smoked, read Stephen King novels and played chess in Washington Square Park. After that I was in the original cast of a play called “How I Learned To Drive.” In 1997, Michael Black, David Wain and I start doing a show in New York City called Stella. We made x-rated comedy videos (featuring dildos, group sex and necrophilia.) In 2000, David Wain and I made the sleep-away camp comedy “Wet Hot American Summer.” It went to the Sundance Film Festival in 2001; it was released that summer and re-released years later as a midnight cult movie with kids dressing up as characters from the film. Stella began touring around the country. I wrote a script called The Baxter, a romantic comedy about the paradigmatic “wrong guy.” IFC Films financed and distributed it. It was my directorial debut. The movie starred myself, Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Banks, Justin Theroux and Peter Dinklage. Stella got picked up as a series on Comedy Central and was named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the Top Ten TV shows of 2005.

Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari is poised for 2009 to be his breakout year with a new television series, a trio of films, and a headlining comedy tour. He will co-star opposite SNL’s Amy Poehler in the highly anticipated NBC Comedy Series, “Parks & Recreation” from producers and creators of “The Office.” The series is slated to premiere in April 2009. 

Ansari will soon be seen in a handful of features.  He recently began production on Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy Funny People opposite Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Jonah Hill and also has roles in I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd, and opposite Seth Rogen and Anna Faris in Observe and Report.

Ansari is best known for his role on MTV’s hit sketch comedy series, “Human Giant.” The series is based around comedy sketches performed by Ansari, along with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. Many of their sketches have become internet sensations and have popularized the trio with young people all across the US.  Last year, Ansari also had a very memorable guest starring role on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” in which he portrayed a racist fruit vendor.  He will also be seen in a multi-episode arc on “Scrubs,” when it premieres on ABC in 2009.

 Ansari recently completed his “Glow in the Dark” Comedy Standup Tour in which he crisscrossed the country performing his buzzed about stand-up act.  In 2005, Rolling Stone named him their choice for “Hot Standup” on their annual “Hot List,” and he was also awarded the Jury Award for Best Standup at the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen in 2006.

Ansari currently resides in Los Angeles.

Nick Kroll

Nick Kroll is a film and television actor, writer, published author, and standup/sketch comedian.  He began his performing career at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre while he was a freshman at Georgetown University.

Nick starred in ABC's Cavemen, has made appearances on CBS's Worst Week, and can frequently be seen on VH1's Best Week Ever. Nick also stars as Andrew Legustambos, the bi-sexual drama teacher on the FOX's animated series Sit Down, Shut Up created by Arrested Development's Mitch Hurwitz.  In addition, Nick lends his voice talents to the HBO animated series The Life and Times of Tim as Stu, Tim’s dry-witted best friend.

He has contributed writing to Chappelle's Show, The Life and Times of Tim and MTV's Human Giant.   Nick co-authored the hit coffee-table book Bar Mitzvah Disco. As a standup, Nick has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and regularly tours colleges and clubs around the country. He also regularly performs live as multiple characters including Fabrice Fabrice, the craft services coordinator for the TV show That’s So Raven, and Gil Faizon of the Oh, Hello Show he created with John Mulaney.

Nick can next be seen in the upcoming films I Love You, Man and A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, and as El Chupacabra, Reno's only Latin radio show DJ, on the 6th season of Reno 911!